Waltzing the familiar…

Here we are…

Nestled snugly in Sicksta and Craigys side yard in NC.

Our plan is to stay here for a month and head to The Biggest Week after my birthday.

The first few mornings here were full of humidity that touched everything…..

 

I have already searched the lot across the street for Morels.

I didn’t find any but did see this heart….and heard a Hooded warbler…first of the year here.

The Old Blue truck is still alive and for the right price perhaps Craigy would part with it.

 

The apple tree has blossomed.

I found this gorgeous butterfly on the apple blossoms…

It’s a male Falcate Orangetip

A lifer butterfly for me!

 

The Dogwood is blooming…see Old blue?

Rosemary blooming and Old blue..

Its always fun to travel to new places…

but..

Waltzing the familiar is a beautiful dance ….

we are here most every April.

I see what is new…

what is blooming early or late..

 

I look and listen for the familiar yard birds and the birds that migrate in and through the area.

It seems this year some birds are a bit earlier.

Migrants coming in within the last few days…

White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Northern Parula
Black-and-white Warbler

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Hooded Warbler

and today

a beautiful Indigo bunting male.

 

 

I search every day for Morels in the places I am familiar with..

I know where and to expect them…I found these two and marked them to pick when the got a bit bigger.

The farmers fields up the street are plowed and ready for planting…

The chickadees are checking out the real estate.

Yes it’s that time of year when we settle in for a month in Sickstas yard..

 

And Waltz the familiar.

I love ya Florida! See you next time..

Our Wheels have headed north.

It was time.

Out Homey was out of service…Looking good with some new paint covering the boo boos made in the past 14 years..

Florida this past month has been an scorcher for us. Very hot mid day. I feel my skin stinging when we are out in the afternoon. We limited our outside outings to morning and evening. Indoor activities mid day.

The birds are starting to migrate north..

Its time for us to do the same thing.

We had a wonderful summer in winter in Florida this year.

Spent time with many friends …and most of our time enjoying the great outdoors.

Here are my last few photos from Florida..

This Gorgeous Monarch Chrysalis at a friends home in Florida.

Wrapped in Gold…

Black Vultures hanging getting some church..

Sun setting over the pond at the Great Outdoors RV resort

Jeff and I had never been to Mead Gardens outside of Orlando before…when a local friend told us it’s a good place for migrants we met him there to see what birds were coming in.

We saw lots of Prairie warblers..

A beautiful vine growing in the garden..

Some scaly shrooms..Black and White warblerRed-shouldered hawk on its nest..

Cant see much here..but this is a

Blue gray gnatcatcher nest.

Young Barred Owl

checking us out..

Gopher tortoiseMonarch..The bird of the morning was the Hooded warbler..

Nice to see them coming north.

Our last day in Florida, Jeff and I went to Merritt Island NWR to see what we could see.

Some Black Vultures in a tree..

 Zebra LongwingGreen Heron

We stopped at the visitor center and I had a awesome photo shoot with Painted buntings.

 

Close enough to get some nice photos with my little point and shoot!

 

What a wonderful way to end our Florida trip!

See you up north!

Orlando Wetlands

It seems as though I have taken a little bit of a vacation from blogging…one whole week!

Its April already!

We left John Prince Park Campground on the 29th and are now in Titusville so that Homey can have a few repairs and some paint work done.

After 14 years Homey had a few dings and scratches.

So here we are…and this is where we spend the night.

Lovely isn't it? 

Its our penance for too many sunset views.

We are kicked out at eight in the morning so they can continue working on Homey.

 

We usually go for a drive to see what we can see..and most times it includes birds.

Yesterday we went to Orlando Wetlands.

Sandhill Crane

It was a nice cool morning..

Common Gallinule

^{Lots of gators out sunning..}

Coot playing follow the leader..

One of their favorite games..

We saw many Purple Gallinule but never close enough for a decent photo.

This will do…

 

We took the birding trail…

 

Tri-colored Heron

Little Blue heron getting some more blue..

 

It started to warm up …

We walked on..

                                                

                                                                     Carolina Saddlebags

Soon some relief from the heat when the clouds came in……

Stumbled upon this pretty little snake on the path.

Blue stripe Garter Snake

Anhinga drying out..

As we took the road back south we saw Mother otter and two young heading towards us.

mother led them into the reeds away from us.

Orlando Wetlands is a wonderful place to walk…

There is no shelter from the heat so if it’s a hot day you might want to bring and umbrella.

Common Gallinule…

I cant tell you how inviting the clouds were.

Its really been very hot here in Florida this past month.

Much warmer than I remember it being this time of year.

There were plenty of Purple Gallinule…

I loved this area…

Tree Islands..

 

 

Yeah….bear with me..

I really liked taking photos of these trees..

 

 

Oh..enough of that…back to birds..

Great Egret in the Greens…

Great Blue Heron

We took a side trip a dead end road..we saw vultures at the end of it and wondered what they were up to.

Oppsie…

How did this get here…More tree islands..

 

Oh there they are…

at the end of a dead end trail.

Are you thinking what I am thinking?

Thankfully no hangings happen here…

Sorry Vultures…go find some road kill.

Again,

Those darn tree islands..

captivating me…

We walk on…This is the second time today we do the Birding loop trail.

I need the exercise…somehow a few more pounds latched on to me this winter…and they, plus the ten previous need to go away.

Another Great Blue Heron

Little Blue heron….

See how I snuck that tree island in…cunning I am.

These are not technically tree islands..so..

 

Loved the colors here…yellow greens…stormy looking clouds and the white mound.

Gator hanging out near water lilies..

If I was a gator I would sit here..

 

We ended the walk with some great views of Least Bittern.

A bit too far for my tiny point and shoot..but..not far enough..used a bit of the digital zoom for this.

We left the park as the clouds were leaving and it was starting to heat up.

We had lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant and headed for a quick drive around Wildlife drive.

It was pretty slow…but this little fella had us stumped for a while..it was mostly in the water…

so its body looked odd and until we got close we couldn’t tell it was a Tri-colored heron.

 

 

Homey and us still spend the night in the Paint Bay…

Hoping to be out on Friday and head north before we fry.

 

 

 

Orlando Wetlands Park, Orange, US-FL
Apr 1, 2015 8:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.0 mile(s)
Comments:     <br />Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.8
51 species
Blue-winged Teal  X
Pied-billed Grebe  X
Double-crested Cormorant  X
Anhinga  X
Least Bittern  X
Great Blue Heron  X
Great Egret  X
Little Blue Heron  X
Tricolored Heron  X
Cattle Egret  X
Green Heron  X
White Ibis  X
Glossy Ibis  X
Black Vulture  X
Turkey Vulture  X
Osprey  X
Northern Harrier  X
Red-shouldered Hawk  X
Purple Gallinule  X
Common Gallinule  X
American Coot  X
Limpkin  X
Sandhill Crane  X
Killdeer  X
Common Ground-Dove  X
Mourning Dove  X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  X
Belted Kingfisher  X
Red-bellied Woodpecker  X
White-eyed Vireo  X
Fish Crow  X
Tree Swallow  X
House Wren  X
Marsh Wren  X
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  X
Gray Catbird  X
Brown Thrasher  X
Northern Mockingbird  X
European Starling  X
Cedar Waxwing  X
Common Yellowthroat  X
Northern Parula  X
Palm Warbler  X
Yellow-rumped Warbler  X
Prairie Warbler  X
Savannah Sparrow  X
Swamp Sparrow  X
Painted Bunting  X
Red-winged Blackbird  X
Boat-tailed Grackle  X