Walter Lantz inspiration

Am I the only one old enough to remember Woody Woodpecker? "Ha-ha-ha-HA-ha, ha-ha-ha-HA-ha, it's the Woody Woodpecker song." Certainly creator Walter Lantz got his inspiration from these HUGE pileated woodpeckers which can grow up to 20 inches in length. Their loud drumming on a tree led me in their direction, but a close-up shot was nearly impossible. I only saw one at first, then the second joined in. I'm pretty sure this is indeed a male/female pair. A thrill at seeing them and a tune to carry around for a while... ha-ha-ha-HA-ha.

Nature trail

My list of things to do this year included a hike on the nature trail which leads from the big oak (see "Big ol' Tree" in September's blog entries) to a sugar mill ruin about 6 miles away. Since the end of the year is tomorrow, it was now or never for this year, so off I went! What a wonderful experience, though I didn't make it all the way to the sugar mill ruin. Six miles there meant 6 miles back and that just wasn't going to happen! Walking on the beach every day gave me the false impression that I could walk long distances. Oops... I can walk long distances on level, packed beach sand. Walking up hill, down dale, over tree roots, dead branches, through swampy bogs and more was a different game all together. Three miles and I was a whipped pup. Though I was glad to be alone so no one would laugh as I stumbled here, stubbed my toe there and basically walked like an old drunk. I saw lots of birds including a pair of pileated woodpeckers, witnessed evidence of wild boar and thankfully did not encounter the critters themselves. There was swampy black water and cypress trees, lots of hardwood forest, tidal estuaries, and a peacefulness that was all encompassing. Above is a photo of my entrance to this paradise. I'll share more as time goes on.

Christmas bird...

In an earlier post I mentioned "my osprey" who always appears when I go for my beach walk — no matter what time of day I happen to go. On Christmas eve my osprey came very close and because there was a strong wind out of the east managed to hover right overhead. I got some wonderful photos to share. Absolutely made my day! Merry Christmas!

Feathery cloud

You can definitely see the cloud bank denoting the cold front that is coming in from the North, what intrigued me was the feathery looking cloud just above it. I could almost believe it is a big jet contrail that is being torn apart by the upper level winds from the front. Too bad I'm not a meteorologist, then I would know for sure. However, as a casual observer I must say it's impressive.

One-legged peeps

I love the little sand "peeps" that scurry along the shoreline. For such tiny birds (5 to 6 inches) they certainly can speed along the sand with their tiny legs moving so quickly. I have noticed that like many shore birds they often rest with one leg tucked up completely out of sight. This morning every peep in the group had one leg tucked away. Look closely and I think you'll see that only two of the little guys are standing on two legs.

When I came closer they all hopped away from me on one leg, never unfurling the tucked-up leg help their progress. I just had to laugh.

... to the oceans white with foam

There was a lot of foam on the beach today and guess what song kept running through my mind. "From the mountains to the prairie, to the oceans white with foam... (sing along now) God bless America, my home sweet home." Gosh that was hours ago, I'm still humming it! Good song though, great country, and a lovely mid-December day. 

I'd much rather be dancing around the puffy foam on the beach than shoveling that cold puffy white stuff these little mounds so resemble. Oh lucky me!

Star light, star bright

Today the beach offered up many delightful treasures. I was there at dead low tide and this close to a full moon the tides are exceptionally low, or high as the case may be. Nevertheless there were lots of shells and sea goodies not already picked over by tourists. I saw about 6 starfish and brought home this lovely one in the prettiest shade of periwinkle and tan. There were also many sand dollar pieces... though no whole ones. Whole sand dollars were plentiful many years ago, but that's no longer the case. I have found a couple but they are a rare thing indeed. 

It was disturbing, yet thrilling at the same time, to also find a HUGE piece of coral which had been unceremoniously ripped from its reef and flung upon the sand to die. Instead of leaving it half buried in the incoming tide, I lugged it home and have it drying on the patio. When it is dry I'll make sure I post a picture for you. I believe it is what is called rod coral, but I'll research it better to be sure.

All in all the beach today was like a nature lover's dream day of shopping, and much less crowded than the mall! Less expensive too!

Beam me up, Scotty...

It's sunrise and I see a big blue streak coming straight down (or up). What in the world? I've seen bands radiating out from the sun but never one going perpendicular to the ground, or the sea, as was the case here. Still haven't figured out what caused this, and it was not something in the camera. All I can come up with is that maybe this is my portal to a giant spaceship... right Scotty? It made for some interesting speculation but no real answer yet. 

Rosy fingered dawn

My four-footed furry alarm clock thought that I ought not to sleep in this Sunday morning and as I looked out the kitchen window saw the most incredible colors in the sky. As dawn is fleeting there was no time for donning apparel (gay or otherwise) and going to the beach so I grabbed camera and ran to the backyard for photo on the left, then raced to the front yard for the photo on the right. Incredible! Then in a wink of an eye it was all gone. Glad at least that I was able to capture this pictorial memory. Though the colors on the computer don't do it justice, the pinks and blues were crisply and intensely stunning!

Tern, tern, tern

I can't help but have that wonderful Byrds song drift through my mind whenever I see these dignified little terns. "There is a season, tern, tern tern... " and winter is definitely here since these Royal Terns have arrived again. 'Tis their season to grace our beaches. These guys are 18 to 20 inches long and in the spring the tops of their heads are solid black. They have quite a society, talking to each other, squabbling over food, and though each pair looks after their own chicks (usually just one or two) they all nest together in the spring. I'll look forward to watching the parents dote on the little ones. "And a time to every purpose under heaven."

Chilly but blue...

Wish you could feel the chill in the air. Br-r-r-r. The sky was beautiful and the jet contrails were striking but it was chilly for central Florida. Here I am complaining about temperatures in the 40s and a friend in North Carolina had a dusting of snow this week and reminded me that at least I don't have to deal with that white stuff! Yes, thanks for yanking me back to reality. It really was a beautiful day and I am grateful to be able to walk on the beach without being bundled up like a snow bunny. The ocean (sorry my photo didn't capture more of it) was equally alive and invigorating.

Sensational Shuttle

One of the advantages of living on the East coast of FLorida is being able to view our shuttle launches either from the beach or even from our own backyards. I still get goose bumps whenever I see one lift off. Unfortunately I have yet to get a good shot of a nighttime launch with my own camera, so I borrowed this one from NASA's website. What was amazing was a simultaneous (almost) full moon. It was quite a sight on November 15, 2008 at 7:55 p.m. EST. The fire in the sky, the amazing rolling thunder-like sound, and the faint tremor of the earth is truly stimulating both mentally and physically. WOW!

Cotton Ball Skies

Where does time go? Maybe it rushes by as quickly as these clouds that look just like big white cotton balls. They flanked the river both east and west on this beautifully warm and bright fall day here on the coast of Florida. The barrier island is on the right and it is just a half mile to the Atlantic. How lucky I am to be right here!

The Hatchlings

The turtle's eggs are off-white, about the size of a ping pong ball but leathery in texture. After approximately two months, the eggs hatch at night and the tiny new turtles head toward the sea guided by the light of the moon. (People living and working by the ocean are warned not to have outside lights on or the hatchlings get disoriented. Some have disastrously headed toward the highway instead of the sea.) Nests hold from 50 upwards to 200 eggs but only a small number of the hatchlings survive to adulthood. They are surprisingly tiny. Though this photo is not one of my own, it gives you an idea of their size. The hatching process is a wondrous sight with the tiny turtles digging out of the sand scurrying over the beach. Their itty-bitty little tracks in the sand are a tiny mirror of the larger ones I thrill at seeing when the adult comes to shore to nest. I'm already looking forward to May when the nesting season begins again.

Headed back to sea

This, the nesting turtle mom highlighted in the previous post, spent a total of about two hours on shore. One of the onlookers saw her as she came ashore about 6 a.m. and it was almost 8 a.m. as she slowly made her way back to the cool waters of the Atlantic. There she could again feel almost weightless, so unlike her ponderous stay on dry land. It was hot too, summer's early morning temperatures were already in the mid 80s. The on-scene turtle patrol told us that she could be as old as 100 years old because of all the barnacles on her shell, and that she was hatched along this stretch of beach and returned to this area to lay her own eggs practically every year. What brought that all to home for me, was that my Dad was also born and raised right here along this same stretch of beach almost 100 years ago. Would it be weird for me to wonder if he had ever encountered this same turtle?

Another day, another turtle

After my first up close and personal turtle encounter, imagine my delight a few weeks later when I again encountered a turtle — this time in the process of laying her eggs. There was a group of curious onlookers but at the time I arrived, the sand was flying and she was intent on covering the eggs she had just laid. The turtles nest beginning generally in May and continue through August and some late girls into September.

Unfortunately I again only had my cell phone camera available and didn't want to get too close and disturb the nesting Mom. She was a loggerhead, so called I am told, because their big thick necks and heads that look like logs. In this photo she is facing away from me. 

My first up-close and personal sea turtle... thrilling!

I was walking on the beach early one morning in June and saw ahead what I thought was a big pile of clothes... it was moving so I thought someone had a rough night and was crawling inland. Imagine my thrill as I got closer and saw that it was a sea turtle. A loggerhead I thought. In my years of beach walking I had never actually seen a nesting sea turtle, mainly because they do their nesting at night. Unfortunately I only had my cell phone camera so the photos I took are really grainy but she came ashore (can you imagine dragging your 350 pound body over the sand) traveled almost up to the high tide line, then turned around and went back to sea — no nesting this trip. Maybe she was just checking out the accommodations, but her trek made my day. Seeing videos and photos just doesn't capture the awe of the moment, that is something only my heart can know, but it is a thrill that I'm fortunate enough to reconnect with often. 

Notice the turtle tracks especially visible in the photo on the right, early beach walkers see these almost every morning during turtle season, a sure indication of Mother Nature at work.

Sea Turtle Nests

I noticed today that alas, turtle season is over. All the nests which have dotted my area of the beach since May are gone. This means all the turtle hatchlings have headed back to sea, hopefully to survive long enough for the females to come back to this very beach in about 10 years to lay their own eggs. It is such a thrill every spring to witness part of this ancient rite. The photo above was one of the last nests of the season. Our county turtle patrol keeps track of the nests on a daily basis, monitors them, moves them out of the tide line if necessary, and does the best it can to protect them, and with this kind of marking, makes us beach goers aware of them. In the next few days I'll post some photos of the nesting girls and one of the tiny hatchlings. 

The Pelican

A wonderful bird is the pelican

His beak can hold more than his belly can.

He can hold in his beak

enough food for a week.

I'll be darned if I know how the hell he can.

I have forever attributed this ditty to Ogden Nash only to find that it was more likely written by Dixon Lanier Merritt in 1910. No matter, this amazingly awkward bird on land is a master of the sky. Here sleeping on a channel marker, and soaring above. I have unscientifically noticed that pelicans are usually found in odd-numbered groups. Wonder the significance of that?!

Old Florida

Sometimes I am fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of things they way they used to be. In this area we have a scenic drive through some old forest lands which is so peaceful and beautiful it takes my breath away. Reminiscent of the era when my grandparents first came here in the late 1890s, it is a simpler time I often crave... though the paved road is an anachronism.

Even on the hottest of summer days, this area is cool and comfortable and full of interesting wildlife. My Dad always talked about the Florida panther he saw in this area when he was a kid — which would have been about 90 years ago now. 

Egret on the beach

It never seems to show up in my photos but I love Snowy Egrets because they look like they have yellow mittens on their feet. They rush about in the edge of the surf stirring up food with their feet, or if there is a fisherman nearby you will see them waiting patiently for a handout. I have even seen them stick their head in a bait bucket for a free meal.

Ernesto Sunset

While going through some digital photos that my Mom took, I came across this dazzling shot of the sunset we had following tropical storm Ernesto in August, 2006. This was taken from the West balcony of her 7th floor condo. Mom was pleased with the shot and pleased with herself for, at the age of 91, being able to take this digital photo and then email it to me.

Osprey onlooker

Every morning as I walk the beach I see what I have come to call my osprey. I saw her alone for many months, then she appeared with her brood of 3 young... I'm guessing this only because they were smaller and seemed to watch everything she did. It is fascinating watching them scan the sea for food (they only eat fresh-caught fish.) One twitch of a tail feather or a gentle lift of a wing tip and they soar off in another direction, head always scanning right and left. Then a swift dive towards the water usually to come away with a fish firmly in their talons. I was left to wonder where they flew to with their catch. 

It is very difficult capturing them with my camera they fly so high and so swiftly. I did catch a photo of one far overhead but was thrilled today when my friend Ed sent me the photo of the osprey who had perched in his pine tree for several hours to eat its fish. As the osprey flies, that pine tree is very close to the area of the beach where I always see my osprey pals. Um-m-m wonder if it is in fact my osprey? 

A paintbox of colors

The colors in this sunrise were amazing. Too bad the camera isn't as discerning as the naked eye because I was stunned by the variety of shades from purples, to pinks, to oranges, blues, greens, yellows, etc. 

I was even more stunned while taking this photo it started raining on me. Not 10 feet away, but right where I was standing with my camera! Again, like Florida, it was gone almost before I got wet.

Who is that kid?

Neighborhood kids often take a shortcut across my yard, which is no problem. One afternoon, out of the corner of my eye I see this strange looking kid walking across my driveway. He was short, very skinny, dressed in a white hoodie and his knees bent backward when he walked. Huh? In the blink of my mind I realized it was a great egret. By the time I grabbed my camera he was down the street by my neighbor's house and I didn't want to get too close and scare him away. This funny looking kid stood about 3 feet tall and I got a huge smile watching him walk calmly through the neighborhood.

Fire in the sky

"Red sky at night, sailor's delight..." certainly proved to be true following this fiery sunset. I rarely get to see the full scope of our sunsets, but visiting friends who live on the river (actually the Intracoastal Waterway) provided me with this glorious sight. As is usual in Florida there is rainfall visible in the center of the clouds, highlighted by the setting sun. Wow!

Big Bird

I went kayaking recently with some friends and we spotted a great blue heron perched in a tree. They can stand 4 feet tall, and I'm sure this one was every bit of that. When he flew away we all ducked then felt silly about doing so!

Big ol' tree

Ever since I was a kid my Dad and I would come visit this big old tree, he and my grandfather used to come here too. Reportedly this 400+ year old oak has survived hurricanes, fires and various other detrimental parts of nature and man. Part of what has always amazed me is the limbs that have been so large as droop to the ground, then grow branches that are larger than most trees. This photo doesn't do it justice. It took six of my adult family members linking hands to fully circle its trunk. Part of old Florida I would hate to see disappear.

Fascinating clouds

For some reason I am intrigued by clouds and cloud formations. This was taken early one morning from the mainland looking East across the Intracoastal Waterway. I loved the way the sky was reflected in the glassy smooth water. 

The gazebo on the right is a wonderful place to have a picnic lunch though gulls often think they deserve a free handout. They usually get it too!

Monster in the sand

You never know what you will find on the beach... needless to say I was delighted at the monster in the sand I found early one morning. Someone, or several someones, apparently spent a great deal of time the previous day defining this big guy who was about 20 to 25 feet long nose to tail. It made me smile, which is always a great way to start the day!

Least Tern Photos

Oops... having trouble today with uploading photos to this blog. I'll try again to share with you two photos of the Least Terns.

Least Tern

In the spring I had noticed a very small, and very cute little tern-like bird, actually it was a whole colony of these cute little birds, all congregating in one area of the beach. They were only about 8 inches beak to tail and very slender. Most striking to me besides their matching yellowish-orange colored beaks and legs, was the little black cap they wore which covered the tops of their head and nape of their neck but also connected with the black eye patches leaving a very distinctive white triangle on their white foreheads and faces. I'd never seen anything like them and was anxious to get home to my computer and my birding book to find out what they were.

What I discovered was an endangered species called the Least Tern, the smallest of the tern family. They were endangered for a couple of reasons. One is that they make their nests right on the sand, and their tiny eggs are in a very hazardous position when human population walks the beaches or during high tides. Also, horrifying as it seems nowadays, these darling little birds with their cute faces were once prized for being on display on ladies' hats. Back in the late 1800s and again in the 1930s it was fashionable to wear stuffed birds on your hat. I'm certainly glad it's a fashion that hasn't repeated itself. However, that fashion statement decimated the Least Tern population.

I had a difficult time taking pictures of these little guys because they were very shy (though quite raucous) and would take flight when I got close. I enjoyed watching them dive for tiny fish, protect their eggs and finally help their hatchlings. After about 8 weeks they were gone but hopefully they will return to this corner of the coast again next year. I only have two photos to share with you, but Cornell University's website at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Least_Tern.html is a good place to start if you want more information.

Wishing to go a-fishing

Here are some lines from a poem called An Angler's Wish by Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) which came to mind as I watched a lone fisherman at sea side. I remember that my Dad used to say "I'm a-wishing to go a-fishing."

When every long, unlovely row

Of westward houses stands aglow,

And leads the eyes towards sunset skies

Beyond the hills where green trees grow,

Then weary seems the street parade,

And weary books, and weary trade:

I'm only wishing to go a-fishing;

For this the month of May was made.

A little crabby

While walking on the beach one morning I passed a crab that looked like it was dead. It was not moving, and they usually skitter away when a threat approaches. It looked like it had been harmed in some way and I thought its innards were hanging out. Thinking it would be good food for the birds, I left it alone. As I passed it again on my return route, it looked right at me and raised a claw in defiance. I then realized that it was a she, and those weren't her insides hanging out, they were eggs. Lots and lots of eggs. I took her picture and tried to snap another one from a different angle, but no. She was not going to take her eyes off me, spun right around to keep an eye on me. If she had been any larger I would have been terrified of her menacing look and threatening demeanor. I've been crabby at times but this little girl certainly earned the name and gave crabby a whole new meaning. 

Stormy

East coast sea breezes in the afternoon collide with breezes from the West coast of Florida and sometimes you can very clearly see the line of demarcation, like this amazing display over the ocean. It looked threatening but only gave us about 18 huge drops of rain before it moved on to the North and left us hot and steamy, just like it was before the clouds moved in. There is a never-ending parade of amazing weather sights if you know where to look for them, and can grab your camera in time.

Morning storms

It is nice to see that the storms are out to sea after dealing with tropical storm Fay. The thunder clouds afar make for some stunning sunrises and what a way to start your day! A walk on the beach, the invigorating sight of a new day... life is good.