The Roseate Spoonbill, my Florida Favorite

 It's hard to pick a favorite bird when you live in Florida! 

But I fell in love with the Roseate Spoonbill when I first moved here.

And we've only had a few sightings of this beautiful pink bird 'in the wild' over the years.

You would think you could go to the same trails and see the same sights but that's not at all true here in North Central Florida. 

My husband and I went over to the Halpata Tastanaki Preserve and hiked from the Pruitt Trailhead a week ago and looked up in the sky and saw Roseate Spoonbills!

 

It was cloudy and they showed up nicely against the grayish silver sky. Later we saw another one fly over when we were having a snack.

Roseate Spoonbill flock, Cedar Key

I looked back at posts that have featured the Roseate Spoonbill and found the one of our sighting of a flock of them in Cedar Key, back in July 2012 HERE.

That was the first time I had seen them in the wild and I wasn't even sure what they were!

We can see them at Ellie Shiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

This is a mosaic I made of photos we took there a couple of years ago and posted them HERE.

Close up of their feathers

So that was our excitement on Hike #104! We also had a really good sighting of an Owl but only one photo. I stood there and watched it fly by without even lifting my camera but hubby got one. It was amazing!

Owl in flight

I went back over to this trail a week later and didn't see any of the same birds. Time and chance!

Roseate Spoonbill

Hope you can get out in nature this week and see something neat. Time and chance...but you have to get out there often for that to work in your favor!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’.   

Jungle Trekking

 

Florida can look and feel very jungly (is that a word?) at this time of year.

Everything is green and lush and some of the vegetation reaches out and tries to grab you when you walk.

We really enjoyed the boardwalk at the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve.

The drive out there was a one lane dirt road which makes you wonder what you've gotten yourself into. 

But we only saw 2 other vehicles the whole time we were there and they were both parked. (we didn't meet anyone on the narrow road...whew!)

The boardwalk itself is just like new and absolutely beautiful!

Lot of overlooks and benches and information along the way.

Lots to learn!

And what views!

The visitor center was not open (except for the screened in lower level) on the Sunday we were there but it's very nice too.

We walked and walked and enjoyed our Sunday morning until we got off onto the grassy trail.

The bugs were awful! Flying all around, trying to get in your eyes and mouth! The only thing I can say that was good about them is they didn't bite! We were surprised. It still wasn't pleasant to be in a swarm of non biting insects though! heehee!

It was a beautiful day and we'll go back again soon! (preferably when there's a breeze)

Dove in a Pine tree

Have you gotten out for a nice walk this week?

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!