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.