Excitement on the Beach

Two new paintings just finished by Sandra. The first is a commission the second is for exhibiting in her gallery.

"Marsh Point" 30 x 40 Acrylic on Canvas (Commission for patron)

Across the Miles 48 x 60 Acrylic on Canvas.

It has been an exciting two weeks in the park for Sea Turtles. We have doubled our nest numbers.

For two days in a row I had this pair of Black Ducks near the pier, which look very much like Mallards, except the colors on the male are not as pretty and they have an olive green beak. I was hoping that we could add their nest numbers to our count of bird nests, when I saw them making their way up over the escarpment to the Sea Oat area. I have not seen them since so maybe not. I have seen one duck hanging out on the beach a little further west so maybe mom is sitting on a nest and dad is collecting food.

Almost disappearing into the same color sand was this Great Blue Heron.

Another family, gathering from as far away as the Midwest, to greet their loved ones who have been away on the incoming submarine for two months. They were very excited, scanning the water with binoculars. I told them they were still some time from the arrival, as the tug was just on its way out.

A photo of nest number 3 which is where we left off with the last story. I think each track tells a separate story and each is in its own way different. This one left one of those long ones which make it hard to determine the exact location of the eggs.

We had the threat of rain but that was all, just a brief hope and nothing in the way of drops to wet our very dry ground. It rained in Jacksonville but we only got about 3 drops, then the skies closed back up. The smoke has been apparent several times from the Okefenokee Swamp so rain would certainly be a blessing for us all.

Many hours were spent by some child building this great little Robinson Crusoe house even down to the furniture. Quite an engineering feat to get all those sticks to stand up and allow work inside to commence.

The baby Wilson's Plovers have not been as visible as in years past. I see the parents but have a hard time seeing the kids. This one had hunkered down behind the wrack trying to make himself invisible. Reminds me of my brother who thought if he closed his eyes no one could see him.

Although they usually have three offspring, it is apparently rare for them to completely raise all three. The ones I have observed seem to just to have one surviving chick, although this morning I was able to spot two for this mom.

I got these photos of the fireworks the other night from my neighbor to the South, the Ritz Carlton. I stood out in the street in front of my real next door neighbors to get these shots because I feared I would not have time to get to the beach to see them. Pretty cool to have fireworks for no apparent reason suddenly appear above your treetops.

The drawback of not knowing when it will happen is that I miss the lower ones like this splendid finale which made my trees look like they were on fire.

I have had several grasshopper-type hitch hikers this year. This one was sitting on my shorts leg and had very interesting colors with a golden back. But the most exciting event was that we had a new nest; one that is even exciting for the whole island.

A Leatherback, one of our more elusive and endangered Sea Turtles, has nested just South of the pier at Fort Clinch. One of my other park rangers discovered it on the day before so by the time I found it the tracks had already been driven over with the beach buggy so my photos of the rare tracks were not as nice as I would have liked. You can still see the distinctive curvy track that they take.

The width of the track rules out any other turtle at 6 1/2 feet. The largest of these turtles ever recorded was slightly over 2000 pounds. They are the giants of the reptile world, a throwback to the day of the Dinosaurs. They travel thousands of miles, able to endure much cooler temperatures than other turtles, and diving to depths of 3500 feet. Amazing creatures.

We had a Leatherback last year also, after many years of not having one visit the island. It was a major event, so we are very excited to have one in the park.

This one section gives you an idea of the wavy track they take on their way in and the compaction of the sand gives and idea of their weight.

The nest is huge; no telling where the eggs are, although I have had three crabs digging in it, which will give us an idea of the location of the nest chamber. I use them to help me determine other turtle egg locations. Ghost Crabs love turtle eggs, and these large tennis ball size eggs would be a "real deal" meal for them.

Clouds kept flirting with us but no rain has fallen into what should be our rainy season, with afternoon showers becoming an almost daily occurrence, sending tourists scurrying off the beach and into town, to buy lots of things. Or is it just a nap they seek?

The Little Snowy Egret which hangs out at the fort was trying to hold really still waiting for a fish to wander into his striking range.

Further on down the beach Alpha, the daddy Osprey, had caught a Flounder, one which I would have been happy to have found on the end of my line.

By the time I leave the park Little Girl was feeding her chicks the nice Flounder breakfast. A very satisfying week to have in the park with nest number 5, a river nest, and 6, an ocean front nest, also appearing on the beach for me to find causing a very long and tiring morning. It starts to get hot by the time you get around to staking off that second nest. A shower will feel really good, but having our nest numbers double in the time period of a week is great.

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