More Photos of Ochlockonee River State Park

Little Blue Heron

I visited the very lovely Ocklockonee River State Park a few weeks ago and spent a wonderful night camping there.  I was thrilled to see three White Tailed Deer, an Osprey, a Little Blue Heron, a Red-headed Woodpecker, several Boat-tailed Grackles, a pair of Mourning Doves, a couple of Brown Thrashers, and a gorgeous little White Squirrel (sorry no photo).

I took these pictures several times in the morning and it was very cloudy and misty out in my early shots that morning.  I am including a couple of shots of just scenery so you can get a sense of the view at this beautiful Florida State Park.  The river is a short walk from the campground area.

This state park is quite close to the St. Mark’s National Wildlife Sanctuary and is probably about twenty-five miles to the Gulf of Mexico.  I enjoyed the park and would return someday for a longer stay.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger picture.  Enjoy!

River Scene

River Scene

White-tailed Deer at a vernal pool

 

River Scene

Osprey

Brown Thrashers

Manatee Springs State Park, Part 1

Nine-banded Armadillo

White-tailed Deer; Nine-banded Armadillos; a Juvenile Little Blue Heron; a Great Egret; a Double-crested Cormorant, a chatty Red-bellied Woodpecker, and an enormous migratory flock of Turkey Vultures were spotted at the lovely Manatee Springs State Park near Chiefland, Florida on November 8, 2016.  Sorry to say, I did not see a single Manatee.  I think it is probably too early in the season for Manatee sightings here.

This beautiful little Florida State Park is on the shoreline of the Manatee Spring and also the Suwanee River.  There is a very nice campground and the park also has a canoe and Kayak rental program also with a nice launch area and small concession stand restaurant.  People may swim in the 72 degree spring but there is no lifeguard service.  I chose not to swim as it was too cool for that.  I will conclude my series about this park on Monday with my next post.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Turkey Vulture

Cypress Tree “Knees”

 

The Suwanee River

White-tailed Deer

Manatee Spring

Seashore Marsh at St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge

 

 

 

I visited the Apalachee Bay section of the St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge on May 20, 2015.  I had a great time as we drove a few miles through marshlands to the coast.  I spotted a few shorebirds, a couple of Turkey Vultures, a White-tailed Deer, a huge Fiddler Crab nursery area in the mud, and a domestic pet goat that was feeding in the tall grass along the highway in front of the home where it belongs.  I sure enjoyed my all-to-brief visit!  Wishing you a happy and safe holiday today.  I am remembering the families and friends of lost service members in my thoughts and prayers.

 

Deer

Deer are such wonderful animals!  I saw these deer while on my trip to South Dakota (Custer State Park), and Wyoming at Yellowstone National Park, this past June.  Basically I’d spot the deer but they would spot or hear the vehicle and flee.  Usually when trying to photograph deer, one has to be very quiet and still or be far away.

Many of these deer were very young adults.  The males shed their antlers yearly and grow a new pair.  These deer are Mule Deer.   I saw deer in the Custer State Park of South Dakota and again in Yellowstone National Park.  The trio of young bucks were spotted while I was on a guided bus tour to the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park.  I recommend this late afternoon and early evening tour, called the Wildlife Tour to Lamar Valley.  It is a large group bus tour but you do see many animals and there are opportunities to get out of the bus for rest stops and picture-taking.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

White-Tailed Deer Crossing the Street

We were driving down the street about a half-block from our driveway when out trotted three White-tailed does.  The does are the female deer.  It is now deer season for hunting here in this county so I am sure that the deer are happy that they were on a street and in a neighborhood where hunting is not allowed  (nearby areas do have hunting on private land).  The deer here have lots of places to hide in thickets and woods.  These does were so pretty!  This is the second time I have seen deer close to our new home.  In fact, when we were looking at the place before buying it, we were told that the reason why the top rail in two small areas of the wood fence were down, was due to deer jumping over the fence to get to the garden.  So, I am sure we will need to additionally fence our garden plot next Spring.  I took these pictures from inside the car on Dec. 13, 2011.  The shots are hazy since I had to take the pictures through the closed windows and did so in a big hurry.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A White-tailed Deer

I was out late yesterday afternoon and snapped a few pictures os a White-tailed Deer that was happily grazing in the taller grass at the side of one of our community’s nice outlying roads.  Deer are plentiful here in many neighborhoods.  This statement is especially true in areas close to golf course fairways.  We also have a lot of undeveloped and lightly developed areas where the deer are free to roam without bothering gardens and landscaping.  I saw a single deer in four different places, but only got fair photographs of this one animal.  I was taking pictures from the car and the light was fading.  White-tailed Deer eat grass, leaves, fruits and tender stems of plants.  The fact that they love grass is a major reason why so many deer are around golf links.  I also have seen deer browsing on people’s lawns some six feet from the houses!  That scene does not happen often as deer mostly like being with their own and stay away from people.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A Look at Some White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer were out eating in several neighborhoods on the other side of the community where I live in Cumberland County, TN.  It is very rare that Deer come around my own neighborhood here on the lake.  I think I have heard of the Deer coming to the lake to drink on two occasions.  The last time the Deer were here was about a year ago.   That Deer sighting was down the street quite a ways away from my house.  Yesterday we went for a Sunday afternoon drive on a foggy and cold afternoon.  We saw a grand total of twelve White-tailed Deer.  All of the Deer were munching happily on grass, either on home lawns or on the edge of the road.  All of these Deer were  in the neighborhood that is located near a local golf course.  So, there was a lot of tasty tender Spring grass for the Deer to enjoy.  The largest herd of Deer we saw was a group of six individuals.  I was overjoyed to be able to see these White-tailed Deer and get the pictures yesterday.  By the way, hunting is not allowed here in the community proper.  We are fairly close to a wildlife management area where hunting is allowed though.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

White-Tailed Deer, Turkey Vultures, and Western Grebes

White-tailed Deer, Turkey Vultures, and Western Grebes were among the animals and birds that I was watching in the past few days here in my greater community and on the lake where I live.  We have a rather large flock of Vultures that lives in the more undeveloped woodland area of our community here on the beautiful Cumberland Plateau.  These big birds roost together in large pine and hemlock trees in a sparsely developed neighborhood that borders a wildlife management area.  I also came upon three Deer when on a drive to that same forested area of the community.  The Western Grebes are a mystery to me.  I think that these water birds are out of place but I do welcome seeing them.  At first, I was confused as to what kind of bird these were.  I wondered if they were a Yellow Billed Loon, or some type of Cormorant.  Upon reading on the Internet, I have come to believe that no, they are not Loons, and they are not Cormorants, and they are not even Clark’s Grebes.  I believe them to be Western Grebes.  The Western Grebe lives in areas in the Western U.S. and generally is seldom seen here in Cumberland County.   I have been happy to see all of these unique animals and birds!  I took all of these pictures on 12/8/10 and 12/9/10.  By the way, I have been trying out a new camera.  I took the pictures of the Vultures with a Panasonic Lumix FZ40 Model point and shoot digital camera with zoom.  That little camera will be my “Keep it in the car” camera for times when I come across animals or memorable sights while out on drives.  A side note, I am seeing several new and different waterbirds here on the lake in the last several days.  I’ll be posting the pictures here soon.  Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Pictures of Birds, Ducks, a Cheeky Chipmunk, & a Deer

Autumn is a time when the birds and chipmunks are busily finding food and preparing for the coming cooler weather.  I’ve been taking a lot of photographs of the goings on of the birds ducks and chipmunks here in my yards and along the street in the past week.  I’ve been posting for this blog on a thematic basis and have a few pictures left over.  I just thought I would share these left-overs with you here today.  I have taken all of these photographs in the past few weeks.  In fact, I took the picture of the White-Tailed Deer just last night at twilight.  Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Deer at Dusk in Cumberland County, TN

Tonight again at about 6:00PM (Central) we drove around the community to see if we could see any more White-Tailed Deer.  I am happy to tell you that I saw 6 and my husband caught a glimpse of some 3 more.  We spotted the deer in four different places with all but one area being very woodland or brushy along the road.  Here are tonight’s new pictures that I just unloaded from the camera.