Catching up with the Sandhill Crane family!

 It's always fun to drive out to Halpata Tastanaki Preserve and hike the trail from the Pruitt trailhead.

And there are usually good sightings when you drive in the front gate.

I was happy to see the Sandhill Crane family, alive and well.

It was funny though when I stopped and hopped out of the Jeep to take the photos. 

My camera fogged over from all of the humidity!

But I waved it around and luckily the Crane family stayed close by their photo shoot!

I think this bird is a young Mockingbird.

It always confuses me because they seem more tan than gray.

I KNOW what this bird is! haha!

Northern Cardinal

I thought this was a small grasshopper with really long antennas but now I wonder if it a katydid. Anyone know?

Lots of beautiful plants and wildflowers this summer.

We've had summer pop up showers and that helps.

Oh and now we've finished the hike and I'm driving the Jeep back out on the gravel road.

And look what I saw!

Papa Crane was crossing the road ahead of me. Mama and young one were already across. I slowed down and waited!

Have a wonderful weekend! Take your time!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway - Sharp-shinned Hawk

 

It's fun to look back at previous posts to find out when you first learned about a particular bird or critter.

The first time I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk (and properly identified it) was in 2019. The post was HERE.

And it was only about 2 miles from the one I saw this week!

Maybe less as the crow flies...or in this case the hawk!

I saw it at the very beginning of my hike and was lucky that it landed nearby. It's a small hawk and stands very upright.

It was breezy that day and he has a few ruffled feathers!

The Sumac is still blooming and I saw what I thought was a big wasp on one flower head.

But now I think it's a Trichopoda fly. There were other tiny wasps on the blooms too.

I saw a Northern Harrier, but in this photo he is high in the sky and impossible to pick out!

I noticed a couple of new markings on the paved part of the trail.

The heart was showing the turn for the trail I hike through the woods.

A collage of the Sumac blooms

Any monsters in the deep forest you ask?

Just a couple!

Thanks for joining me for another hot and humid hike along the Greenway.

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Bees a buzzin'!

 

Don't kick the bucket....

or in this case....the steel drum!

I saw bees buzzing all around this old steel drum alongside the trail at Halpata Tastanki last week.

The wild bee hive is still there and the steel drum is nearby. 

When I got around to the other side of this drum, I zoomed in and saw a hole about the size of a dime and bees going in and out.

You just never know what you'll see on a hike at the preserve.

Which trail do you want to hike?

We get to a 't' and have to decide.

It was a sunny day but it felt great to be in nature.

I spotted this deer lying down in the shade of some trees.

She turned her head to get a better look at me but decided I wasn't a threat and stayed put.

A Cardinal lit on a branch and I saw a Bobwhite fly low across the trail.

This Gulf Fritillary butterfly lit near by. I saw lots of butterflies and dragonflies but no other good photo ops.

Now we have turned back to walk to the trailhead.

I parked in the shade so that kept the Jeep cool.

And I saw a Northern Harrier swooping overhead at the end of my hike.

It was a good day and the heat and humidity has been perfect for mushrooms. I'm trying to figure out what these look like. Maybe they look like some kind of sandwich or pastry?

What do you think?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Amanda's Pennant Dragonfly

 When I saw this dragonfly, I thought it looked different. 

I couldn't wait to come home and do a search for the ID.

Of course I also consulted my Florida expert, Wally from  Our Natural Places. He and Gini love dragonflies and share their photos often. They are both native Floridians too so that gives them 'expert' status!

It's been a hot summer here in Florida but we've had wildflowers blooming all summer long.

Don't you love this fat bee buzzing here on a Sumac in full bloom.

American Bumblebee

I noticed the big clusters of blooms in the forest.

But then I was lucky to see some right on the edge of the trail.

We've been having afternoon pop up showers so the mushrooms are popping up everywhere.

And let's don't forget to watch for forest monsters!

They're everywhere!

There are flocks of Warblers flitting along the trails now too.

Northern Parula 

Thanks David G. from Travels with Birds for the bumblebee ID and Northern Parula! I appreciate the help and sweet comments! 

Have you had a good summer for butterflies and bees?

The trail I was on when I hiked the Greenway.

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Great Horned Owl - time and chance!

 

We make so many decisions when we get up in the morning. I eat a good breakfast and have a cup of coffee...always! And then I check the weather. This particular morning was supposed to be a little less hot with a bit of a breeze. So I started getting ready to go for a hike. I've been starting at a trailhead near my house so that there's not much drive time to get there. And I didn't even make my bed! I sliced an apple and packed it and extra water in my little insulated bag to have after the hike. I put my water bottle, phone and extra camera battery in my backpack, grabbed my camera and I was ready to roll!

Great horned Owl

This is the firebreak I was hiking. 

A firebreak is a path that is plowed to keep a wildfire from continuing to spread. This firebreak was tilled up about a month ago so some weeds and grass have started to grow but it still serves the purpose.

Of course when I started the hike, there were stops to look at the many deer tracks on the trail and one possible bobcat track. 

There were flowers to photograph and little Warblers flitting about.

I got to a 'T' in the road and took a few steps to the right at the hummingbird tree. (I shared it last month)

And a really BIG bird flew across the trail in front of me. I thought it was a big bodied Hawk! I was so thrilled that it lit in a tree. So being the country girl (at heart) that I am, I trekked through the brambles in the forest to get a better look.

I was so glad I did! It was a Great horned owl.

Probably a young one by the looks of his 'horns'.

We had seen one of these beautiful owls at Pruitt a few years ago so I could see the difference.

All of these photos are of his back.

He swiveled his head all the way around to watch me!

It was an amazing sighting and made me really glad I didn't take the time to make my bed before I left my house.

I would have missed his flight across the trail and not even noticed him in the tree.

Time and chance. 

I hope you can get out and observe nature where you live this week!

Don't forget.....go BEFORE you do any housework!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !