Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is a unique member of the morning glory family in that it blooms at night. The white flowers are about 5 inches across and they almost seem to glow in the moonlight. That large size combined with their appealing aroma helps attract nocturnal pollinators.

Native to Florida the vine also sports showy, heart-shaped leaves. I’d love to have one in my yard but I don’t have anywhere for it to grow, they need support and can reach 40′ in length. The flower I photographed was on a vine that was at least that long since it had grown up and over a telephone pole. What a beaut!

Discovered this chunk of green alga on my beach a couple weeks back. Its diminutive size and odd shapes warranted a photo, if only so I could identify it. That process took longer than it should have but, as usual, I learned something new.

Meet the Sea Grape (Caulerpa racemosa), an edible seaweed that favors shallow seas around the world. In some areas it is considered invasive, though this is the first time I’ve encountered it around here.

Since they are nutrient rich I suppose we should all eat up!

I admired these Florida Swamp Lilies (Crinum Americanum) during a stroll around Walsingham Park a couple weeks ago. The showy white flowers were a pleasant surprise since they usually bloom in the summer (June – September).

I can hardly blame them for being confused with the weather down here, our high today will top out at 80 degrees. No wonder they still think it’s summer!

While we were wandering Perico Preserve last weekend, the tide changed. As the water started flowing back into the bay, the fish began to feed. In this video there are several species of fingerlings nibbling on an algae ball as it is rolled along by the current. Sorry about the noise, low-flying aircraft.

The mullet in the video below emerged from the deeper part of the bay and crammed into the shallow, narrow neck of this inlet. Talk about an easy meal, all they had to do was open their mouths and the nutrient rich water flowed in!