The sign may be on the ground but the trail is in the best shape ever. Just be sure you wear good hiking shoes and be aware of the roots and stumps in the trail. A walking stick would be helpful!
Let's hike the Holly Hammock Trail. It's only 2.3 miles but of course we will go on some of the side trails too and stretch the hike out to 2 1/2 hours!
Follow me!
Ross Prairie Wildlife area is over 3,000 acres of pine forest, oak hammocks and prairie land. In the wet season there are marshes that attract all kinds of water birds too.
It's beautiful in every season but nicer in the winter months when it's cooler (and there are less bugs)!
Hermit Thrush
We saw a lot of different birds on our hike but the one that posed for us was the Hermit Thrush.
Isn't he a beauty?
He moved around some but stayed close to the trail.
I love the photo my hubby took looking up into the branches of the oak trees.
So that's what we saw when we went deep into the forest.
There's something so calming about getting away from the sounds and noise of civilization.
Do you have a forest nearby where you can walk? I remember walking on old logging roads in the mountains of NC. I hope you can find a peaceful place to enjoy nature!
Monster in the trees?
Is he on the ground now? (don't worry, it's just an old burned out log!)
You just never know what you'll see, real OR imagined!
I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE
and I’d Rather B Birdin’.
I'm including the link to the Ocala's Good Life magazine below if you would like to read an article about our hiking adventures! Thanks!
57 comments:
...you sure had a beautiful day for your hike.
Hello Diane:=)
The trail looks like the kind of place I would love to explore.I love this kind of wildlife area. The Hermit Thrush was most obliging, and you took some lovely captures of this beautiful bird. I also like the shot your hubby took, and I could swear I saw a dog sitting facing you the ground.:=)
Y'all have a good eye for shapes along the trail. It is comforting to know with the creatures there are to look b out for.
There's lots of woods in Vermont to hike with a partner. Regular notices are in the local newspaper calendar for different level hikes year round. Large public park settings, however, are lacking.
I looks like you had a wonderful, leisurely hike. Grand photos, too! Have a great weekend!
I love the hermit thrush's song. Yes, he certainly is a handsome fellow. The burned out tree trunk looked like a dog at alert. Do you have a walking stick?
What a beautiful place to walk and find peace and beauty. You have some beautiful birds down in Florida. Thanks for taking us along with you. Happy Friday. Have a great weekend. Hugs. Kris
I loved reading your article in Ocala's Good Life magazine about your hiking adventures and the background to your blogging! Happy Lavender Dreams!
Wren x
My favorite things in places like these, are the trees, i love old and gnarled and twisted trees, also love swampy areas. but not the bugs/heat thing. from novemer to now has been perfect for Florida hiking.
Hello Diane,
What a handsome fellow the Hermit Thrush is, and how well he posed for you. It's fun seeing all kinds of creatures in the woods - and the imaginary ones can be quite realistic until one gets closer.
Have a great weekend.
Outstanding outing! You made some wonderful photos, especially of the Hermit Thrush.
Another great hike! That bird reminds me of the Brown Thrashers here alot. Seen any of those fox squirrels lately? The hummingbirds have arrived here!!-- this weekend cleaning and hanging the feeders-- I make their food/nectar homemade. Happy weekend-- love ya!!
Oh my, what a beautiful trail. And that hermit thrush, so pretty. We don't have them here in northerly Alberta. He's lovely. Thanks, Diane, for sharing your love of nature with us. Especially the burned out log photo - I was fooled. Haha.
it looks like you had a beautiful day for your hike!! we've had a lot of rain and cloudy skies this week, rain today!! we did get out to see the peeps on the one really good day we had!!
the images of the thrush are amazing, it is a beautiful bird. have a wonderful weekend!!
Diane, I left an earlier comment and mentioned the Hermit Thrush. I haven't heard of them, but hubby said they do migrate to our area in the summertime, so I thought I'd better correct my note. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for sightings of them now. :)
Wonderful photos. I don't think I've ever seen a Hermit Thrush. He looks a lot like a Brown Thrasher, but they are much larger. I love your imagination of the stumps, etc. in the woods. I love to do that. It's amazing what you can see when you just let your imagination go! I enjoyed your hike. Thank you for sharing it with us. Yes, we are having beautiful hiking weather now.
Great photos, Diane!! Thanks for taking us along on your hikes. xo
The burned out log looks like a Great Dane to me. :)
Beautiful weather for your walk and you took some beautiful photos!
The burned out log looks like a Great Dane to me. You had beautiful weather for your hike and took some wonderful photos.
Siempre encantada de pasear contigo. Sí, por aquí también tengo bosque y campos para pasear. Me gustaron mucho tus fotografías. Un abrazo.
PS...you look adorable in your hiking pictures!! love your cute outfits
Scary monster but wonderful trail
What a great walk in the woods this is.
Hiking boots are a must, I always wear them when we go hiking, here everything is flat no hills or anything.
The Hermit Thrush is a beauty.
I wish you a very nice weekend.
Greetings Irma
This looks like a wonderful place to hike.
Hello,
Great photos of the Hermit Thrush, it is a pretty bird. Cute photos of you n the trail, you look prepared. The las t photo of the stump looks like a black dog to me, with it's ears perked up. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.
Wonderful hike with you with awesome photography of Mother Nature's gems ~ Love the hermit thrush ~
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
What a wonderful outing! It reminds me that I should go check my forest trailcam!
I haven't seen a hermit thrush this season. SOON!!!
A nice hiking day with some beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful weekend.
Love the shots of the Hermit Thrush. We have wonderful woody ravines that cut through the city where you can feel like you are out in the wilderness. Unfortunately at this time of year they are very muddy but soon they will be the place to get away from the city noise.
The Hermit Thrush is just pretty indeed.
I live in the middle of the woodlands in Finland and have the possibility to go exploring several paths.
Happy Sunday!
It looks a very pleasant hike, I enjoyed your photographs.
Enjoy your weekend.
All the best Jan
The Hermit Thrush is very beautiful! Thank you for sharing your photos of it, and of your hicking.
Have a great weekend!
I enjoyed your photos!
Hope you are having a great weekend!
what a lovely hike. I would love to go with you.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
The Hermit Thrush's chest patterns are quite striking. Beautiful shots!
Tho for bringing us
This looks like a lovely place to walk and take in nature. The Hermit Thrush is a beautiful bird.
I would really enjoy this trail/hike!!
Have a great week birding and thank you for taking time to share your blog with us at IRBB.
Thank you for sharing your hike. It’s been a long time since I could hike that far.
I loved your hike to Ross Prairie. Such a pretty Thrush and the spooky branches were awesome! The old log looked like an animal to me, with pointed ears!! It was great! Love, Aunt Helen
This was an interesting trail to hike. You are really doing Florida a favor, showing us this part of the state. I've never been to Florida, so I have imagined it as beaches and palm trees, mostly. Oh, and since I read the Orchid Thief, I have pictured both orchids and their thieves in my imagination as well.
So seeing the trails you hike, the birds, the critters, real or not, is great. The real Florida.
Another enjoyable outing!
You are so right about getting away from it all. This looks like a perfect trail for doing just that.
Great photographs of one of our winter tourists. Mr. Hermit was quite obliging!
Our weekend morning wanders were quite a bit more humid than usual! Now we know Spring is here for certain.
A new week ahead of us! What will we discover?
What a pretty photo of the Hermit Thrush. I like his spotted white belly. That's a nice photo of the trees looking up also. That monster in the trees reminds me of something I see every time I visit the creek. When I pass by, it looks just like a deer on the edge of the woods, but really it's just a branch sticking out haha. I'm off to check out the link now. : )
Have a wonderful week ahead Diane.
~Sheri
The log on the ground almost looks like the silhouette of a dog. Great catch!
Thanks for taking me on your hike through the forest. It sure is calming. We live next to a forest and I walk there every morning and sometimes do longer hikes but getting older and less strong so not too adventurous any more.
Forgot to mention that I enjoyed your magazine article and thanks for visiting my blog and encouraging me to do more walks.
We have hundreds of trails and thousands of acres to wander here in the Black Hills. We like to wander, staying off the beaten paths and explore the rougher areas others tend to avoid.
Dear Diane,
your "monster on the ground" looks like a cartoon dog to me 😁! It was a pleasure hiking the Holly Hammock Trail with you. We also have small wooded areas nearby that you can walk through. Unfortunately, I've been experiencing shocking things here lately - an awful lot of trees are being felled 😥 because of ash dieback, a tree disease caused by a fungus... I'm all the happier when I can hike through healthy forests. And thanks to the Hermit Thrush for posing for you guys. Have you also found that thrushes are a little less shy (or less wary) than other birds? That's my impression of the thrushes that I got to know in life...
All the best and have a happy week!
Hugs, Traude 😘
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/03/costa-rica-9-kapitel-nationalpark.html
Greetings from Trinidad🇹🇹
Diane thanks for sharing your hiking trail with us
My post is HERE
Much💜love
I wish I could walk with you! It looks wonderful. Most of my walking is in the parks of New York, very different but great walks.
I can't remember whether I came back to tell you how much I enjoyed the magazine article -- and I feel like I should ask you for your autograph~
Loved this hike and that handsome thrush was really gave you some fantastic photos. What a cooperative guy! We really like getting off the 'main drag' too but we are getting old enough that boardwalks and trails are our favorites now.
you look enjoy walking in the wonderful forest...
Thank you for sharing beautiful photos...
lol, you have soo many great places to hike. I envy you that.
Glad you like what I find on my walks. :)
Hello,
I always enjoy seeing what you see on your hikes, even the monsters. :-)
Love, Carla
Another beautiful hike you've taken us on! Love the sweet little thrush with the big, dark eyes. Seems like it was just as curious about you! Beautiful view of the treetops and the strange stumps and branches. I had a dog once that would find things like that and bark suspiciously at them until we showed her it was safe! Hope you have a good week. x K
Love our nature walks and we do have quite a few nature trails and wetlands around our city and we make it a point to head out as often as we can.
The Hermit Thrush is gorgeous.
"Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul." This quote by Gary Snyder is my favourite. :)
https://natashamusing.com/2023/03/brain-fever-a-forest-escapade-guest-post-natasha-musing/
i always enjoy taking a second look!! this time, i took better notice of the trees, and the blue bird boxes!!
Yes,Diane,I agree this was a wonderful hike, I believe.
Very interesting to read. I enjoyed. Thank you for sharing with
MosaicMonday
Have a wonderful week.
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