One of our favorite hiking trails in the cooler months is Halpata Tastanaki Preserve from the SR 200 trailhead.
Florida Scrub-Jay
It's a very open trail and there are areas of white sand that reflect the sun, so it's better for a cool day.
We have in the past seen Florida Scrub-Jays on the back loop near the Savannah. But they are banded so we knew these birds were a different flock.
They were very near the parking area and would be easy for someone to find without taking a full hike.
We spotted one at the top of a tree as soon as we started our hike.
And then another one hopped out onto the firebreak and showed off for us.
He was really fun to watch!
We saw 4 while we stood there taking his photo.
One of them was really bright blue.
This one was shy!
They are so unique and it's so nice to have these habitats for this endangered species.
It's on the federal endangered species list because of the decline in habitat caused by extensive development.
So we watched and marveled at this flock of friendly birds.
And then we walked the loop and saw a few more birds and lots of wildlife tracks! (deer, bear, turkey, coyote, raccoon, wild hogs and rabbits)
Black and white Warbler, thanks David Gascoigne for help with the ID!
Palm Warbler
Mourning Dove
Halpata Tastanaki Preserve is a nature lover's paradise!
I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE
and I’d Rather B Birdin’.
We were honored to be featured in the Ocala's Good Life magazine this month and would like to share a link to the online version below. Thanks to JoAnn Guidry for such a wonderful article! What a fun experience! Happy Trails!
55 comments:
I would love to take a walk there. The variety of birds is amazing. You captured them well. Congratulations on the magazine article. I will head over there next.
out my window view of the world that includes the bouganvillea on post today, I saw a bird land in the golden rain tree, turned out it was a flicker then another flicker. an hour later in the back yard, there were several flickers and suddenly and adorable yellow bird. had no idea what it was, but now I know. it was a palm warbler like this one, it was really small and adorable. we have had a lot more birds this spring than usual. always got the ugly Ibis. we even had a male mallard swimming in the pool yesterday, his mate was not in the pool we have many mallards and this is a first. Beau and i see 2 families of them each morning on our walk
...how neat that you are "published!"
Nice place for walking.
The pictures of the Florida Scrub-Jay are really beautiful.
Greetings Irma
I am so excited about your feature, Diane. So well deserved. Love your post today with the beautiful birds. xo Laura
Congrats on hitting the big time! I really enjoyed learning more about The Kenyons. The jays are such a beautiful blue. It was a pleasure to see their pictures today.
That is so exciting-- love the neat magazine article!! Great picture of y'all too! They did a great job telling about y'all. I do love those florida scrub jays-- I think they're so pretty! Have a nice St Patricks day!
Congratulations on your article. Well done! Your photos are just gorgeous and the colos are exquisite! Thank you! Happy St. Patrick's Day!
It's sad that development is permitted on land essential to the survival of this species. It is found nowhere else on Earth yet still does receive adequate protection.
Your mystery bird is a Black-and-white Warbler. The back seems to have a bluish tinge, but I suspect this is lighting.
Como siempre un precioso paseos, con preciosos pájaros. Un placer pasar por aquí. Abrazos.
Congratulations!
So many different kinds of birds. The Scrub Jays are my favorite.
Sometimes the week is too long between reading another of your wonderful hiking adventures. Great pictures. Congratulations!
Congratulations on your article.
I enjoyed seeing the birds on your post here, especially the lovely colour of the 'Florida Scrub-Jay'
Have a lovely weekend.
All the best Jan
The Florida Scrub-Jay is adorable, especially the blue one.
And, what a remarkable name!
Thanks for taking all of us on your trek.
Be well!
Well done! So excited for you.
Amalia
xo
What beautiful birds.
Congratulations on the magazine.
Congrats on your article being published. I love your Florida Scrub Jays, they are a treat to see. Wonderful photos too. The warblers are cuties too.
Great walk and sightings. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.
Hello Diane :=)
Your photos of the Florida Scrub-jay are great. It is a most beautiful bird, and it's a pity it is on the endangered species list, through lack of it's true habitat. Your other bird sightings are nice too. Congratulations on your article.:=)
Enjoy your weekend
All the best.
Congratulations on your article! Such a nice honor. Beautiful pics from your walk.
The Jays are so beautiful, and I love the blue color. Congrats to your article!
Warm hugs.
I love your scrub jays and the other animals you found.
Nice article about you two!!
Diane, I was so excited to see the Good Life Magazine article about you and your hiking experiences! That is great!! So happy for you! The beautiful blue bird is breathtaking! I hope they can be saved. Have another grand day of hiking. I so enjoy your photos and information about them. Thank you! Love, Aunt Helen
Congratulations my dear friend.
I enjoyed the article. Brilliant.
I enjoyed your photos today too.
Love, Carla
Beautiful shots of the birds. The Scrub-Jay did a wonderful job posing for you. Congrats on your article.
What a wonderful article!!! It certainly helped us to get to know you even better than before, and it made me proud to know you as one of my favorite blogging friends! I love that you are able to hike so many different trails and that you share so much of Florida's natural beauty with us. I used to do a lot more hiking when we lived in the Salt Springs area of the Ocala National Forest, and we got to see many of the same types of wildlife that you are enjoying now. I miss seeing them "in person", so I appreciate seeing them again in your wonderful photographs. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. This was a lovely article!
Congrats on the article.
I love your pics of the Florida Scrub-Jay. I've never seen one.
A great place for a walk, and you made some great photos!
Scrub-Jays are another favorite bird of mine.
Gosh, the scrub Jay is a stunner! Thank you so much for sharing
Why, Diane, you and Ron are now famous! I loved reading the article about you both and I'm impressed with the number of hikes you've both taken--keep up with taking all these good and enjoyable adventures! The blue Florida Scrub Jay is beautiful.
PS: I also loved learning that you have an Arkansas accent that you have never lost, as I have a Brooklyn accent I'll never lose even though I've lived in Colorado now 10 years. :)
Your pictures are so good - as always!!! I love 'birding' with you!!
Hi Diane, Thanks so much for taking us along to Halpata Tastanaki Preserve. I sure enjoyed your photos and they sparked my interest in the Preserve and lead me to ask the AI [ChatGPT] to tell me about it. I enjoyed the response so much that I’m going to share it with you … I hope it’s not too long. Have a great week ahead! John
From AI: “The Halpata Tastanaki Preserve is a nature reserve located in Marion County, Florida, in the United States. The preserve covers an area of about 5,688 acres (2,300 hectares) and is managed by the county's Parks and Recreation Department.
The preserve is named after the Seminole Indian chief, Halpatter Tustenuggee, who was also known as "Alligator Warrior". It is home to a variety of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, wild turkey, foxes, bobcats, and various species of birds. The preserve also contains a number of different ecosystems, including pine forests, hardwood hammocks, wetlands, and prairies.
Visitors to the Halpata Tastanaki Preserve can explore the area's natural beauty by hiking, birdwatching, and wildlife spotting. There are several trails of varying lengths that wind through the preserve, including the 3-mile (4.8 km) Gum Root Trail and the 5.5-mile (8.8 km) Marsh Bend Trail. There are also picnic areas, restrooms, and a canoe launch available for visitors to use.
The preserve is open year-round, but it is recommended to check the current operating hours and rules before visiting.”
What a great series today Diane!!
It's great that you shared this post with us at IRBB, thanks!
Diane, such a nice hike and I love the bird photos! Congrats to be featured in the article.
You really captured some great shots of the Florida Scrub Jay! In the first shot, he is looking right at you!
oooooh how exciting for you, you are famous now...but you have always been famous with us. the article was great and really capture the essence of who you guys are and what you blog about!!
your images are very pretty today, i like the scrub jays, they are very different than our blue jays!!
i was out all day yesterday, at the coop, knitting with my friends. when i came home, i fell asleep...too much fresh air and walking among the alpaca. i had a great day but was missing from here all day!! it was nice to have a total break from the computer!!
congrats again!!
Woo-Hoo! Kudos on your magazine article!
Aren't the Scrub Jays special? We always get excited when we encounter them as we know we're about to be entertained.
You had a great hike! Love all of the photographs. Thank you very much for sharing them with us.
Here's to a good Florida week for us all!
Oh ~ wonderful blue tint from the blue jays and the snow ~ lovely other photos of our 'feathered friends' ~ Great series of photos ~
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Those scrub jays are beautiful. What a grand shooting day you had!
Congrats on your article, Diane.
Your photos are astounding.
Hugs and blessings.
Congratulations on being published! So exciting! Love seeing the beautiful jays - such a gorgeous color blue. I've always loved Jays - they are so intelligent. Hope you have a nice week ahead. x K
The Scrub Jays are so pretty with their blue feathers, and how fun that they are friendly and you could watch them. Great photos, Diane! Have a good week.
Great captures of birds on your hike.
Beautiful blog
Wow; that blue bird is so pretty.
Have a nice Monday Diane
Much💛love
never seen this "bright blue" bird in nature before.....
beautiful birds
Congratulations on your article and thank you for sharing this beautiful place with so many species of birds. Each photograph is perfect!
Lovely birds! Glad you are getting recognition.
Okay, it's official. I am sending you my bird pictures for identification. There are several around here that I cannot identify. I have never heard of a Florida Scub Jay, very interesting!
have a wonderful day
Looks like a lovely place to walk, I had not seen scrub blue jays, they are pretty :)
I still haven't seen a Florida Scrub Jay; it is the top of my list of 'must sees' and now I know where I want to go ... now if only I can talk the Travel Planner into another trip before we leave Florida (he will have to take off his 'home repair and restoration hat' and put on the 'travel planner' one again!) . Wonderful pictures. And I'm going to look at the magazine article on my IPAD so I can more easily enlarge it. But congratulations!!
seems like many Jays are blue, and beautiful.
we hear mourning dove sounds during spring ... nice sound....
Wow, it's fascinating, Diana. Congratulation too.
Thank you for sharing your mosaics at
MosaicMonday
Have a good weekend.
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