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!
The sunny afternoon weather was perfect for a stroll around Perico Preserve last weekend. The bright red fruit of this smallish plant caught our attention. After a bit of research I discovered the origin of its local name, Coontie (Zamia integrifolia).
The Seminole people, who called it conti hateka (for white root or white bread), utilized the starch from the stem and root of the plant to make a type of bread. They had to harvest this resource carefully as it contains cycasin, a known neurotoxin.
Also commonly called Florida Arrowroot and Wild Sago, it is the only cycad native to North America. Often mistaken for a fern or even a palm, it is found throughout Florida, southern Georgia, and the Caribbean. As a gymnosperm it is one of the oldest plant forms, with fossils dating back 280 million years.
What a fun little find!
The chilly temperature (67 degrees) coupled with the fresh breeze (according to the Beaufort Wind Scale) kept me off the beach this past Sunday. Yes, I’m a cold weather wimp which is why I live here and not somewhere that has winter.
A friend and I made the best of the situation by touring a new-to-us location, the George C. McGough Nature Park in nearby Largo. Though it’s a small park tucked in a residential area, it had plenty to explore. There was a nice boardwalk out to the Intracoastal Waterway and a large freshwater pond but the highlight was the Birds of Prey area.
All of the roughly twenty avians were rescued and are not releasable due to various health issues. Under the Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Possession program, carefully monitored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, participating facilities develop educational programs highlighting their birds.
Luckily, during our visit the keepers had a few birds out on display. Though they are fascinating birds, the American Kestrel and Red-shouldered Hawk couldn’t lure us away from Sarge, the resident Bald Eagle.
When Sarge was rescued as a slightly malnourished, young adult they discovered she (yes, Sarge is a girl) had a genetic feather disorder. This deficiency disrupted her hunting ability and therefore, Sarge now resides at the park.
Standing about three feet tall and weighing just over ten pounds Sarge cut a commanding figure. It was fascinating to watch how gently she took food from her handler. Her demeanor changed when she was offered her dessert, a dead but intact quail.
With gusto Sarge used her sharp and strong, hooked beak to tear into the flesh. We took a step back when she began flinging out the inedible bits, like the intestines.
Though it’s sad that she can’t live free at least she has a safe place to call home.
Well, it’s officially that time of year. No, not THAT time of year. I’m referring to migration time when millions of small fish move along our Gulf Coast. These massive schools of fingerlings attract a lot of attention from larger fish and pescatarian birds.
The larger fish in the area drew in our resident pod of dolphins. During my sunset walk this week I had the good fortune to watch them participate in a team roundup. I counted at least 8 dolphins working the fish into an ever smaller circle:
I also caught some of the pelican action from my favorite perch at John’s Pass:
Don’t worry, I assure you, there are plenty of fish to go around!
While I was crossing the bridge at Sawgrass Lake Park an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) surfaced with a sizable catch. Skilled swimmers, Snakebirds stab their prey with their sharp, pointed bill.
This one had impaled a tasty morsel (perhaps overzealously) but had a dickens of a time trying to dislodge it. After a few minutes of head shaking and flipping, the fish finally flew free and was quickly swallowed by the bird.
Frustrating few minutes for the Anhinga but it was successful in the end!
I spent an hour wandering around Sawgrass Lake Park earlier this week. As before, my visit did not disappoint. While I was fascinated by it, this Tricolored Heron studiously ignored me. It obviously had bigger fish to fry (as it were).
The technique: stand perfectly still, snap up the tiny tidbit, shake off excess water and vegetation, rotate the fish with a quick flip, then swallow it whole. All of this takes place within a span of mere seconds, though the bird caught several fish while I was watching I felt fortunate to catch just a few photos of it in action!
A few bonus shots just because it was such a handsome bird!
Earlier this week I shared a beautiful Wood Rose bloom with a promise to capture a photo of the reason behind its common name. Yesterday I finally had the opportunity to return to that roadside and collect some of the ornate seed pods.
Thankfully, I was able to gather a handful of the pods for it would be a shame to crush these for their seeds – they are too pretty! The seeds I will plant in my yard so that hopefully next summer I won’t have to go as far to see this unique vine. Wish me luck!
This bright flower caught my eye last weekend. Since it was growing along a roadside I presumed it was one of the many invasive morning glory species.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Cutleaf Morning Glory (Merremia dissecta) is actually a native vine with useful medicinal properties. I will be heading back soon to gather some of the cool looking seed pods for my yard.
When I do, I’ll be sure to take some photos. It is also known as Wood Rose because the ornate pods look like wooden, wild roses.
Note that I didn’t say “busy bee” because although this creature resembles one, looks can be deceiving. This happens to be a sand wasp in the Sticitella genus.
Though relatively harmless to humans, they come by their common name, Butterfly-wolf Wasp honestly. They prey on small butterflies, stunning them before dragging them into their sandy burrows. A female can stuff as many as ten of them into her lair before laying her egg. After all her hatchling will be hungry!
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