Florida Hiking!

We love hiking in North Central Florida. When you head out on Halpata Tastanaki Preserve from the Pruitt Trailhead you see huge live oak trees, wet marshy areas and open areas with all kinds of vegetation. 

It's a diverse area where all kinds of birds and wildlife live. Every time we go we see a wonderful variety! We are never disappointed. 

So let's get started! 

I'll just hit some of the highlights of the day!

It's still 'warm' here in Florida so we spotted a few deer under the trees staying cool. Doesn't this photo make you want to sketch this idyllic scene?

We saw this pretty little Prairie Warbler in a tree.

It didn't stay still long enough to get many photos.

But we tried!

This Downy was a neat sighting.

And then we saw a White-eyed Vireo and got a few photos of him.

He had caught something good to eat!

Now let's go into some deep woods! Well, it's cooler here and this is where we saw an Owl once upon a time, but it's time to turn around and go back. 

This section of trail has been mowed but hubby is in front of me and there's a curve in the trail.

And he can see over the high grass along the side of the trail, a wild animal coming RIGHT TOWARD US! 

Hubby got one quick photo and then stepped out so the coyote could see us and change his path. Wild animals do not usually attack you, they avoid you! So the coyote disappeared into the tall grass on the other side of the trail and we didn't see him again. We weren't really in danger but it makes a good story. AND I must admit, we picked up our pace and felt very privileged to see something so WILD on this hike!

In this closing photo, it looks like hubby has gotten way ahead of me again! 

WAIT UP HONEY!!! 

(just ONE more butterfly pic, I promise)

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’. 

Walk quietly and wear a cap!

AND keep a sharp eye out for any movement in the woods.

You just might see some pretty deer!

(it's right in the center of this photo)

I'm surprised I saw these 2 deer.

Sometimes you spot wildlife because of the movement.

But other times, something looks 'out of place'.

Maybe I should ask them all to wear pink caps! 

That would help, don't you think!

The vote is in for my pink cap versus the Gnome pointy cap. Everyone was in favor of me keeping the pink cap although a few of you wondered if I might wear a blue one sometime. I wore a blue cap once! lol

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE .

Let's Cross the Withlacoochee River!

One of the highlights of walking at Blue Run Park is reaching the big bridge and looking over to see what we can see.

There are nice overlooks all along the bridge.

And it's beautiful looking both directions.

We always see boats!

And birds...we'll save for another day! (and usually an alligator, but not this day)

 (clouds reflected in the water)

So today we'll 'focus' on the turtles, so to speak!

We saw an entire Turtle family!

Papa Turtle

and Mama with her little one!

 One more turtle over there!

 And a small one over here! 

It's a beautiful time of year here in Florida!

And I have so much to be thankful for this week.

What are you thankful for today?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays  and

Katherine's Thursday Favorite things HERE.

"A Foxy Tale"

I've decided to write down some of my hiking stories and I'm having such fun remembering all the fun things I've seen. My husband asked if I was writing down any of the bad experiences and yes I am. There aren't many but I want to try to record every 'notable' experience that I can think of. 

The story I wrote today is entitled

"A Foxy Tale"

It was a warm humid morning on the first of August, 2019 but I had 'cabin fever' and got out on the Florida Trails. I stopped at Foxy Glen to look at the twisty gnarly tree limbs for Foxy but couldn't find him. I hiked on to Big Buck Bend looking for deer, but nobody appeared. So I turned around and headed back. When I got to Foxy Glen I spent some time looking again but nothing! So away I went. I had taken a few steps when I decided to turn and take an overall photo of the trees. I had my camera pointed up when out of my peripheral vision I saw something on the trail. On the trail WITH me! I lowered my camera and took a photo. There was Foxy looking up into the trees with me wondering what we were looking for. I thought it would make a cute caption above his head to write, What's up there? I had a laugh and watched him run into the trees, up a tall skinny pine. I walked back looking for him but he was already draped over the limb of a twisty tree. I decided just to walk right under the tree to get a better view. He pulled his head back with just one eye showing. I think he thought he was hidden then! 

Foxy...you sure are a cute critter!

Here are the photos to go along with the story.

And he's OFF and running!

 

Relaxing!

Now he's 'hiding'!

 

And yes, I've named some of the places along the Florida Trails. Foxy Glen, Big Buck Bend, Bluebird of Happiness Hill, Bobcat Holler...all names I've made up for spots that have a special meaning to me along the trail.

 

Remember this is just for fun! A way to get some of my stories down before I forget them. I'm not a great writer. I write pretty much like I talk...slow and easy!

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .

Summer sightings on the Florida Trails!

Hike #76 was only about an hour long but I had some really neat sightings! It had rained that afternoon so I hiked at 7pm. There were still some clouds and the sun was getting low but  it was still 86 degrees.

As I started up the first hill, I looked ahead and saw something brown on the side of the trail.

So I stopped and zoomed in. 

This is a mother and her young one. I have seen them a couple of times on my hikes...one time the mother even snorted at me. But these were the first good pics I've gotten.

What was a little freaky was the way the mother acted. I stopped to take photos and she took a few steps TOWARD me. So then I walked forward a few more steps and stopped. And yes...she walked a few more steps in my direction! I thought, at this rate one of us is going to have to 'give'! And I'm guessing it will be ME! lol

You can see her step forward in this short video.

But after I closed the gap a little more, they decided to leave.

 She stopped in the woods and watched me though and I took one more photo.

It looks like she's daring me to follow them!!!

Then when I got down to 'bobcat holler'....the spot where I saw the Bobcat earlier this year, I spotted a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Bobcat post is HERE.

It was a beauty against the darkening sky.

I went just a little farther and then headed back to the car. I even had a few sprinkles as I walked. But you'll be glad to know....I didn't melt! 

The heat might make me melt if I go out this week though. We'll see how bad my 'cabin fever' gets!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE  

 

and I’d Rather B Birdin’.

A Romp of River Otters!

We've seen a few romps of River Otters at Blue Run Park in Dunnellon but I usually get so excited that I don't get good photos.

This time they 'posed' for pics!

Imagine our surprise to get THIS close to them!

And then for them to stop and play alongside the trail was fun for all!

Romp perfectly describes these playful critters!

I did a search for 'groups of animals' and found this neat chart on Pinterest.

So a group of otters is a romp.

A group of Sandhill Cranes is a 'herd' and young birds that have outgrown their parents hang out together in groups of 20, called a "bachelor flock." 

We have seen HUNDREDS of Sandhill Cranes migrating North this week. You can hear a funny 'honkedy honk'  as they fly over. The sound is almost like a donkey braying!

And now if you don't want to see a 'congregation'...

just fly away NOW!

Because a group of Alligators is called a congregation. 

And these are young Alligators, just hanging out, soaking up the sun! (these aren't the babies we are seeing at the small stream but a 'pile' of young ones near the river)

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’.