A visit to the Shipley/Pond Apple Trails

Now that turtle season is coming to a screeching halt, I have more time and more energy to spend on the trails and revisit some of my old favorites. It has been several months since I last visited the Shipley & Pond Apple Trail and today seemed to be a good day....so, come and visit with me...

The sun is rising, the colors are changing and the birds are coming alive by the look of wings in the sky.....

A pair of Black-crowned Night Heron flew above me and I wondered where they will spend the day.

Looks like the Dairy Queen Eagles are back in town - this one perched in an Australian Pine while the other 

called from the depth of the Pond Apple Trails....I leisurely made my way down.

I was able to skip and jump over these puddles but when I finished crossing the boardwalk I had to retreat because there was no end in sight as to where a dry walking spot could be.

 However, I was in for a sweet surprise....not one but two Ovenbirds were spotted.

On my way back I also enjoyed watching some of the wild flowers that grows here and there along the trail.

I made it back to the retention pond area and spent some time watching the bird life .... many Anhinga and Little Blue were perched on top of the roped fence area...a Green Heron perched too.

The Bald Eagle was still holding his post.

Some interesting fungi growing on a tree trunk, sharing space with a Christmas Vine.

One of my favorite wild flower: Lance-leaved arrowhead, it blooms from Apr-Dec by ponds, rivers etc.

And the Seagrape tree which permeates the air with the sweet smell of ripe grapes - luring me to taste a few - yum .... sweet and tart, not much to eat since it has a large pit inside but the taste is heavenly.

Suspended above the water was an Orb Weaver - its web catching the sun's rays while sparkling away.

 A family of Red-bellied Woodpecker were busy feeding and learning the ropes - they were fun to watch.

The Bailey Homestead Preserves is still undergoing renovation and preparation for grand opening - perhaps later this year.

On the other side of the trail - many frogs were heard and seen jumping away as I approached, making me smile as I enjoyed their serenade.

The man made pond is ready for wildlife to come.

A deck has been built in front of the pond - looks like a good spot to rock the day away.

The gazebo is filled with information, four benches has been added since I was here last.

It is refreshing to see that 68% of Sanibel Island is preserved and I am proud to call this place: Home, Sweet Home.

Take a look at my E-Bird List and see what I feasted my eyes on.

Re-visiting Lakes Park

What a nice greeting! This little starling welcomed me to the park as well as many Mockingbirds - tried as I may to capture the mockingbirds, my camera just wasn't ready as it just kept on fogging up on me.

This Geiger Tree was in full bloom and the bright colorful flowers just called my name.

Then I came upon a family of Blue Jays which were busy with their feeding - I always enjoy spotting them and I had forgotten how beautiful they are....interestingly enough I don't get to see them in my neighborhood.

Awww....who would have thought that a Black Vulture would be a loving mate?
 Somehow we don't think of those birds as being caring yet they are a fascinating subject - and they do play a very important part in our world.

I am in search of the name of this particular plant - as I love it's striking effect and the fact that it is so unusual. This above photo shows the different stages.....flower, fruit and seed. After being at Ding Darling this afternoon - I found the answer to my inquiry and it turns out to be a "Buttonbush" - it's in the coffee family.

Here's a close up of the flower ball.

And here's a close up of the fruit which apparently is being tasted by a Leaf-footed Bug.

And this lovely dragonfly kept on buzzing by and it finally settled down for long enough so that I could see it up close and personal....love, love, love that blue color with the green head.

As all good things come to an end - I started making my way back when I noticed the rainbow effect that the water fountains were producing - just awe-mazing......I looked at it as my farewell till the next time.

The White Peacock came over and said: Goodbye.

Here is the link to my E-Bird list for that visit.

Harn's Marsh in Lehigh Acres

 I had been itching to get back to Harn's Marsh since my last visit from earlier this year and the wait was worth it.....not to forget the great company that I was with - Thanks John And Carol!

 One of our first sighting was a Limpkin - what a beauty, I never get tired of watching them. Then we caught glimpses of the Sandhill Crane - 7 in all were seen during our 2 mile walk. Unfortunately, they tend to have a knack for fast disappearance act before I can get close enough to put them in the limelight of my camera.

 Then we spotted these little brown guys - they looked familiar, yet I couldn't quite put my wing on it....had to come home, search through my small book collections and did a few online search and I have a strong inkling that it's the Red-Winged Blackbird - female! Doesn't that make sense?!?

 If I am mistaken on that one, then I will gladly eat humble pie - it wouldn't be my first time as I've had a few servings of that in the past. So, folks, don't be shy ..... I can swallow it.

 Here is a pair of them - just sitting and posing....probably hoping that the true to it's name....Red-Winged

 Blackbird will notice them.

 Beautiful wild flowers growing along the edges of the Marsh - their simple beauty are radiant.....who said we need fertilizer to grow beautiful blooms?

 Here's the head scratcher of the day and if my books serve me right...it is a Loggerhead Shrike who has just woken up with a hangover - well, you've got to admit that he's looking kind of scruffy, no?

 Black and Turkey Vultures were numerous in the trees and in riding the thermal - probably resting from an earlier road kill feast.

And there you have it.....another beautiful day out on the trail, discovering nature and wildlife in it's natural form....it doesn't get any better than this.

Visit at the Slough

 I got a good laugh out of this one when I opened it up on my computer - a bit x-rated.

 The turtles looked like they were ready to start marching, though they were staying put and basking in the sunlight.

 Sparkling white fungi growing on a log - it just had a special quality.

 The elusive Downy Woodpecker - so quick, so sweet and very hard to capture on camera....he made me work for that one.

 Beautiful lilies growing in the pond - so delicate - yet the ferocious gator share it's habitat.

 This pretty yellow flower was planted in a butterfly garden - set just by the entrance to the slough, many butterflies were busy feeding and fluttering around.

 I love the Slough - it is peaceful, it brings serenity to my soul and it happens to be a "cool" place to be at in the hot summer of southwest Florida.