Florida -- Lake and River

Great Blue Heron

We visited Florida in May to see Scott's mom, Betty, and get away from the winter that was still hanging on in Colorado. Since I had just gotten my new 600mm lens, I also wanted to practice my wildlife photography -- primarily with Florida's abundant birds. As a result, almost all my pictures are of birds. I keep forgetting to get scenery and people!

Betty had just moved to a retirement condo very close to where I grew up and we wanted to see her new place. 

The new condo

Plus, we wanted a little beach time. Clearwater Beach is, after all, one of the "best beaches in the world."

Pier 60

Betty's new place is located on McMullen Booth adjacent to Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater's premier entertainment venue, and very close to Alligator Lake, a big lake right next to the neighborhood where I grew up. 

Very close to where I grew up

Her balcony is entirely screened, which makes photography very difficult. 

Keeps out the mosquitoes, though

But, the view is lovely and we could see that there were many types of birds roosting on the lake.

The day we arrived, we took a drive through Philippe Park, an absolutely gorgeous and very typical Floridian park in Safety Harbor, where I attended school up to grade 9. I attended countless picnics, volunteered at a summer camp and went on many field trips to Philippe Park (plus, my first house was practically across the street).

A favorite childhood haunt

The two most significant characteristics of the park are an ancient Indian mound listed in the National Register of Historic Landmarks and gigantic moss-draped oak trees with branches that spread almost to the ground (and sometimes all the way to the ground).

The most beautiful trees

Namesake

Opened in 1948, Philippe Park is the oldest park in the county. It is named after Count Odet Philippe, who was the first permanent, non-native settler on the Pinellas County peninsula. He acquired 160 acres of land in what is now Safety Harbor in 1842 and introduced citrus growing to Florida. The park property is part of the original Philippe plantation. Several of his original citrus trees still remain somewhere in the park.

Philippe also introduced cigar-making to the Tampa Bay area. He was buried in the park in 1869, but the exact location of the grave site isn't known.

Even though we could see the lake from Betty's apartment, it was very difficult figuring out how to access it because it is surrounded by private residences and some fenced off areas, Finally, by looking at Google Maps, I figured out that there was some limited access from Safety Harbor City Park. I drove over there and walked past the really nice ball fields through some wooded areas, where I managed to get a semi-good picture of a Blue Jay ...

Typical Florida bird

That's been a goal for awhile because the Blue Jay at my house is very skittish. Then, I was able to access a small pond adjacent to the main lake.  

I never noticed Anhingas

I could see nesting birds on the lake, including a colony of Anhingas in a dead tree.

It is amazing to me that I managed to live in Florida for 24+ years and visit countless times without ever noticing all the different birds that live in or pass through the area. Sure, I was familiar with Great Blue Herons; Blue Jays; Mockingbirds; Cardinals; Snowy, Great and Cattle Egrets; and many of the common birds, but I don't recall Anhingas or lots of what I saw on this trip. Birding/photography really makes you more observant. 

As I set up my camera, a flock of green parakeets whizzed by overhead. Unfortunately, I never saw them again. There are many parakeets in the Clearwater area and I do recall a big nest on the water tower near my neighborhood. They are not indigenous; rather they are the descendants of escaped pets. So, I missed that photo op. But, I did see a number of animals in the little pond area, including Boat-tailed Grackles ... 

Male Boat-tailed Grackle

Female Boat-tailed Grackle

I saw some curious-looking little rabbits that didn't match my memories of the cottontails we used to have in our yard and that I associate so much with Florida. It turns out that they were Marsh Rabbit, a species of rabbit that I had never even heard of (but had probably seen throughout the years). It is redder and has much shorter ears than a cottontail and it has no cottontail, although it is technically a member of that family.

Tiny ears!

Unlike most rabbits, Marsh Rabbits walk on all fours, placing each foot alternately like a cat. Although they can hop, walking makes them more agile in dense vegetation. Excellent swimmers, Marsh Rabbits have less fur on their legs and longer nails than typical cottontails. When not concealed in dense thickets, they often sit submerged in muddy water with only their eyes and noses exposed and ears laid back flat.I guess I was lucky to see several grazing out in the open.

Looks like it has eyebrows

I also saw a new bird for me -- a Common Gallinule, which looks very similar to a Coot. 

Unfortunately, he just wouldn't come out of the thick grass

Of course, there were many of the ubiquitous -- but tricky to photograph -- Red-winged Blackbirds. And, of course, they were all singing very loudly.

These I remember well

The main thing that caught my eye, however, were two Herons in close proximity to each other ...

Great Blue Heron

Tricolored Heron

Both were hunting. The Tricolored caught something that I think was a frog, but I couldn't really see. I could, however, see the giant Crappie that the Great Blue Hereon caught. I don't even know how he swallowed it. 

A BIG fish

But, he did manage to and then went about the business of posing and showing off his beautiful breeding plumage.

Fun to watch

I would have liked tho capture more birds -- including the Osprey that kept flying over with a fish in its talon -- but I was happy with the brief, hot, time I spent getting acquainted with the birds I should have known from my childhood.

I am not going to cover the Florida trip in chronological order. rather, I am categorizing by environment/activity. So, I will just add a few brief words about a little excursion to visit friends Chuck and Deb at their beautiful and exceedingly peaceful home on the Homosassa River in Inglis.

The view

Their backyard has a huge deck that looks down to the river. There were a number of birds and, based on the passing fishermen, a number of fish, as well. The Homosassa at this point is not crystal clear as are many Florida rivers (more about that in my next installment), but it is so calming just to watch it slowly flow by.

Even though the overhang of the trees made the late afternoon rather dim for photography (and the abundant wine made it tricky, as well), I did manage to capture some shots of Northern Cardinals ...

Female Northern Cardinal

Male Northern Cardinal

These are such beautiful birds. I wish we had them in Colorado. 

I also managed to get a few rather weak photos of a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, which because it was female, didn't have a ruby throat. I briefly saw a male, but never managed to capture his image. Oh, well, maybe next time.

The best I could do

When people think of Florida, they usually think of salt water and beaches. Most people don't realize that the state has many beautiful spring-fed rivers. In the next blog, we'll explore one of the most famous, most beautiful and most kitschy.

Trip date: April 18-26, 2016