A couple of weeks ago, we decided to go for a quiet little early afternoon walk at a park we’d never visited before. We thought we’d really enjoy our natural surroundings more if we left our phones in the car ;-). Unfortunately, we also left our jug of water in the car, a really foolish […]
As I wrote in a recent post, the current time period on the Jewish calendar, known as The Three Weeks, concludes with the observance of Tisha B’Av (the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av). On Tisha B’Av we mourn the most significant tragic events in Jewish history, including the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem in 586 […]
This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for – the arrival of a large new group of Black-Bellied Whistling Duck babies!The Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are everyone’s favorite, I think – the adults always look so handsome, with their long necks, beautiful coloring, and upright posture. And the babies are just an absolute treat – […]
It always brightens my day when I see (or hear) a Red-bellied Woodpecker! I’ve grown to expect them, especially in the wooded areas along our wetland paths. Never quite understood why they seem like such a special treat till I realized recently that they are much more prevalent here in Florida than they ever were in New York […]
As the nesting season draws to a close, and the migratory birds have returned to their summer homes, we see fewer and fewer of our ‘regulars’ like the Great Blue Herons and Wood Storks here in the preserves. Some of the juveniles and a few baby birds, like the Night Herons, Cattle Egrets, and Common Moorhens (Gallinules) still remain, […]
I was wandering along, hoping to spot some of the elusive baby ducks, when all of sudden, I noticed this odd, striped, curved shape object (featured above) in the pond on my left. Somehow, it just didn’t look like a plant….! The pond on my right was open and deep, with lots of Lilypads floating […]
There’s a well-shaded pond (referred to as the “Alligator Hole”) where we can catch a glimpse of the Night Heron families each year, sitting up in the Cypress trees. There are both Yellow-Crowned Night Herons and Black-Crowned Night Herons here in our preserves. Both of these birds are large, but have shorter necks and are stockier than many of their more graceful, […]
The glow of the sky at sunrise looks so lovely behind the birds as we all (the birds and I!) begin our day. On the first several tree islands, each bird appears as a silhouette, as I walk toward them facing east.. A lone Fish Crow rests in the crook of the tree branches as the […]
Peaceful Waters Sanctuary is tucked away in the corner of a large public park, not far away from my home. It’s always quiet and peaceful, and almost always empty of people. You never know what you’ll see . . .
