Spent a drizzly morning wandering the trails at Boyd Hill on Friday. Unlike the mall, it was pretty quiet out there but some of the plants were putting on a show. Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) shrubs were loaded with fruit and looked so cheery in spite of our dearth of rainfall this year. Might have to plant one in my yard since birds and other wildlife are fond of the fruit.

Sadly, invasive species were also thriving, like the detestable Brazilian Peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia) and pervasive Air Potato Vine (Dioscorea bulbifera). The vines are rapid spreaders, growing 6 inches a day. Though I must begrudgingly admit that those heart-shaped leaves are attractive.

Both of these invasives are a land management headache, proving difficult to eradicate manually. Thankfully, the USDA has approved biological control agents for them. Species-specific thrips, leaf gallers, and beetles to the rescue!

Not a bad way to spend a cloudy morning.

Wednesday morning, I took advantage of a weekday without work and drove south to the Celery Fields of Sarasota. The weather was perfect for exploring, sunny and a wee bit warm (presumably, our last 80+ degree day of the year).

I’d driven past this area several times over the years but never had the time to stop in. I’m so glad I finally did! Once a former wetland, the area was drained in the 1920s and used agriculturally for decades, primarily for growing celery (hence the name).

In 1994, record setting rainfall (and its associated flooding) forced Sarasota County to buy these low-lying properties and return them to their original purpose – wetlands that absorb runoff. The area is once again a boon to wildlife as it had been for at least 100,000 years. In the process of re-sculpting the land, hundreds of Pleistocene megafauna fossils were uncovered (mastodons, mammoths, ground sloth, ancient horse, bison, etc).

Though the 400-acre site is now surrounded by urban sprawl, the area is still teeming with wildlife. In addition to the species that I regularly see in my county, I was delighted to spot some Glossy Ibises (sadly, out of decent photo range), Purple Gallinules, and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Apparently, the 45 southward miles matter, because I never see them up by me.

My birding good fortune continued because I also noted a usually secretive Wilson’s Snipe (which I’ve only seen a couple times before). In a final stroke of luck, as I was heading back to my car I spotted another bird just off the boardwalk. Though it resembled a Purple Gallinule, something about the coloring and size struck me as odd so I spent some time photographing it. And boy, am I glad I did!

The slightly chunky, colorful wading bird turned out to be a Gray-headed Swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus). In all my years of traveling, exploring, and birding I’d never even heard of this species!

Though I was excited to see one, the Swamphen is considered invasive. Native to southern Asia, they were brought into the state as part of the pet trade. Somehow in the mid-1990s, they escaped and have since established breeding populations. Wildlife officials are very concerned about the spread of this species since it outcompetes our native ones.

Except for learning that bit of sobering news, it was a wonderful way to spend the morning.

When the weather is sunny and mild in late November, there’s no reason not to hit the water. Even if it is Thanksgiving. Katie, Peggy, Chris, and I took advantage of a calm morning and paddled out to Shell Key.

Other than all our avian friends, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. The breeze picked up in the afternoon which made our return trip a bit more strenuous but overall, it was a wonderful way to spend the day. Happy Thanksgiving!

I first noticed this tall lady over a year ago while driving around Bradenton but it wasn’t until recently that I finally stopped to take a closer look. Tootsie, as the current owner calls her, is one of the 15 known remaining Miss Uniroyals.

The 18-foot-tall bikini-clad fiberglass ladies were made in the 1960s. They originally held a Uniroyal sign in their raised left hands and used for promotional events by the Uniroyal Tire & Rubber Company.

There were a couple versions of the Uniroyal Gals, as they are popularly known. Apparently, the company had to send the statues back to the International Fiberglass company to be fitted with shirts and skirts after complaints that they were too racy.

This “Uniroyal Gal” originally stood in front of a shop in Downer’s Grove, Illinois. When the owner retired and moved to Florida, he brought her along. When Tom Edmunds purchased her in 2013 for $500, she still wore her original (though faded) yellow bikini with black polka dots, matching yellow heels, and had blonde hair.

Tom gave her a makeover in 2017 and she proudly fronts the Edmunds Metal Works. Hopefully, she’ll be around for another sixty years!

After a few days of much-needed rain, the skies cleared to make for a beautiful opening weekend of this year’s Sanding Ovations sand sculpture competition. With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s, who could ask for anything more?

The event’s theme was “It’s About Time” and it was fascinating to see all the different interpretations. One of the sculptures there was a young woman taking time to smell the roses, and a working sundial, while another was titled, “Clocktopus”.

The people’s choice award went to the Jimmy Buffett tribute, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”. Fittingly, Saturday ended with live music by the Landsharks Band (which was Jimmy Buffett’s opening act for many years).

The festival will continue next weekend, though the artwork could remain into the New Year (if the elements allow). Walking barefoot on the beach in mid-November, not a bad way to spend time!

I decided not to let the rain keep me inside yesterday afternoon. It was actually a pleasure to walk in the mizzle since we have been unseasonably dry down here. It reminded me of my days living on the Oregon Coast.

Thanks to that adventure, I still own lots of wet weather gear (rain pants, rain parka, and waterproof shoes) all of which came in handy. I didn’t encounter a single person on the trail at Walsingham Park but I did have the pleasure of meeting this Peninsula Cooter (Pseudemys peninsularis).

It looked to be enjoying the precipitation as much as I was!

While I’m admittedly not a morning person, I can see the appeal. This recent sunrise was just as colorful as a sunset!

…to be a spider! Winter visitors like this Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) are trickling back south. Despite their tropical name, these birds breed up in northern Canada.

Wisely, they choose to avoid the cold by flying to the southern US and the Caribbean. As some of our earliest migrants, they are usually harbingers of cooler weather (though this year summer seems determined to stick around).

This immature warbler must’ve worked up quite an appetite, I watched it gobble up six spiders in less than 10 minutes!

Spent part of a recent afternoon wandering around Sawgrass Lake Park. Though half of the park was closed for renovations, there was still plenty for me to see: tortoises, snakes, alligators, birds, and fish.

While strolling the boardwalk I noticed a juvenile alligator off to the side. The rule about baby gators is that momma is always nearby. I looked from side to side and all around before it finally occurred to me to look down.

Through the cracks between the planks I spied a large alligator. Taking advantage of my position I paced over the top of the big girl, she measured in at eleven feet. Thank goodness for the boardwalk!

Last week I took advantage of a day off to drive to Oscar Scherer State Park. The slightly cooler weather down here is enticing me to explore more inland places, away from the water. I had two goals for my visit, take advantage of the state park pass discount sale and see my first Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens).

I accomplished the first but unfortunately, dipped on the second. There were plenty of other attractions for me to focus my lens on but I didn’t see a single Florida Scrub Jay (though I thought I heard one calling).

While the bird is endemic to the state it only resides in a habitat known as Scrubby Flatwoods. Sadly, this dry, interior landscape is rapidly disappearing due to development. Thankfully, the park protects roughly 1400-acres of their preferred landscape.

There is a movement to establish more protection for this species, including an effort to name it as the state bird. Currently, that spot is held by the chatty and prevalent Northern Mockingbird. While I love mockingbirds, they already represent other states and the Florida Scrub Jay is unique to the Sunshine State.

It may be a symbolic change but it could help drive conservation of the species. After all, nobody would want to admit that they allowed the extirpation of one of their state symbols!

In the meantime, I’ll keep looking for the handsome bird.