Saturday, January 2, 2021

A Good year for Hiking!


 It was such a difficult year for us all...
all over the world!

But we were fortunate to have good hiking trails to hike and unusually good weather this year. I feel blessed to have the good health to get outside and enjoy nature.


I wanted to choose a bird or critter from each month to highlight but I didn't realize how hard that would be. We see so many amazing sights here in Florida. 
Join me for hiking through the months of 2020!


January - River Otter at Blue Run Park


February - Bobcat at Blue Run Park


March - Eastern Coral Snake, Florida Trails


April - Fox Squirrel, Florida Trails West


May - Blue Grosbeak at Pruitt Trailhead (Halpata Tastanaki Preserve)


June - Bobolink flock, Halpata Tastanaki Preserve


July - Gopher Tortoise, Halpata Tastanaki Preserve


August - Bobwhite Pruitt trailhead, Florida Trails




September - American Redstart, Blue Run Park


October - Barred Owl, Florida Trails West


November - Barred Owl, Florida Trails West


December - Great Horned Owl, Halpata Tastanaki Preserve

How privileged we were to see so many owls this year! We even saw one early in the year too. 


We've ended the year with 157 hikes. 

Now let's keep going!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’. 



49 comments:

MadSnapper said...

that is a lot of hiking, and yours are true hikes, mine are just daily walks.. you did a great job showing all the different types of critters you see. you forgot the alligator

Martha said...

Excellent photos for the year and that is sure a lot of hikes! I miss all the great places to hike when I lived in Ocala. These days it's usually just walks on the beach, not that I'm complaining lol. Happy New Year!

Sandy said...

Wonderful photos ---well, all but that dang snake. I am horrified about snakes and Florida isn't exactly the place NOT to see them. Beautiful birds, but I just love that otter and well the owl too. Here's to hiking and beach walks in '21.

Tom said...

...an entire year of enjoying nature, keep it up! My best to you in 2021.

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

A wonderful look back at your hikes and wildlife sightings. I enjoyed every photo, the birds, the otter, bobcat and that snake is dangerous but beautiful. The Gopher Tortoise is a neat sighting, all the birds are beautiful. I love the Bobolinks, Grosbeak, Bobwhite and all the owls. Great post and photos. Thanks for all your links and comments in 2020. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, stay safe! Have a happy weekend! PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

Rain said...

Happy New Year Diane! :) You are so blessed to have seen all of those critters...oh my bobcats scare me!!! I love the photo of the tortoise!!

Julie's Creative Lifestyle said...

I enjoyed looking at all of the hikes you went on and shared with us. Wishing you a healthy and happy new year Diane.

Ella said...

Lucky you! You have been able to enjoy nature all months! Your photos are very beautiful!
Happy New Year, Diane!! May the coming year be full of grand adventures and opportunities.

Linda said...

You are amazing! Loved seeing the photos by month! That was so cool! Your hikes are always an adventure with a hint of danger to them!

Crafty in the Med said...

Amazing achievement! What a delight to be able to walk ,constantly improve your health as you do that and at the same time enjoy these glimpses of the local wildlife as well! Just fabulous!! Happy New Year xx Amanda

carol l mckenna said...

Wow! What a creative idea with your lovely 'calendar critter photos' ~ beautiful shots!

Thanks for identifying the bird as a wren ~ am new to 'backyard birding' so am learning `

Wishing you a Happy, Creative and Healthy New Year,

A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Debbie said...

what a great idea this was, i really, really enjoyed it!! i'm sure it was difficult to choose, i loved every picture, but my very most favorite was the blue grosbeak, followed closely by both owls!!

i do hope you continue with your hikes, i have enjoyed them so much!!

Beside a babbling brook... said...

You love to hike, so it's lovely that you live, where you do.

Keep enjoying!

Warm Winter Wishes
🌲✨🌲🔥🌲✨🌲

Marcia said...

What a wonderful assortment of wildlife you have encountered in your hikes. I look forward to reading many more posts from you in 2021 and coming along in spirit on your hikes.

Vee said...

Congrats on all those hikes! Well done. Now you get to start over again. Thanks, too, for all the wonderful nature shots. I loved them all except one. 😉 A blessed New Year to you and Ron!

The Feminine Energy said...

My favorite season has forever been winter.... snow, freezing temperatures, wind howling.... hot chocolate, fireplaces, fuzzy socks & sweaters. I loved it all!!! But now, just like that **snap**, I hate winter. :-( This virus has brought about a lot of changes and one of them is I now despise winter. Perhaps this will change once the virus is totally behind us, I don't know. But for right now my face longs for the warmth of the sun and I mentioned to my youngest daughter still-at-home how I'd like to rent an apartment in Florida for the months of January thru March. She said she's game! :) ~Andrea xoxo

Ricki Treleaven said...

You must be in really good shape, and I love looking back on your critter photos from the year! You are a very good photographer, my friend!

Adam Jones said...

Some great looking owls, and a very nice Grosbeak. Happy New Year!

Bill said...

Can't beat a good year of hiking and photographing all the birds and other creatures. Well done and good wishes for another fine year of hiking in nature. Happy New Year!

Susie said...

Diane, So proud of you and Ron. That's a lot of hiking. I always love to see the birds and wild things she spot on your hikes. Blessings and wishes for good health always. xoxo, love, Susie

BeachGypsy said...

Ive loved ALL YOUR PICTURES this year! But I sure do love your OWLS....OH AND THAT BOBCAT CAPTURE!! Y'all sure got in ALOT OF GREAT HIKES this year! I've not been on in a few days....I'm trying to catch up....HAPPY NEW YEAR MY FRIEND!!

NatureFootstep said...

wow, 157 hikes last year. Amazing! I have not dounted mine but they are probably not that many. There are not that many trails to choose from around here.
And you have soo much wildlife. I never see owls in daylight. They are here but only out in the nights. And many beautiful birds around you.
Take care!

Lorrie said...

You saw a lot of wonderful critters this year, Diane. I hope 2021 is a great hiking year for you, too.

Terri D said...

You should do a calendar! Great photos, always, and thanks for taking us along with you on your hikes!! Happy new year!

Ann said...

You sure do see a lot of good things while you're out there. 157 is a lot of hikes, good for you.

Connie said...

157 Hikes, color me very impressed!
Sweet post, I love all the critters other than the bob cat and the snake . . . those would have frightened me into not wanting the hike your beautiful state. I'm proud of you for not being the scared cat that I am.
Happy New Year!
Connie :)

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Great photos!
The two grayish blue critters in the last picture are the favorites. :)

Pamela M. Steiner said...

Such wonderful photos of such wonderful Florida critters on our Florida trails! You are blessed to be able to hike so many trails and see so much of God's wonderful creation. I miss our walks in the more interesting places. We are kind of stuck on one place to walk and I am finding it rather boring, but we do what we can do and be thankful to be doing anything. God is good. Yes, what Terri said above..."you should do a calendar!" Very nicely done. Thank you! Happy New Year!

happyone said...

Great highlights of the critters you've seen this year on your hikes.

RedPat said...

That was a wonderful lookback through your year! Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...

Diane, oh so beautiful! I can not choose a favorite animal. That squirrel looks like he is stretching way out. And that bobcat is amazing!

NanaDiana said...

Oh My Gosh, Diane! I forgot all the wonderful pictures you post! The owls have my vote!!! And the squirrel one is comical.
Blessings to you and your hubby in 2021! xo Diana

Buttercup said...

Fabulous pictures. Went searching for an owl in Central Park the other day and alas, he was out for lunch. But I had a wonderful time enjoying our own wilderness. Wishing you a very happy and and healthy 2021 and lots of hiking and great photos.

Jean said...

I just love those owl photos, so striking. Happy New Year!

Linda said...

These are great critter pictures! Happy new year!

Phil Slade said...

Happy New Year Diane. I have to say that the variety of your Floridian fauna and flora is wonderful. So much colour! My favourite of those is the Coral Snake. Yes, I know that sounds weird but we see so few snakes here in Great Britain.

Irma said...

On the first record I wish you and all your loved ones a happy but above all a healthy 2021.
What a nice photo overview of the year 2020.
March, September and November are my favorites.
Greetings Irma

Anni said...

I want to be positive that 2021 will be better than 2020! Happy New Year & thanks for sharing your first birding post for the year!!
What a great 12 month series Diane (except for that nasty coral snake!!). The owls are my favorite today.

Kathy said...

How I love hiking! My health prevents it now, so I live vicariously through your pictures. If only I had been into photography when I did hike! What pictures I could have had. Have a wonderful January. I look forward to seeing what you have for us. (And I do love the owls!)

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Wonderful recap of 2020. We will all look forward to many more great wildlife images in 2021.

Lea said...

Oh my goodness! While you were hiking I was reading - just totally them up, 160 books read in 2020.
Hopefully we won't be as restricted this year as last year, and I will be able to get out more. It really made no sense to me, but here in Mississippi as soon as they closed the stores and restaurants, they closed the walking trails too.
But most places are open again now - hope they stay open.
Have a blessed day!

Inger said...

What a wonderful and inspiring post. Thank you for showing me a Florida I didn't know existed, so beautiful, so full of interesting critters and wonderful trails to hike. Happy New Year to you and your hubby.

Lowcarb team member said...

That is a good number of hikes.
I really enjoyed seeing your photographs.

Happy New Year Wishes.

All the best Jan

DeniseinVA said...

You have amazing wildlife in Florida, thanks for sharing them with us. Happy New Year!

Teresa said...

Tuviste mucha suerte el año pasado, me encantó ver tu reportaje. Besos y salud para 2021.

Jeanie said...

They are all spectacular, Diane. You've had wonderful sightings this year! Happy New Year!

Nancy Chan said...

Wow! You did 157 hikes in a year! I am glad that you can continue to enjoy your hikes in spite of the pandemic. You had great sightings of critters. That squirrel is so cute!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

This is a wonderful positive year end review! Loved it.

Caroline said...

Hi, wonderful pictures of 2020. You see so much beautiful animals and birds in your country. I wish you the best for 2021. Stay healthy.