The Icky What????

Our Eagles on the island have fledged but here is your chance to watch one up close and personal in the Midwest which is nesting on a later schedule.  They are still sitting on eggs and its all live.  Go to Eagle Cam.  (Hummingbirds just hatched, you might check them too)

From Amelia Island, on down to Ichetucknee Spring???
(I didn't know, but from here on, we all shall.)

When there are shuttle launches I always try to head to the beach because the novelty of being able to see the space shuttle launch with my own eyes is much more thrilling then watching it on the television set.  My son has a condo just next to the launch site, across the river, but I have only seen one launch from there.  It can be very disappointing to drive 3 hours only to have the launch scrubbed and I've done that.

Instead it is thrilling to me to see it by walking two blocks from my house.  A lot of launches are much more exciting then others and this one was not one of the better ones.  It depends on the trajectory and the haze.  The flower beds at the Ritz which I pass as I walk to the beach are a nice show.  The parking lot was full when I arrived with others wanting to witness history.

If it heads Northeast we get a pretty good view especially if it gets high enough to catch the sun's rays.  This time it disappeared shortly after this shot was taken.  I miss some friends, Jim and Carol Lindeman, who used to camp here and were involved in the space program in its infancy.  Jim was one of the few engineers working during those formative years, retiring about the time the shuttle program came to be.  I loved hearing his stories about that time.

Even though the launch was less then spectacular other airborne creatures, who gave man the idea that flying was possible, were putting on quite a show for me.

I had a chance at the end of the week to run down to the Marina and since I figured everyone was tired of Shrimpboat shots I decided to move more to the North and try for some shots of the Pelicans.  Sometimes every post is claimed by a bird but tonight only one Pelican was there.  As he preened and prepared for the night on his perch I moved into position to let him become the featured star in my next feature shot.  We were all alone so time for a little creative fun.

He seems to be saying, "Not enough time today?  Here let me hold it back for a while, so you can catch up." Who says you can't stop time.  My Pelican friend says he has everything under control.  Its almost like Bruce's saying, "I'm going to live forever.  So far so good."

The friend, Doug, who had shared his Bald Eagle nest last week offered me another adventure I couldn't resist.  We quickly, after checking the weather, put together a kayak trip for my day off on Monday.  He couldn't believe that I had never heard of Ichetucknee Spring after living in Florida for 10 years.  After all it is part of the State Park system.  With the bribe of "I will steer and paddle and all you will have to do is shoot pictures" I said "count me in".

We each rounded up a few friends and headed out at the ungodly hour of 6am on Monday morning.  I don't even get out that early for my Sea Turtles.  I invite you to jump in the kayak with Doug and me and tag along as we float down the Ichetucknee Spring River.  It is located in N. Central Florida near Gainesville, home of the either beloved or hated Florida Gators.  There were not Gators, reptile or human, in these waters with temperatures in the 70's it was too cold.  The waters of the Icky are fed by freshwater springs with water which has traveled via the Aquifer from lands north, water that has spent many hundreds of years traveling to get there.

This rare water plant needs the clean water of a spring to survive.  For now this beautiful Flower "Spring-run Spider Lily" bloomed all along our kayak route.  We spent a lot of time trying to capture the best photo possible but each one seemed more beautiful then the last one.  They look very much like our land variety Spider Lily.

Overhead, Spring was getting launched with Redbuds, Maple blooms and bare limbs with just the tiny early bits of green starting to show on them.  The Cypress were totally bare and the grasses in the water's edge were in their early stages of growth, giving us a wonderful view of the Cypress knees all along the water's edge.  Our fearless guide informed us that as summer passes, by Fall those water plants will be 6 foot high.  I think that Spring must be the best time because the higher grass would block a lot of the view we were seeing.

During the summer season the river is clogged with hundreds of tubing enthusiasts.  Those of you who remember this from college days at the University, it is now alcohol, plastic bottle, snack debris, and "Pot" free.  Much money, time, and volunteer efforts went into cleaning up all the mess left from those times and now rules are in place to prevent another round of garbage from being left there. The shedding Redbud trees were making a carpet of lavender on top of the green Duck Weed underneath.

The underwater plants were swaying beneath us, seeming to tell us the way as we both followed the flow of the stream.  The spots of clear white sand allowing us to realize just how clear this water was.  Fish and turtles swam underneath us.  This pure clean water has been crystal clear for all this time but change is happening and it may become clogged with slimy algae like many of its neighboring spring fed rivers.  It is being polluted by fertilizers that people feel they must put on their lawns, golf courses, and crops.  The sandy soil here quickly leaches these chemicals through and into the water causing algae to grow and gradually clog the river with stringy yucky algae.  These same fertilizers are also polluting the Gulf coast causing more damage to wildlife, including dolphins, by causing algae growth and red tides to form depleting the oxygen in the water and allowing all kinds of bad things to thrive.

The area here reminded me of my hometown area in Northeast Tennessee which also has a large deposit of Limestone and lots of underground caves.  The difference is that being so high above sea level those caves are not filled with water.  This was the first time I have seen these little wood's Violets since I left North Georgia.  I have told people that we don't have rocks in Florida but I was mistaken.  Here there are rocks the underneath surface is honeycombed with them.

Roots showed off interesting formations as they reached for the water, in, around, and through the rocky surfaces.

There is not a real need to paddle only steer as the current moves you at a nice easy pace.  The rocks in this part of Florida are a porous limestone whose holes resemble a sponge.  The limestone is eroded away leaving great water filled caverns underneath the earth.  Depletion of the water table will often cause a sinkhole to form when it collapses without the support of the water volume inside.  This can happen with overuse of the water from the Aquifer.

I Love the play of the bright sunlight on the spring green against the dark shape of the tree limb.

As we continue on down the river, many springs fed into it causing the river to grow in volume and width.  As it flattened out we had more grassy areas where the trees were not so dense, and birds became more easily seen along the water's edge.

These branches seem to be sitting on a dense second set of roots at the water level.  Hungry also for the water provided by the pure stream.

Another Spring bubbles to the surface, further feeding water into the stream increasing the volume.  These pieces of wood look like mythical animals guarding the entrance to the underground cavern from which the water flows.

Pretty spots of nature are found at every turn of the stream.  Our trusty river guide points out all the spring heads and interesting features he doesn't want us to miss.  I felt like the Queen of the Nile with my own personal paddler to row me along giving me the freedom to shoot to my heart's content, even paddling me in position for special shots.  Wow, what luxury.

Tiny white Eel Weed blooms on the surface at many places.

This pretty elegant fellow sat very still as we floated and snapped our way by.  I thought he would stay in place giving our next boat a chance to get close-ups of him also but...

...in a blue blur he was gone.

He turned up on the other side of the stream trying to make like a weed so we wouldn't see him.

Overhead a Vulture soared and I did not remember those white wings on ours.  If this is a different species then I am sure my birding friends will help me out here.  Ahead more interesting things to explore as we lazily floated along taking it all in.  Doug was able, with his knowledge of the place, to tell us what would be ahead and why this or that is like it is.  It is nice to have someone along with this kind of input so that you don't just go ahead blindly missing some of the important spots, which sometimes meant paddling against the current.  Our thanks to our fearless leader for including us all in his play day in what proved to be one great playground. ...more to come on the Icky as the kayak trip continues...

Swinging into Spring

Finally it has happened; the cold snap has snapped and Spring-like weather has blessed our cold frozen bones.  I know it is all relative, but for us Floridians it has been a cold winter.  The sunlight on the Spanish Moss is such an interesting thing to me.  The glow is seldom ever quite as good in a photograph as it is in person...

...but I keep trying.  It was a special evening ahead.  We had been invited to watch the wonderful old love story of Dr. Zhivago in the equally wonderful home theater created by my husband for some good friends.  A walk to their backyard for a glimpse of Lanceford Creek at high tide was a must.

I tried to not spook Mr. Egret but was unsucessful, however I was able to get his leap into space caught in stop action.

Not a bad view to inspire an artist needing to get a painting of a marsh finished.

A few days later I wandered down to the waterfront to apologize to the sunset for having neglected it too much this year.  I promised that after I finish my tax reports I will do better--like have a real life.

When I get home I see Bruce with his back to me standing very still in the back yard near the squirrels feeding tree.  I know instantly that he has company.  I figured it was about time for a new photograph for all to see; our Ms. Shelly doing her usual, eating pecans and peanuts.

Her identifying mark now is the small notch in left her ear.  As I was expecting, knowing what I have learned about squirrels, Shelly had for the third time in her young life, disappeared for a couple of weeks.  That usually means that she is the one who is expecting, as in the family way.  During this time period she visits more often, is more relaxed, and lives a few weeks of freedom from responsibility.  She also starts eating lots of good fattening foods as well as hiding many for her future responsibilities as a new mom.

An addition on the beach which did not make me that happy to see, is a long dredge pipe stretching the length of the Park's oceanfront.  It is supposed to only take 5 weeks to finish the dredge job with all of the sand deposited South of the park but must be piped in via our beach.

Last week was full moon week so we made it a point to join friends and sit out on the deck at Sandy Bottoms Restaurant to enjoy watching it come up from below the horizon.  Not a great photo but with the low haze the color was pretty and orange.

Climbing higher we began to enjoy orange sprarkles on the water also.

As it gained height it became the more silvery moon now painting the water with a much broader stroke.

Lewis Lizzard is still with us and has moved into a 10 gallon aquarium.  We were advised by a friend who does rehabbing that we should keep him inside until we are sure that it will stay warm and not just what might be a fleeting warm spell.  He really wants out and stays in the end of the terrarium next to the window, wishing greatly that he could get his life back to normal.  He does seem pretty content as he stays bright green most of the time now.  It is very important that he get enough UV light so I raise the blind in the day time even opening the window so the light is more direct as well as keep a lamp on him during daytime.

Outside everyone living in and around the backyard seems to be waking up to the signs of spring and nest building.  This young lady seems to be thinking seriously about building her nest in the Jasmine trellis and screen alongside the patio.  We wish it were Shelly instead.

This Carolina Wren was trying to decide whether to build his nest in the same area.  He sang and sang even though his mouth was full of nesting material.  I have been told that the male will build several nest sites and then let his lady help choose the one she wants.  Such a thoughtful little fellow.

This cute little Tree Frog isn't quite sure that it is warm enough for him to awaken as he just kind of peeps at me then closes his eyes again.  He is sitting on the front porch area of my house.  He blended in so well with the leaf I almost didn't see him.

This hedge type plant, of which I do not know the name, was a surprise as I never knew it had this fruit like seed.  It felt soft like ripe fruit and I wondered how it would taste but did not have the nerve to try it.  Maybe I will though.

My Cape Cod friend Anne, with roots deeply sprouting straight from Tennesse, who used to enjoy lots of adventures with me, took me on a, 'new for me hike'.  These days it seems our schedules seem to prevent us from doing as much while she is here.  One of her favorite walking trails is in Fort Clinch State Park but I had never hiked it.  She is saying "this is one of my favorite parts" as the trail wound up what used to be a dune in days gone by.

The trail winds along only a short distance from the road but gives the feeling you are deep in the woods of a forest.  The wind was blowing causing the Spanish Moss to sway and swing in front of us.

We took time to find some new things as we use our artists' eyes to be aware of patterns and interesting formations on the trees.  We decide this must be a gall of giantic proportions on this tree.  There were several very old Southern Magnolias along the trail, with Yupon shrubs, an American Holly, Live Oaks of course, lots of Palmettos, and Palms.  There were also many wild Bay trees trying to resurrect themselves from the roots after almost being destroyed by that invasive bug which attacked them a few years ago.  We are "rooting" for their ability to survive, unlike the Chestnuts trees which used to fill the forests of old which also tried, but unsuccessfully, to regrow from their roots.  Each time they were always knocked back down before they could have a chance to grow.

Nothing here is quite as beautiful in the sun,especially to an artist, as Palmetto leaves as the patterns play across their angular surfaces letting the light make magic as it filters through the rich and waxy green of their fronds.

I first noticed this lovey pink Lichen when I was on Cumberland Island.  It is almost the color of the Roseate Spoonbills.

There is beauty even in death.    These beautiful patterns are all that is left of an Armadillo that once rooted its way around the forest floor looking for grubs on which to dine.   If you have never heard of Go-Go Ferguson then I will tell you.  She is a wonderfully talented jewelry artist who takes things like this beautifully patterned shell, casts it in silver and creates some very collectable jewelry.  She lives on Cumberland Island (and other places) and her jewerly is cast from molds she makes from these and other of the life forms (collected in their dead forms) from the island.  Her Armadillo Shell and Rattlesnake Rib brackets, as well as her Racoon "Pecker" Earrings are well known and worn by many.  She designed the wedding rings for John Kennedy and his bride when they were married on Cumberland.  Her beautiful little Sea Star necklaces were chosen as gifts for the G-8 wives when the G-A Conference met on St. Simons Island a few years ago.

We also found a live version of the Armadillo making its way through the undergrowth.   They don't hear or see very well so probably never saw what was most likely a Bobcat which decided on a different menu for his dinner.  I never realized that the armor was quite as hard as it was until I was able to touch the pieces we found.  Usually an Armadillo will roll up into a ball and be pretty safe but there is that soft underside that is alway vulnerable.

Another day another short adventure as a friend happened to mention that there was a Bald Eagle's nest in his neighborhood.  My ears perked up and my mouth immediately voiced my desire to see this.  We are experiencing our first Bald Eagle nest in modern times here on the island and I wanted to see for myself.  I have spotted a few of the adults around the island and knew they were nesting somewhere.  Although the adults did not show up we did get to watch the kids as they are almost grown to fledgling size.  We believe there are 3 chicks.  This fellow moved into and out of the nest a couple of times while we were there.  Although it seemed as if he were ignoring us, once we enlarged the photos we could see that he was actually watching us pretty closely.

The nest was very high up in the top of a large pine tree, where I am told is a favorite nesting site.  They have a very large nest.  The wings of the chicks were also very large when they spread them to balance moving in and out of the nest and to flex them in preparation for the time when they will be flying on their own.  I understand the Southern Bald Eagle is smaller then the Northwestern ones.  This was a day to really wish my camera lens would have been stronger. Shameless plug time! (If you would, indulge me a mention of our other family business.) Note  that my husband, Bruce, has over twenty years in the custom residential electronics field, and is an independent designer, licensed reseller, and troubleshooter.  So if you fall into the group of folks who only wish your electronics would perform flawlessly, and up to their potential, give him a call. Among many areas, the main ones you'll be familiar with are Home Theater, Home Automation, Whole house AV, Computer/Data Security, and Personal Safety.   His company is Alltech Systems Design and Consulting, 904-261-5115. http://www.alltech-systems.com

Merritt Island: The Gates and the Day Come to a Close

Merritt Island; The Gates and the Day come to a close

Park closing hours were posted everywhere.  "Park closes at Sunset", but some signs said 5:30P.M., so we were in a bit of a quandary as to which was the actual closing time.  To try to see our main objectives before that bewitching hour we set off down the road to the Scrub Jay's area.  The road ended with a trail to walk leading to the area where the Scrub Jays were located. 

The Florida Scrub Jay is the only species of bird found exclusively in Florida.  It inhabits low growing scrub oak habitats, sand pine scrub, and coastal scrub.  Controlled fire is required to maintain scrub jay habitat.  Without it, the habitat will become overgrown and unsuitable for use by the Jays.  In a normal situation these areas would burn off periodically from lightening strikes, but without man those fires would burn out of control which is no longer an option with the high human use of these areas.

This blackened pine tree seems to have become a victim of one of these fires.  It has instead become a piece of interesting sculpture.

This pine tree gave a very dramatic look to the clouds which were gathering overhead and closing in the small spot of blue sky that was left.  Unfortunately the rain became a reality and we did not make it to the Scrub Jay area before we had to turn tail and run to keep our cameras dry.  I might add that the temperatures had dropped, in the 45 minutes it took to get gas and get back to this spot, by 24 cold degrees.  We were digging out the layers we had previously shed.

Since the Scrub Jay trip was scrubbed we had one more road to explore before the gates came crashing down before us.  It was five miles of rough dirt road.  But the pink fellows waiting along our route were worth the bumpy ride.  We had two more birds on our "wanna see" list and we were lucky to find our first one, the Roseate Spoonbills, right away.  Looks like some mating colors starting to show on some of these guys.

I have often observed that these two bird species, the Spoons and the Woodstorks, hang out together.  They are both common in our area now but have only moved in from further south in the past few years.

I see a bit of spring mating color showing up in these big boys also.  The legs and feet begin to turn pink when the love bug starts to bite.

These massive beaks must make quick work of what ever edible things they are finding down there.  These beaks also play a part in the courting with a lot of clacking and clicking going on.

Only a mother would find this a pretty child...

I caught a quick glimpse of a Little Green Heron.  They are pretty shy and this one did not disappoint by scurrying out sight in a flash.

Here was our other bird treasure, the White Pelicans who winter over down this way.  They are about twice the size of our Brown Pelicans.  They always stay in large flocks and close together.  The wind was blowing so hard it was hard to get a clear photo because it was shaking us around while we were trying to focus.

This was about the best I could get and it would not stand the scrutiny of a blown up photo suitable for printing.

We were able to slip around the little cove which these beauties were using to get out of the wind to get a better view.  They are such a wonderful color and so unexpected in a world where blending in is an art with most species.

We had hoped to go to Playalinda Beach which was pretty near the end of this road, and which was supposed to take us to a road leading back to the highway we needed to head North.  Mosquito Lagoon was on our Eastern side and on its outer edge lay the tiny strand of beach called Canaveral National Seashore.  A great adventure for another day.

We feared we might be in for a long night in the park as all signs saying "beware, the park closes at sunset" and some signs saying at 5:30 and we were 15 minutes past that.  Unfortunately, the road we were on was one of those 5:30 gates.  All the roads have big gates at each end and here we were at our exit, and it was tightly closed and locked.  No way out except to retrace our route, all five, bumpy miles of it.  My fear was that both ends were locked at 5:30.  If that were the case, then we would be trapped for the night along side Mosquito Lagoon.  It was now nearing 6 pm and sundown was also not that far away.  Oh well, might as well enjoy our return trip and catch as many birds as we can.  We'd deal with our fate later. The Spoonies were all lined up in a more open area ready to demonstrate the swaying seining action of those great bills.

All of these areas at low tide are great gathering places for a variety of birds .

If this were a "motion" picture you would see the methodical swinging back and forth of this open bill, side to side until the sensitive bill touches a food item like a shrimp and then it will instantly close, capturing dinner.

A quick jump out of the car to capture an image of the Lagoon and its pretty beach area.  For, as far as our eye could see, the other side of the Lagoon was edged with the National Seashore, which from here looked like a dark line on the horizon.  The road does not go the length of the seashore, making it, like Cumberland Island, miles of unspoiled beach and a fun place to explore.  There apparently were some camping privileges available at Playalinda Beach.

I looked out the window on my side, the passenger side, and it looked like Mr. Gator wanted to drag race with us as he was heading in the same direction we were going.  Maybe he knew the gate was already locked and he was going to have company that night.

As the wind had brought the cold front in that dumped lots of snow further North of us and had drenched our home town all day, the clouds started to break up allowing a touch of blue sky and a glowing spot of cloud catching that low sunlight.  Well, not quite sunset yet.

Birds flew up as we headed to the exit and the trip back home.  We were lucky.  The gate was still open and we were able to make it back home.  Sorry Mr. Gator we won't be spending the night.  Although it rained almost the whole drive back, the weather had cooperated with us almost all day and we felt like we were a couple of lucky adventurers to get the kind of day we had gotten.   And  that's the end of a long saga.  This 14,000 acre Wildlife Refuge left us wanting more and thinking ahead to another trip someday to see other things especially the Scrub Jays we had missed.  I think that was our only disappointment.