Bahia Hondo State Park

 Sunday November 22nd

After moving on from Big Pine Key, made a stop at Bahia Hondo State Park. The state park

encompasses almost all of this small key. I hadn't stopped here before, but could not miss the iconic abandoned railroad trestle projecting out from the key.

The nature trail is now off limits due to the hurricane damage, because three years ago Hurricane Irma devastated the the Florida Keys including Bahia Hondo. 

American Kestrel

Still was able to locate Florida Silver Palm, Florida Thatch Palm, Seven-Year Apple, Gumbo Limbo and Sea Lavender

Sea Lavender

Florida Silver Palms are primarily a Florida Keys species

Florida Silver Palm

Seven-Year Apple

Bahama Nightshade

Cassius Blue

The Key is also a location for the extremely rare Miami Blue Butterfly, were the University of Florida is active in rejuvenation the population. I didn't observe any, but Cassius Blue Butterflies were easily found.

Not a large variety of birds today at Bahia Honda. Palm Warblers, Prairie Warbler, Kestrels, Laughing Gulls, Brown Pelicans and a Yellow-crowned Nigh-heron. 

The waters at the marina were very clear. Was able to observe mullet, a parrotfish and lots of Atlantic Needlefish just at the surface.

Atlantic Needlefish

A Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-heron

Cuban Pewee

 Sunday November 22nd

White-crowned Pigeon seen on Key Largo

Today, I went on a twitch to see the Cuban Pewee on Big Pine Key.  This rare-to-Florida visitor, was located at Blue Hole in the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Pine Key. 

Common Myna seen in Florida City

For me, its a five hour drive from Fort Myers down into the Florida Keys. Made the trip into a two day overnighter, because I also wanted to explorer some of the unique floral communities found nowhere in the US but in the Keys. 

Did make a stop on Key Largo to look for interesting birds, flora and the endangered Florida Tree Snails

Moved on to Big Pine Key, which is just south of the famous seven mile bridge. Much of this Key is  a part of the National Key Deer Refuge. Key Deer are a diminutive and endangered subspecies of White Tail Deer totally endemic to the Keys. Blue Hole is a former rock quarry used to provide material in the construction of Henry Flagler's Railroad through the Keys. Its now the only freshwater lake in the Keys

A Key Deer seen near Blue Hole

As for the Cuban Pewee, it was easily located from the Blue Hole overlook, were it is drawing many interested observers. It would pose nicely for photographs. 

Cuban Pewee seen at Blue Hole

Gallery of Scenes from Key Largo and Blue Hole

Poisonwood at Key Largo
Look but don't touch

Everglades Velvetseed at Key Largo

Lancewood at Key Largo

Florida Tree Snail at Key Largo

Bahama Strongbark

Blackbead at Blue Hole

Everglades Greenbriar at Blue Hole

Coker's Creeper at Blue Hole

Smooth Devil's Claws seen at Blue Hole

Mangrovevine at Blue Hole

Goatweed at Blue Hole

Rough Velvetseed seen at Blue Hole

Florida Thatch Palm seen at Blue Hole

Key Thatch Palm seen at Blue Hole

Chapman's Wild Sensitive Plant 

Kestrel at Big Pine Key

Locustberry at Blue Hole

Lake Wales Ridge WEA

 Tuesday November 17th

At the time of the Pleistocene Epoch, the sea level around what is now Florida fell and rose several times as the North American Ice Sheets variously grew and melted.  At one point, some two million years ago, the Florida peninsula was almost completely submerged. This event left exposed only a series of small islands, which are the Sand Hills and Florida Scrub country found in central Florida today. Geologically, the zone is referred to as the Mid-Florida Ridge, or as the Lake Wakes Ridge. 

Florida Scrub Jay at Lake Wales Ridge WEA

The surviving, much has been lost to development,  Florida Scrub ecosystems are very unique with some flora and fauna found nowhere else. The most well known example is our only endemic bird, the Florida Scrub Jay. The Lake Wales Ridge also features endemic lizards in the Sand Skink and the Florida Scrub Lizard. And lots of endemic and some vey rare flora. 

Faey's Palafox

Yesterday I visited the Lake Wales Ridge WEA - Lake Placid Scrub Tract, which is near Lake Placid and an excellent example of Florida Scrub. Was greeted by a pair of Florida Scrub Jays at the trail head.

Florida Scrub Lizard

Florida Scrub Lizard

Some of the flora found in this ecosystem included Sand Live Oak, Florida Scrub Oak, Scrub Palmetto, Sand Heath, Scrub Hickory, Rusty Lyonia, Sand Pine, Florida Scrub Bluecurls, Highlands Scrub Hypericum, Fringed Star Grass, Fringed Jointweed and Sandhill Wireweed

Sand Live Oak

Florida Scrub Oak

Scrub Palmetto

Sand Heath

Scrub Hickory

Rusty Lyonia

Sand Pine

Highlands Scrub Hypericum

Florida Scrub Bluecurl

Fringed Star Grass

Fringed Jointweed

Sandhill Wireweed

Down to the Beach

 Wednesday November 11th

Haven't done very much birding lately, being stuck at home. Mostly just keeping an eye on the yard.  But with Tropical Storm Eta, or sometimes as a Hurricane Eta, lingering in the Gulf of Mexico there maybe an opportunity to encounter some pelagic birds being blown toward shore. 

An Aberrant Laughing Gull

Ended up checking on the action on the Sanibel Causeway Islands. While still under a Tropical Storm Warming, a Tornado watch and a Storm Surge watch, expected to find sea birds sheltering on the bay side of the islands, because the high winds and a high surf were crashing the gulf side.  

Lots' of Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, some Common Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, Willets, Sanderlings, Brown Pelicans, Cormorants, plus Semipalmated Sandpipers, a Black Skimmer, a FOS Dunlin, Black bellied Plover  and a Snowy Plover. The only pelagic was a single Magnificent Frigatebird.

Snowy Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Willet

Royal Terns

Common Tern