Some friends and I checked out the newest bar in town last night, a disco joint called Good Night John Boy. Yes, you read that right, I said disco.

The place was decorated in the finest from the 1970s (with a velvet Elvis and console tvs). I wore my best (and only) bell bottoms – leopard print with sequins, a lucky thrift store find!

The music was a blast from the past and we boogied to every song (as my sore feet can attest). The nostalgia was strong and even though the place was packed we had a great time!

Our throwback tour continued outside the bar when some roller-skaters danced by. This town is never boring!

I was thrilled to spot this Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) while touring the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive this past weekend. The swamphen is a year-round resident here in Florida, though they are usually found further south of me.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds website offers this vivid description: “cherry red, sky blue, moss green, aquamarine, indigo, violet, and school-bus yellow”. Uncommonly, adults of both sexes are this colorful. It was worth the 2 hour drive just to see this rainbow bird!

I met this Florida Soft Shell Turtle (Apalone ferox ) while touring the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive over the weekend. This is the largest of our three soft shell species, so called because they lack hard shells and scutes.

Based on the massive size of this one I believe it was a female (males tend to be noticeably smaller). Since it is the height of egg-laying season I presume that’s why she was out of the water. It was a treat to get to see her up close, look at that snout, it looks like a snorkel.

I joined the Treasure Island cleanup this past Saturday. As you’ve probably gathered by now, I take any chance to hit the beach. And as you may also know, I’m constantly picking up litter (have been since I could walk). So, spending a morning strolling the sand is not a hardship for me.

I definitely benefitted from the outing; filled two bags full of trash, savored the scenery, and scored some fun finds (an unopened bottle of water, a pair of sunglasses, and some cool beach toys).

Spotted along the trail at Circle B Bar Reserve last week. Not wildlife but still a fun sighting. 💖

My last wildlife encounter at Circle B Bar Reserve occurred while I was hoofing it back to my car. This little tank barreled out of the underbrush and stomped right toward me. While they have a great sense of smell, their eyesight is notoriously terrible.

Good thing I’m not a predator. Though judging by the bloody scrape on it’s side it looks like this armadillo’s armor held up to the challenge.

In addition to the other creatures mentioned previously, my afternoon at Circle B Bar Reserve was full of feathered friends.

What I found interesting was that I took most of these images within 50 feet of each other. I couldn’t figure out the secret of that little bend in the creek but there must’ve been some magic there.

Top to bottom, left to right: Great Egret, Green Heron, Little Blue Heron (white juvenile maturing to blue), Black-crowned Night-Heron, Tricolored Heron, Pileated Woodpecker, Osprey, and four Ospreys in a tree (plus a number of smaller species that I couldn’t capture).

Enjoy the Red-winged Blackbird symphony (percussion courtesy of Pileated Woodpeckers):

Circle B Bar Reserve is famed for its robust population of alligators. Amazing to think that because of overhunting, the American Alligator was one of the first species listed with the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1967 (which was replaced by the Endangered Species Act in 1973). Thankfully, the species rebounded so well they were removed from the ESA in 1987.

As I strolled the trails I kept my eyes peeled for gators, especially once I started down Alligator Alley. With the exception of one large (and putrid-smelling) carcass all I saw were juveniles. There was one thing that gave me pause (look closely at the photo below):

Did you see the wet duckweed that slid off the gator? The large tail drag in the center? The foot and claw scratches in the lower right?

I could only guess at the size of this animal as I never did find it in the thick foliage. To be honest, I didn’t hang out that long looking for it, knowing it was mobile and nearby made me a bit uneasy. Especially since it’s the middle of breeding season.