Ole stomping ground

It is good to reconnect to my field roots - it brings me peace and serenity and right now I need it in addition to food and water in order to survive, come along and see how relaxing the Bailey Tract and its surrounding can be - especially first thing in the morning....

I've seen many Marsh Rabbits along the trails of the Bailey Tract - however they are usually down on all fours while chewing on grass and not standing tall like it is here.

Of course a customary look at the Magic Tree is in order and it did not disappoint - A Cardinal and a Great Crested Flycatcher stood alert while the Pileated Woodpecker whizzed on by.

I know that the Cardinal is a common sight but what's not to love about this scarlet coat and black mask!

A Red-bellied Woodpecker in his Tree House - well truth be told - it's actually a Christmas Vine and it surely caught my attention.

Shocked!! This is not something that I've seen before - a river Otter walking away with its soft shell turtle - who knew they ate turtle too!

This one made me sad - let me explain....the Anhinga has sharp teeth along its bill and they all point toward the throat - it's perfect for flipping a fish down the hatch after stabbing it however if they try to eat fish that hang around docks with ropes - the Anhinga is bound to get some rope stuck around its bill....luckily for this guy he's figuring out how to eat his fish by bringing it to shore, stabbing it repeatedly and somehow swallows bits and pieces....sometimes life hands you lemons, the trick is to learn how to make lemonade out of it.

Green Herons are everywhere now - it also coincides with nesting and raising young ones - in a few months they'll be harder to spot.

Here's another view of my challenged Anhinga - on the left is a gator.

See what I mean, the rope material is blocking the hatch.

A very young soft-shell turtle floating lazily among the fishes.

The Black-necked Stilts were happily foraging while the parents kept a close eye for protection.

They grow up so quickly and before we know it they'll be going south by the end of July/August and won't returned until March.

The Common Ground Dove - our smallest dove.

A Little Blue Heron in its Calico phase - by next year it'll be all blue.

A young Tricolored Heron was nearby too....

and then they crossed paths.

And this is just what the doctor ordered because while I watch nature unfold before my eyes there is no room for anything else.....until the next time.