May at the Farm - St. Augustine

Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 5:38 PM - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link

I apologize in advance.  I tried to narrow this down as I didn't want to post a billion pictures.  But unfortunately, I wasn't up to the task of deleting!  There are so many places in Florida to visit, but I find I am continually drawn back to the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine.  It's not only a bird lover's dream; it's also a photographer's dream!  The birds and their babies are so close and so beautiful, a person could spend hours there...and I did!  Here are the results:

~~Tri-Colored Egret~~~~Cattle Egret~~The only Roseate Spoonbills I saw - definately a male and female - but too far away to see if there was a nest.~~Gator with bird poop all over him!~~Snowy Egrets~~~~~~~When I first saw this little monkey, I thought he looked so very sad.  Then I read the sign that said he was 30+ years old - and according to the sign, very old for this type of monkey.  When I looked at him again, yes...I could see the little old man in him!~~Wood Storks~~~~~~Eggs and Babies~~~~~~Very Cool Crocs~~~~~~~~~Of all the birds I watched that day, the Great Egrets are the ones that blew me away!  What absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, beautiful birds!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~And since it was the Alligator Farm....I'll end with a couple gators!~~~ 

Wakulla Springs State Park

Posted on Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 9:57 PM - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link

It was a beautiful day here in sunny Florida - a day perfect for a slow boat down the river.  At a cost of just $6.00, this is one of the best bargains in Florida!  Definitely better than any theme park!

~~A male and female American Widgeon~~A male Hooded Merganser~~The White Ibis were everywhere.  I just love the eye on these birds!~~There were both adult and juvenile Little Blue Herons on the river today.  I was never in the right position to get a shot at the juvies - instead of being blue, they are a beautiful white.  They don't get their color until they are 2 years old - but wow...what a color it is!~~Anhingas were abundant today, too!  Beautiful birds!~~The top one is a female, the bottom a male.  The female has a brown neck and head while the male is all black.~~The best bird for me today was the Osprey.  The ranger said they just came back this week!  They will be nesting soon!~~Both mom....~~...and Pop were nearby!  You can tell the female as she has a more prominent necklace.~~Along with all the birds today, both gators and turtles were out enjoying the warm sunshine!  These guys looked like they were telling secrets!~~This guy was huge - the ranger estimated him to be around 30 pounds!  BIG TURTLE!!~~The boat scared this little guy and he launched himself off the tree and back into the water!  What a little cutie!~And these guys...well, they certainly seemed to be content!  They never even moved as we stopped to look at them!~~And Gators Galore!!~~~~~~~And my favorite part of the day...the manatee!  The ranger said there are 12 in the river now.  We saw 5 of them!  What a thrill to see mom and baby!!~~I think it was a great day!~~~