just keep walking

Today's search for that elusive and endangered, Florida Scrub-Jay.

 

 

 Prime habitat. 

After a couple hours, came across some scrubby flatwoods regenerating after a recent "prescribed" burn.

 

Results from a prescribed burn to help reduce undergrowth and apply a natural ecological balance.

 

 

Off the trail and alone along a deep creek bed as the sun is disappearing.

 

 

No Scrub-Jays sighted, only a few common Blue Jays. Though, I did follow a couple of those wily, native marsh rabbit into the thick overgrowth.

 

 

old buddies

Really, a youngster's companion - and later sidekick. 

Rick Peek flew over for a visit, to stay and play, while I was attending to my 2nd year in college studying photography at England's, Medway College of Design. We both loved motorbikes, so while there, Rick bought himself a brand new BSA Starfire to bob around the countryside. 

Young and crazy, twice we were written-up in the newspapers - and once, both of us were featured in an international event of our own cause. Then, me riding my Triumph, he on his 'Beezer'.  Fun times, miss him.

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a stack of old (buried) prints from the clean-up of my recently flooded darkroom. 

Rick "on the dock of the bay", fifty some years ago (1970).  Actually on the brackish River Medway (Rochester, Kent, England), with his new BSA Starfire, 250 single.

a birder's paradise

Circle B Bar Reserve 

(just southeast of Lakeland, Florida).

Bird enthusiasts have been flocking to this old "cow camp" (now public) for over 20 years.  

Commonly seen; Herons and Egrets, Ibis's, Spoonbills, and Sandhill Cranes. Morehens and the Black-necked Stilt, Quail, Meadow Larks, the Painted Bunting, Warblers and Purple Martins. The American Bald Eagle, Kestrels, Ospreys and the Barred owl. Red-shouldered hawks and all those peculiar, gobbling Wild Turkeys. And with so many miles of marshland trails, with numerous species of ducks, the ducks own count is unimaginable. 

 

Ronnie & Will with the big equipment

 

Other birders along the trail.

 

 

My sweet and behaving, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

 

 

last night someone asked .....

if a photo posted recently on an on-line history site, showing a group of young horseback riders galloping along Siesta's, Shell Road beach (early 60's) - could have also included me?

No, but there is a family photo of me at age seven (1957) competing in the Out-of-Door School's Annual Horse Show. I'm atop my English rider, and may not be galloping, but I won a Blue Ribbon that year - in dressage - walk, trot and canter. 

We used to stable our ponies on the school property (shown in background). Behind Out-of-Door, there were numerous trails, to the beach, to Siesta Village and trails running all along the bayside. On the trails we rode 'western'. In fact in those early days, I rode frequently into the "Village", along a winding route through what is now Siesta Isles. And there, in the Village was my favorite store - the Siesta Sundries. They even had a hitching post.