Wildlife Snapshots Goes USA: Reptile

Sunday, 28 February 2010

Tavernier: The rest of the upper Keys

Most of my shots from the upper Keys were taken where we stayed at Tavernier, but included below are also a few from the John Pennekamp state park (actually as this is an underwater park the pictures are from the land-based section!), and some of wild birds at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Centre, where each afternoon they feed pelicans and whatever herons, etc that come in. Although numbers were down due to the easy pickings from all the cold-killed fish, that probably only helped the photography by keeping the field of view less cluttered.
First the remainder from our resort:
Double crested cormorant having a grump.

There was a small marina on the site - you can see the narro0w channel in running in from left to right here ........

and get a feel for how narrow it was here (yes that little channel to the left).

So imagine my surprise one day when I found this surfacing in the middle of the marina!

I could see it swimming underwater and so was able to catch the moment it surfaced.
The marina was a good spot to watch the mullet and other fish - like this sort of mini barracuda -

although it was the crabs with the spider like grip that surprised me most.

At dusk each day some people would feed the feral cats (despite all the warnings not to) and this guy (or girl) would join them for a snack. I was able to watch it at ground level, but not having a decent flash with me the shots I took were pants - yes even worse than this one from our balcony!

Sitting on the balcony one day I saw 3 birds flying towards us. By the time I realised what they were and ran to grab the camera they were just going past. No time for adjustments it was a point and hope job, so forgive the snatched view of this Magnificent Frigatebird.

One of the cold mornings at the marina led to me finding this iguana.

I didn't handle it, but it was clearly literally stiff with cold. As the sun came around it gradually thawed and showed signs of life, It was lucky - this was the last of the cold days, but many died during the cold snap.

and

then when I wandered away for a short time it was gone - who knows where.
But mainly it was birds - this little grey gnatcatcher near the osprey nest ............

the northern cardinals making use of the marina facilities

and the spotted sandpiper working alomng the rocky edges.

Many mornings a group of white ibis could be seen working the mangrove margins,

but the best views were seen near the Wild Bird Rehab Centre.

Also

Also there good views of this snowy egret

wood stork

and the brown pelicans

White ibis were ubiquitous. Anyone who has been to the Florida theme parks will have seen them working the cafe tables like London pigeons, but this bird at John Pennekamp was the cheekiest I saw!

Also there looking for a snack was a turkey vulture

and to finish another bird that cropped up everywhere - the red-bellied woodpecker.

Saturday, 6 February 2010

Bok Tower Gardens

Every so often as I blunder through life I come across somewhere that will live on in the memory. Often going back isn't the best thing to do as few places can live up to the selective memory that develops over time.
However I hope I do go back to Bok Tower Gardens one day, to enjoy the peace, the gardens, the sculptures, the restaurant (mmmm! ),the dream come live, the birds (definitely the birds) .... and I must time it again to ensure the experience is underpinned by the glorious scent of the orange blossom. Normally you expect the light, the sun on your back, but add in that fragrance ........
After a bit of a drive, and a few wrong turns - why is it signposts in the US so often just disappear half way along a route? - we drove into the estate through the orange groves. I can still almost taste it.
Anyway this is Bok Tower Gardens, built by a man with a vision - Edward Bok - one of the few places we found (outside state parks) where the natural world is held in high esteem. There is a viewing hide, where an ill-timed look at a chart about the local wildlife meant we missed the osprey dive into the lake, and some feeding stations where I found the most ridiculously plumaged little bird. Called the painted bunting it's a great description. Give a child a drawn outline of a passerine and a kit of dayglo paints and tell it to paint the brightest bird ever! Just a shame that (a) the light was so low at that spot and (b) I only caught it on the feeder.
I'll leave the rest to the pictures.