This is a preview of new beginnings in one of many wildlife gardens and yards. Stay tuned for coming out parties and first flights (hopefully).

Beginning transformation on wall

Short time later....
Posted in birds, butterfly, Monarch, Nature, tagged birds, butterfly, caterpillar, Monarch, Nature, titmouse, wildlife on April 14, 2009| 4 Comments »
This is a preview of new beginnings in one of many wildlife gardens and yards. Stay tuned for coming out parties and first flights (hopefully).
Beginning transformation on wall
Short time later....
Posted in butterfly, Monarch, Nature, tagged butterfly, butterfly plant, caterpillar, gardening, milkweed, Monarch, Nature, wildlife on March 17, 2009| 3 Comments »
A Monarch butterfly visited two days last week. You see the result here. Last count, there were nine, very tiny caterpillars. The cycle begins again.
Posted in Animals, birds, Nature, tagged birds, egret, fish, fishing, Florida, heron, Nature, pond, vulture, wildlife on March 3, 2009| 2 Comments »
It was like shooting (or spearing) fish in a barrel for these big guys down at the pond today. When water levels are high, birds dive for food in the glassy water. When it gets low, as it is now, the long legged water birds like egrets and herons just wade out and pick fish off until they are stuffed. There is another stage when it is reduced to puddles and mud and dead or dying fish lie all around. You would think that part would not be desirable. Ah, but you would not be a vulture. That’s when the clean-up crew comes in and takes away the stench, leaving the pond bottom clean and ready for summer rains that will keep it full most of the season. That’s when the soft shell turtles, bass, gar and other fish swim back over from adjacent lakes and ponds. No cycle is wasted as long as we let nature take its course.
Posted in Nature, tagged firebush, Florida, Nature, snow, sun on December 7, 2008| 4 Comments »
Firebush lit by the sun
Yellow leaves on a blue sky
Thanks, WordPress, for the snow. It is such a treat falling through our sunny, Florida skies.
Posted in moon, Nature, sky, tagged Add new tag, astronomy, Jupiter, moon, Nature, planets, sky, Venus on December 1, 2008| 6 Comments »
This crescent moon above Jupiter and Venus was in a dark, clear sky tonight in Orlando, Florida. It was stunning. Hope you can feel a little of it.
Check out Wired Science Blog for good information on this cool event: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/12/tonight-planets.html?referer=sphere_related_content
Posted in Nature, tagged autumn, fall, haiku, Nature, poetry on November 30, 2008| 3 Comments »
Posted in Nature, tagged Nature, Thanksgiving, tree on November 27, 2008| 3 Comments »
A bit of red-leafed vine climbing toward the sun, reminiscent of turkey waddle. Okay, if you squint just right on a tummy full of Thanksgiving dinner, it is–kinda. Hope everyone has a great day and much to be thankful for.
Posted in birds, Nature, tagged anhinga, duck, hooded merganser, Nature, snakebird, water bird, water fowl on November 21, 2008| 3 Comments »
Click on pictures to enlarge.
Posted in Nature, Photography, tagged bamboo, moth, Nature, Photography on October 26, 2008| 2 Comments »
As usual, I go for a particular shot and get something altogether different. This started out as an attempt to photograph the bamboo that creates a jungle in the side yard. But like a moth to “frame,” this brown and turquoise moth planted itself smack in the view. What resulted was a kind of Asian/Southwestern mix of shapes and colors. I’m thinking nature does a better job of setting these up than I ever could.