Seashell Valentine
February 14, 2021 4 Comments
Warm wishes for a Happy Valentine’s Day from Florida!
Nature Photography by Pam & Richard
February 14, 2021 4 Comments
Warm wishes for a Happy Valentine’s Day from Florida!
April 6, 2020 18 Comments
We love the variety of wildlife in our backyard here in Florida. So much fun!
December 24, 2019 14 Comments
Warm wishes from the beach here in Florida for a wonderful holiday and happy new year!
August 26, 2016 3 Comments
We make frequent trips to Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida, to walk out on the fishing pier and stroll on the beach. The water is especially pretty right now, and there is always lots to see! You can view a live cam at: http://www.sebastianinletcam.com/
July 9, 2016 5 Comments
Roseate spoonbills are one of our favorite birds in Florida. The babies are born with pink skin, which Is quickly covered with fluffy down. We recently saw groups of the babies leaving their nests and feeding along the shore at Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area (Stick Marsh Critical Wildlife Area) near Fellsmere, Florida. What a treat!
April 24, 2016 4 Comments
Anhinga babies are so fuzzy! The birds are nesting in the treetops now at the Viera Wetlands, Florida. Anhingas are also known as water turkeys or snake birds (because of the way they stick their long necks above water when hunting for fish). The babies sleep by tucking their heads over their backs and down into their feathers. Their parents have quite a time feeding them. Neat birds!
January 28, 2016 8 Comments
In Florida we enjoy an outdoor lifestyle year round. Although it may get chilly from time to time when winter cold fronts blow through from the north, the weather usually warms back up to 70°F within a few days. That means we go outside and enjoy the beach, gardens, and wildlife.
Florida is home to over 500 species of birds, which makes it one of the top birdwatching destinations in the world. Our local birding and wildlife festival is the largest in the nation! Info about the festival is at: http://www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org/ Come on down and enjoy nature in the Sunshine State!
December 27, 2015 2 Comments
Recently we enjoyed the annual Merritt Island Holiday Boat Parade on Sykes Creek, Florida. We sat on the dock and watched over 70 Christmas-themed boats sail by. Each one was covered with up to 1,000 colorful lights. Some participants added to the fun by throwing candy. The lights and reflections on the water were magic! More info is at: http://www.cffw.org/events/
July 30, 2015 9 Comments
In summer in Florida, heat buildup during the day leads to afternoon thundershowers and clearing in the evening. We love hearing the chorus of frogs singing after the rain ends. Later we see frog eggs and then tadpoles in the pond. Florida has 33 species of frogs and toads. A list is at: http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife_info/frogstoads/
You can listen to calls at: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/Frogquiz/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.lookup&CFID=6699023&CFTOKEN=a2f85b2c81814818-693ABB52-FE37-1048-AA8EE1A8CE351F01
Our favorite smiling frog picture of all time is at: https://naturetime.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/smiling-frog/
July 17, 2015 3 Comments
Painted sea turtle statues can be found throughout the arts community of Vero Beach, Florida. The statues were auctioned off years ago by Turtle Trax to raise money for mental health awareness. The theme was “Overcoming Hurdles with Turtles”. I am impressed by the artistic talent and effort that goes into each one of these decorated statues!
The sea turtle nesting season is going very well here so far at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Sebastian, Florida. As of July 11, 2015, current local totals are 10,550 loggerhead nests, 5,561 green turtle nests, and 55 leatherback sea turtle nests.
June 6, 2015 13 Comments
One of our favorite things to do is to take a walk around the yard. We never know what surprises we will see! Do you have a favorite sighting in your yard?
May 10, 2015 10 Comments
It is spoonbill nesting time here in Florida! We enjoy seeing spoonbills nesting in spring on the Rookery Island at Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area – Stick Marsh Critical Wildlife Area near Fellsmere, Florida. Love those beautiful pink birds!
January 1, 2015 10 Comments
The Merritt Island, Florida, holiday boat parade was held on Saturday, December 20. It was especially beautiful this year! Everyone was happy and cheering all the colorful boats, and the night was warm and calm.
December 28, 2014 12 Comments
Right now we see fields of pink “Florida Snow” when driving around town. These fields are composed of Large Flower Pusley, which is also known as Mexican Clover (species Richardia grandiflora). The honeybees are crazy for it, so never run barefoot through these flowers. We see bees sticking their heads far into the flower cups to drink the sweet nectar, and also collecting balls of white pollen. These flowers are a delightful treat in winter!
December 24, 2014 10 Comments
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Best wishes! Pam and Richard
December 23, 2014 6 Comments
♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫
Oh the weather is so delightful,
For Flo-ri-da we’re thankful.
Things to do, we can’t pick just one,
Let’s have fun, let’s have fun, let’s have fun.
♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫
November 16, 2014 10 Comments
It has been a beautiful year for flowers at McKee Gardens. There is always something in bloom. Come and visit sunny Florida – the weather is perfect!
UPDATE May 2018: McKee Gardens was recently recognized as one of the ten most romantic places in Florida by “Coastal Living” magazine! Article here: https://www.coastalliving.com/travel/gulf-coast/most-romantic-destinations-florida
October 16, 2014 14 Comments
What a joy to see what pictures are waiting for us when we download them from the automatic wildlife camera! It’s such a treat every time. I placed some pumpkins outside for a Fall theme, and the raccoons and turkeys are having a wonderful time out there. In fact, if you look closely, you’ll notice that the turkeys have been eating the pumpkin on the right!
October 11, 2014 2 Comments
Ant Plant (tuber gives ants a home and sweet sap; in return the ants protect and fertilize the plant)
Dove or Holy Ghost Orchid (Peristeria elata). Endangered in Wild; National Flower of Panama. “Bird” is in Center of Flower.
Banyan Tree (one tree expands into a “forest” with aerial prop roots that grow down to soil from branches)
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is an excellent place to see rare and beautiful plants in Sarasota, Florida. The gardens are gorgeous! The organization is dedicated to botanical research, education, and conservation. The Tropical Conservatory houses rare bromeliads and orchids from around the world that bloom year round. The gardens specialize in epiphytes – plants that cling to other plants and have no roots in the ground (such as bromeliads, ferns, orchids, and pitcher plants). After you finish visiting the garden, it is only a 5 minute drive across the causeway to Sarasota’s white sugar sand beaches and Mote Marine Laboratory. More info is at: http://selby.org/ A previous post is at: https://naturetime.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/florida-marie-selby-botanical-gardens/ An interesting article about exotic Asian tropical flowers and pitcher plants is at: http://factsanddetails.com/asian/cat68/sub435/item2425.html
October 6, 2014 6 Comments
Did you know that Florida has dung beetles? We saw this Canthon species of dung beetle on a sandy trail at the Sebastian Buffer Preserve. “Tumblebugs” are nature’s ultimate recyclers, and they make the world a better place. They push and roll vegetable matter or round balls of dung into a hole they dig underground (thus aerating and fertilizing the soil). They reduce fly populations and disease by burying waste. Without them cattle ranchers would be in a heap of trouble.
Dung beetles push their food backwards with their hind legs, which makes them look like they are doing headstands. They can easily push 50 times their weight, and are one of the few insects that care for their young. They’ve been around since the age of dinosaurs, and can orient themselves using the Milky Way.
Florida burrowing owls often place dung or pieces of rotting fruit around their burrows (which is tool use). It is believed they do this because it attracts dung beetles – their favorite snack! Egyptians considered scarabs (a kind of dung beetle) to be sacred. They believed a scarab pushed the round ball of the sun across the sky.
September 21, 2014 22 Comments
The best thing about using an automatic wildlife camera is being surprised by what you see – it might be new behaviors, interesting perspectives, or even animals you didn’t know lived in your yard. What fun! A guide to Florida wildlife is at: http://www.wildflorida.com/index.php
September 18, 2014 13 Comments
Our automatic wildlife camera caught some unlikely animals eating together in our backyard in Florida. Each one has an important role in nature. These pictures make me smile. A good Florida Wildlife Guide is at: http://www.wildflorida.com/index.php
September 14, 2014 11 Comments
Summer and early Fall are the best time to see colorful giant land crabs in Florida. They live along the Atlantic coast from Central to Southern Florida, and are also found along the Gulf coast. We usually see them around the time of the full moon in August and September in the Sebastian/Vero Beach area. Giant blue land crabs (Cardisoma guanhumi) like to live in wet sandy burrows, and need to be within 5 miles of the ocean to spawn. Only one in a million eggs survives to adulthood. The distinctive brown “fuzz” around the mouth parts of land crabs is actually a net-like pattern of hairs. It works in conjunction with the internal gills to help them “breathe” while on land. Both male and female adult land crabs have one claw bigger than the other. The crabs can grow up to 6 inches across, and come in a variety of colors including blue, purple, red, orange, brown, and white. More info about the life history of these fascinating crabs is at: http://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/crustaceans/blue-crabs/life-cycle/
May 23, 2014 4 Comments
In Florida, manatee mating activity peaks in spring and early summer. When wildlife societies receive calls about beached manatees this time of year, they explain that it is natural behavior and manatee love is in the air. A female manatee will usually be pursued by several males into shallow water, and that forms a mating herd. Florida’s West Indian manatee is an endangered species, so it is a real privilege to witness such an event. Best of all, a baby manatee will arrive a year later! At Sebastian Inlet State Park today, we saw 8 manatees off the pier in the ocean, and a mating herd of 4 on the lagoon side. A manatee named “Barney” swam beside the jetty (named by surfers for the barnacles on his skin).
May 9, 2014 8 Comments
There is plenty of activity in our Florida yard in spring. We just never know what we’ll see next! Hope the wildlife and plants are doing well in your yard, too.
May 8, 2014 10 Comments
Our first purple martin babies of spring are hatching! We currently have 6 nests with a total of 20 babies and 9 eggs, and more on the way. Our martins returned to Florida for nesting season on January 28. These large swallows spend half the year in North America, and the other half in Brazil. East of the Rockies, they are the only bird species dependent on people to provide nesting sites. As far back as the 1700s, Native Americans put up natural nesting gourds for the martins to use. The partnership was of mutual benefit, so it has continued over generations. Now the birds prefer to nest in backyards in human-supplied housing. They don’t mind nest checks by purple martin “landlords”, who keep a close eye on the birds for problems. Just about everyone who has hosted purple martins misses them when they migrate back to Brazil – they are such cheerful birds to have around. If you might like to host martins yourself, more info is at: http://www.purplemartin.org/ Other posts about our purple martins are at: https://naturetime.wordpress.com/?s=martins
April 8, 2014 8 Comments
Open land stretches to the horizon at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park (south of Orlando, Florida). Spring is an especially good time to visit. If you look closely, you can see all kinds of wonderful plants and animals. A previous post about this special park is at: https://naturetime.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/florida-kissimmee-prairie-state-park/ More info is at: http://floridabirdingtrail.com/index.php/trip/trail/Kissimmee_Prairie_Preserve_State_Park/
April 2, 2014 9 Comments
Sometimes you just get lucky! This Florida snapping turtle was laying eggs along a trail at the Orlando Wetlands right before a thunderstorm rolled through last weekend. Notice the spiny tubercles on her neck and tail. Snappers lay 5-50 eggs, grow up to 18 inches long, and weigh up to 35 pounds. Interestingly, these turtles have wormlike growths on their tongues that they wiggle to attract fish. Never touch one – they are called snappers for a reason!
March 1, 2014 20 Comments
We’ve seen so many birds at the Viera Wetlands lately! This water reclamation facility is a favorite stop for birdwatchers and visitors at the annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival: http://spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org/ Recent bird sightings are posted by Friends of the Viera Wetlands at: https://www.facebook.com/VieraWetlands
February 9, 2014 10 Comments
We saw this very cute river otter yesterday wiggling in the sand to dry off after hunting in the water. Adorable!