Manatee Springs State Park, Part 2

Manatee Spring

Belted Kingfisher on the Suwanee River

Double Crested Cormorants on the Suwanee River

 

This lovely Florida State Park has a 72 degree F fresh water spring, is on the banks of the Suwanee River, has a wonderful campground, and walking trails with a children’s playground area.  I saw many deer, nine, I think.  I also saw four armadillos.  There were a few wading birds, and songbirds, but there were perhaps a hundred Turkey Vultures (with a few Black Vultures in the bunch).

Almost every large tree on the Suwanee River at the mouth of the Manatee Springs stream, had many vultures perched on it!  It is an amazing sight to see a seventy foot tall Cypress tree festooned with buzzards (another name for vultures).

This park is not a zoo and all the animals are wild.  I was surprised to see the animals so boldly walking around were people were.

I recommend visiting Manatee Springs State Park.  A lovely place with a lot to see in a small park.  It is about six miles from the small town of Chiefland where there are several stores and restaurants.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger picture.  Enjoy!

Turkey Vulture

Black Vulture

Probably an Eastern Phoebe

 

Pied-billed Grebe on the Suwanee River

White-tailed Deer

Juvenile Little Blue Heron at the Manatee Spring

This Blog’s Anniversary!

Red-headed Woodpecker, Crossville, TN

Lake St. George, Fairfield Glade, TN

 

Wood Stork, Sumter County, FL

 

Lake St. George, Fairfield Glade, TN

American Robins, Marion County, FL

 

 

Great Horned Owlet, Sholom Park, Ocala, FL

This month is the sixth anniversary of this blog! How time flies  I started out talking about the critters I saw daily while we lived along the shoreline of a beautiful lake in a residential resort near Crossville, in Cumberland County, Tennessee.   Next, we lived a year at a little six acre place also in the Crossville, TN area.

Finally, we decided to make the move South to warmer Florida were we lived in Marion County near Ocala, and now live in Lake County, Florida.

A big thank you to all of you who read the blog! I appreciate you!   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger version.  These are some older snapshots I know you will enjoy revisiting.  Enjoy!

Green Heron, Dunnellon, Fl

Tri-colored Heron, Sumter County, FL

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Ocala, FL

 

The Little Farm in Crossville, TN

Roseate Spoonbills
Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve, Sanibel Island, FL

Lake Sumter, The Villages, FL

 

Monkeys at The Panama Canal Area

These White-faced and Howler Monkeys were one of the best parts of my visit to Lake Gatun in the Panama Canal.  We were on an excellent shore excursion by small tour boat that went into the back-waters of Lake Gatun along shorelines of some of the small islands there.  Our guide and the boat Capt. showed us where the monkeys live and actually drew a few of the White-faced Monkeys close to the water’s edge.

One super-bold White-faced Monkey actually jumped onto the boat with us to get a peanut that was offered by the guide.  Our guide mentioned that these monkeys seem to prefer peanuts in the shell to tie-bits of banana!  The White-faced Monkeys and Howler Monkeys eat nuts, fruits, leaves, ants, spiders, and small insects.  They primarily prefer fruits however.  The Howler Monkeys are the dark charcoal grey to black ones (mother and baby) and are very shy.  The Howler Monkeys did not come close to the boat at all.  I took these pictures at the Panama Canal on October 30, 2013 in the morning.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy

Wordless Wildlife Wednesday

Here are a few pictures I have recently taken in my neighborhood.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!

Friday Fun Photo’s

Here are a few pictures I had taken a few days ago of an adult Anole Lizard and two tiny baby Anole Lizards.  I also am including a cute shot of one of the resident Grey Squirrels that was hanging out in my front yard.  I took these pictures in my yards on July 22, 2013.  The weather has been quite rainy and the birds are staying put in their tree perches.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!

Adult Anole Lizard

Baby Anole

Baby Anole

Squirrels Being Squirrels

There are lots of Grey Squirrels in this neighborhood.  The streets here have many larger trees that are perfect squirrel habitat.  These squirrels eat acorns, berries, seeds and some insects.  The squirrels here have been up on my front porch several times.  I recently had a squirrel climb all the way up the screen on one of my living room windows!   The squirrel likely was chasing a bug but it may also have been curious about the happenings inside the house.  This type of squirrel gymnastics is a startling thing to experience when one is sitting on the sofa inside.

The squirrels have been uprooting my potted plants by trying to bury acorns within the soft dirt.  I am hopeful that the squirrels will stay out in the yard where they belong!  I am not interested in hurting the squirrels and will simply discourage the squirrels from porch sitting.  So, shoo squirrel, shoo!  On the plus side, squirrels are pleasant for the most part, and are very entertaining!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

P.S. My thoughts and prayers are with those in Southern California who are affected by the terrible brush fires there.  I am thankful for those fighting the fires and providing related assistance.

A Bunny Close-up

This Cotton-tailed Rabbit was standing stock-still when it saw me approach.  I rather stumbled across the bunny when walking towards my home.  This rabbit was standing just behind my car and about ten feet from my front porch steps.  I snapped away, turned my back and the bunny fled.  It had been raining just before I came across the rabbit so the bunny likely had been under the car during the storm.  There are several rabbits here but so far, the only damage I have seen was to the bark of one  of the dwarf Apple Trees (now I will cover the trunks with a plastic guard) and a couple of carrots (duh!) in the garden from earlier in the Summer when we were on vacation.  I took these pictures in my yard on Sept. 2, 2012.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Wild Bunnies

Cotton-tailed Rabbits have been making their homes in my yards and in the immediate neighborhood.  I think that there are about five bunnies here now and maybe an equal number around the neighbors’ homes.  The Cotton-tailed Rabbits eat plants and fruit.  They live underground in burrows.  They are mostly out in the cool of twilight.  The Cotton-tailed Rabbit has a fluffy stub tail that is white in color which is how it got its name.  The bunnies tend to freeze in place when they spot me so it is pretty easy to take pictures of them.  I often purposely turn my back so that they can hop away quickly while I am not looking.  The bunnies have been in the garden but did little damage (it was the deer that ate all the Sunflowers down to the stems).  I took these pictures at various times on June 25, 2012 and again on June 26, 2012 in my yards and from the street in front of my place here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Rabbits

Cotton-tailed Rabbits have begun to make themselves at home in the grassy areas around the little farm here. Cotton-tailed Rabbits are medium-sized Rabbits.  They are a tan color with large brown eyes.  They have white on their undersides and have a fluffy, round, white tail that resembles a Cotton ball.  They like to graze on the White Clover and tender grasses in the shady area near the front-end of the place here.

There are adjacent woods where the bunnies can hide from predators and people.  Rabbits eat plants, grasses, grains, and some fruits.  So far, they have happily for me, left the garden veggies alone. The Rabbits are mostly out in the late afternoon and evening.  They don’t like being in the heat and sun very much.  They live in underground burrows or under piles of branches. I took these pictures last week here at my home.   I enjoy seeing the bunnies here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Bison, Bald Eagles and Mt. Rushmore Views

This post is in memory of those who have lost their lives in the service of their country.  Here are a few shots I have never posted that I took in Yellowstone National Park  and Mt. Rushmore last September and also at my lake home  here in Tennessee (Bald Eagle) in December 2010, and also in January, 2011..  These are iconic  animals and views of the United States of America.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Have a good Memorial Day.   P.S. I accidentally did not press the “Publish” button and thought I had posted this morning, but apparently not.  So, sorry for the late post today!