Sunday, June 6, 2021

What's Blooming at Fakahatchee Strand

 Sunday June 5th

Yesterday, I visited Janes Scenic Drive at Fakahatchee Strand State Park. Did some birding, but not much to report. Did heard a lot of White-eyed Vireos and Northern Parulas. Saw a pair of large crows with strange coloration on their lower bill. Not sure what's going on here these corvids


What kind of Corvid this this?

While the rainy season is starting to kick-in, the long dry season has left the Strand very dry with little standing water along the drive. 

Lots of interesting bugs and blooms though

Orange Spotted Flower Moth




Three Spotted Skipper

Viceroy

False Foxglove

Ruddy Daggerwing

Saltmarsh Mallow

Baldcypress

Buttonbush

Swamp Dogwood

Coco Plum

Poison Ivy

Carolina Ashe

Common Guava

Pond Apple

Hog Plum

Virginia Creeper

Pepper Vine

Coastal Groundcherry

Graybark Grape

Needham's Skimmer


Trip to the Gulf Coast

 Saturday, May 29th 

The Biloxi Lighthouse

Pale Grasspink at Yellow River

Last weekend was a trip up to the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico. As part of the trip was to catch up with an old friend in Biloxi, but it was also to visit to locations looking for interesting flora and fauna.


Visited Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park near Milton, Florida to look for pitcher plants and visit to Blackwater River State Park.


Blackwater River State Park

Then to Alabama and Dauphin Island to see Audubon Bird Sanctuary and historical Fort Gaines





False Rosemary

Dunes habitat at Audubon Bird Sanctuary

Canadian Meadow Garlic

Crowpoison


Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island, Alabama



Then in Mississippi to find Mississippi Sandhill Cranes, rarest of the Sandhill Crane sub-species and points of interest around Biloxi.

Eastern Fence Lizard at Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR















Lastly stopped at Tarkiln Bayou State Park in Escambia County, Florida

Butterfly Pea

White Pitcher Plants at Tarkiln Bayou State Park

White Pitcher Plants at Tarkiln Bayou State Park


Six-lined Racerunner