Lakes Park Fort Myers

2012-02-16T11:34:00.001-05:00

Well the google and blogger continue to have issues.

The day started off beautiful with just a few clouds by the time I finished it was cloudy and breezy. The park is busy with many walkers and families. The first train out was full. The bird of the day was the Pi-billed Grebe (no photos) they were everywhere. The 1st shot is at my condo where the hawk was posing as an eagle. The Little Blue was fishing the west end near the kayak launch. The Great Blues were either working on their nest or the eggs have hatched. I couldn't tell but they were very busy. The Red-shouldered Hawk was monitoring the fragrance Garden. The Mottled Duck and ibis were near the creosote bridge. The Tilapia are building their nest on the north side of the bridge. The gator was way out on the lake. The last shot is my favorite of the day, a Tricolor just before he strikes.

2012-02-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

It is a very pretty morning. The sky is clear and cobalt blue. There were many walkers, bikers, a few skaters, some bikers, and a couple of folks fishing. It was mowing day in the park and the air was full of the smell of cut grass.

The birds were scattered around the park today. The Glossy Ibis and Little Blue Heron were at the beach. The Anhinga was at the spillway by the Nature Walk. The Pie-billed Grebe was along the boardwalk and the Osprey was near the train station. The Tricolor was on a rock that is usually occupied by cormorants. The Cattle Egret was looking for food near the marina. The Great Blue heron and Common Moorhen were at the filter marsh.

2012-02-14T12:39:00.002-05:00

Info Kiosk near Shelter B1

Park History

Well the old upload bug is back. I had over a week of no problems between Blogger and Picasa but not today.

The warm morning brought a lot of folks.

The information kiosk is complete. The brief history of the park is the latest addition.

There were more birds out today. The Red-shouldered Hawk flew into a tree on the east side of the park. The Anhinga pair were at the entrance to the Nature Park. The Logger-head Shrike was at the entrance to the Fragrance Garden where the Gladiolus and prickly pear are in bloom. The Common Moorhen was at the marina where I answered some questions about the park and birds for a few visitors. The Snowy Egret has been on a small island on the east side of the lake for about a week. The Great Blue Heron was near the new filter marsh. The Merlin was hunting just outside the park entrance.

Trail Map with mileage

Lakes Park Watershed

Red-shouldered Hawk

Anhinga

2012-02-13T14:45:00.001-05:00

I waited until the afternoon for my walk, as did everyone else. It was very cool this morning. Yesterday was brutal, to cold and windy, by southwest Florida standards. I didn't expect to see any wading birds and I was right. Plus the high sun makes for bad photos. The coots were just about it. They were feeding near the beach. The little gator was in the area near the entrance to the nature walk. The turtle and ibis were along the boardwalk. The lizard was looking for an easy meal at the butterfly box in the Fragrance Garden. The Green Heron was in the filter marsh area behind shelter B1.

2012-02-10T13:59:00.003-05:00

It was a beautiful early morning in the park We did a bird count on the rookery lake. We started at 7AM, just as the fly-out started. The photos are of Great Egrets on their nest. Enjoy.

2012-02-09T10:48:00.001-05:00

Glossy Ibis

It was a very cool, cloudy, and breezy morning. I wasn't the only one that was surprised on how cool it was out there. The wild flowers are along the gravel path in the Nature Walk. The Great Blue is still on the nest. The Tricolor and Pied Bill Grebe were fishing together at the recycled products bridge.

I'm a little concerned that the green slime could become a problem. I noticed in several places in the park and it's the dry season, so no fresh water will be coming into the park.

The low water filter marsh (behind shelter B1) was very active. There were ducks, egrets, White and Glossy Ibis, along with Tricolors and Little Blues.

It is getting a little busy down here this season. It took me 45 minutes to go 5 miles (Sweet Bay on Gladiolus to Everbank on Daniels), most of it spent on Cypress Lake Drive. That was after waiting 40 minutes for a hair cut. All of this was on a Tuesday at 1:30PM, and it is going to get busier, spring training starts in 2 weeks.

2012-02-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

Greater Scaup

Odd morning, it was completely overcast and calm when I started my walk, then clear with a nice breeze from the north. Birding was great! I saw a flock of Greater Scaup on the main lake These birds live in Alaska and the Yukon and winter on the coasts north of here. It's the first time I've ever seen them here. The Tricolor, Little Blue and coot were clustered on the east side of the park near the new discharge.The Red-shouldered Hawk was hunting by the recycled products bridge. The cormorants were fishing near the boardwalk.

The blue flowers are Queen's Wreath. The orange bloom is on the Buddha Belly Palm, both are in the Fragrance Garden. The silhouette of the Tricolor was taken near the creosote bridge. I saw one of our otters this morning in the pond near the Amphitheater. The last shot is of the area near the marina, where they have cleaned out the brush. They have also done this in the loop near the creosote bridge.

2012-02-06T13:12:00.001-05:00

I'm back after a few days off entertaining my old fishing buddies. We did the usual; fished the bay (we caught a few), went to Ding Darling out on Sanibel (that is where the photos of the White Pelicans are from), and down to Corkscrew Sanctuary where the Egret and Painted Bunting (worth a trip if you have never seen one) photos were taken.

The park wasn't busy at first then I met up with the crowds. I finished my walk just before the rain fell. The birds were missing I only got a shot of a Common Moorhen.

2012-01-31T10:11:00.001-05:00

It is not as cool as it was yesterday morning. However, iIt is very windy with strong gusts out of the east. This means the birds were in areas that blocked the wind. As you tell from the number of photos of them, the Great Blue Heron was the bird of the day. The Cattle Egrets were on the island just north of the boardwalk. The Little Green Heron was along side the boardwalk near the marina. This where I usually spot him.

Red was the color of the day in the Fragrance Garden. The crowds of walkers in the park in January have dwindled down to the usual walkers and bikers with a few visitors.

The soaring bird is a Wood Stork, lovely in flight, ugly up close. The last photo is of a Great Blue's tracks.

2012-01-30T11:24:00.003-05:00

Great Blue Heron

Loggerhead Shrike

Little Blue Heron

Tricolor Heron

Wild Cotton

Christmas Palm

Snowy Egret

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

I was surprised by the cool wind out of the north this morning. The birds were huddled on the sunny banks this morning. There were 2 Loggerhead Shrikes in the park. One was being photographed by another person along the path between the nature walk and the recycled products bridge. The other was at the entrance to the Fragrance Garden. The Little Blue and Tricolor were on the shore along the same path as the first shrike. The snowy was on the small island near the restroom on the east side of the lake. The cotton ball and Christmas Palm are in the Fragrance Garden. The kingfisher was in his usual tree near the new filter island at the south end of the lake. The Bald Eagle was soaring high over the park.

2012-01-26T10:57:00.003-05:00

Great Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron

Mockingbird

Great Egret

Anhinga

Florida Water Snake

Belted Kingfisher

Little Blue Heron

American Kestrel

Another beautiful morning in the park. The breeze is from the southeast and seems to be stronger as the morning progresses. There was a kayak on the lake today and an artist painting an island view. The bird of the day was the mockingbird. They were every where in the park. The Great Blue was on the nest at the recycled products bridge. The Florida Water Snake was swimming toward some guys fishing at the north end of the park. Speaking of snakes I heard that one of my neighbors saw a 10foot python swimming our canal. This canal is tidal and is one of the drains from the park. I hope we get this one before it gets to the park.

2012-01-25T10:18:00.002-05:00

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Pine Warbler

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-winged Blackbird

Great Blue Heron

Palm Warbler

Angle Trumpet

Cormorants Fishing

Another beautiful day. The mowers were out and about so the bird song was drown out by the noise. I took the north loop trail in the Nature Walk and saw the woodpeckers and the warbler.

The Red-wing Blackbirds are all around the lake. The Great Blue was back on the nest at the recycle products bridge. The one I took a photo of was near the marina and he was attracting a lot of attention. The palm warblers were working the trees near the train station.

The paths are back open and I was able to get back to the Fragrance Garden. The butterfly area now has a sign and two butterfly houses.

2012-01-24T10:40:00.003-05:00

It is just fantastic out there this morning. There were several birds (coots, dicks and killdeer) at the beach this morning. The park was a treat for the ears; mocking birds were singing and fighting on the west side of the park. The Nature walk had cardinals, warblers, gnatchers, osprey, jays and the lone robin singing as I walked through. There were two Anhinga splashing at the spillway near the Nature Walk entrance. Red-winged Black birds were singing along the path to the boardwalk. I wasn't the only one that stopped to listen to them. The Tricolored Heron was on cormorant rock. The Great Blue was near the new wetland island.

I thinking the Fragrance Garden could be open tomorrow. They are almost finished breaking down the Faire and starting to remove the temporary fencing.

2012-01-23T11:36:00.001-05:00

Little Blue Heron

Common Moorhen

Morning Glory

Bald Eagle

It is a very nice morning in a very busy park. At one point there were 12 of us stacked up in a 25yd stretch of the park. The bird of the day was the Little Blue Heron. The Great Blue Heron nest was empty. There weren't to many birds out an about but the few that were put on a good show. The Bald Eagle was fishing near the marina.

The Faire is done and by Wednesday or Thursday all of the paths will be open.

2012-01-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

American Coot.

Mottled Duck or Florida Duck. This pair was also feeding near the beach.

Tricolor Heron. This bird was near the entrance to the Nature Walk.

Little Blue Heron. This one was feeding near the marina.

White Ibis. This one was on the Boy on a Bike island.

Sandwich Tern at the docks near the marina.

If you look at the right rear of this Caterpillar you can see an ant hitching a ride.

Great Blue Heron. This one was near the beach.

Common Moorhen. This was the bird of thew day. I saw them everywhere in the park.

Belted Kingfisher. There are a couple of them in the park. This one was fishing near the beach. There is a small fish in his beak.

We had a cool front pass through last night so it was a little cooler this morning. The wind was out of the north so I was surprised to see as many birds as I did today. The park was very busy again today. There were more bikers than usual. They almost out numbered the walkers. There were a lot of warblers and gnatcatchers along the path to the boardwalk. The crows have left the park. I saw the Bald Eagle soaring over the park.

2012-01-18T11:27:00.000-05:00

The old upload problem from Picasa to Blogger is back today. I thought the last fix for Picasa solved the issue but it seems not.

It is another very nice morning in a very busy Lakes Park. The first photo is of one of the pelicans that were feeding in the bubblers on the west side of the park. The Great Blue looks like he has a mate. He was driving off a rival this morning. The Coots were feeding along the path that leads to the board walk. The Little Blue was on the island with the statue of the boy on a bike. The Red Shouldered Hawk was in the same area. The Mockingbird was near the train shed. As were some other micro birds that were to high up in the trees for me to id them. The ducks were at the marina. The crows have moved to the north west part of the lake.

2012-01-17T10:53:00.001-05:00

It looks like we are in for a great weather week. This morning was just about perfect. The sun is warm and the breeze is cool. The bird of the day was the Crow, there were hundreds of them on the island just to the north of the marina. The Great Blue is still building its nest at the recycled products bridge. The ducks were feeding along the path that leads to the boardwalk. I know a lot of folks don't like cormorants but you must admit they have pretty blue eyes. The shrike was near the beach.

2012-01-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

sunrise

cattle egrets

It was a spectacular morning on the lake. We did our first rookery count of the year this morning. The Great Blues are the only ones building nest in the rookery. We counted 3 active and 1 in progress. The Ibis fly-out took place at 7:05AM over 250 (1000's over all) birds flew directly over our canoe heading southeast. If you have never seen a fly-out event you should visit the park just before sunrise, stand at the marina, and marvel...

Here is a summary of the rookery count:
Anhinga - 56
Cormorants - 288
Great Blues - 14
Tri-color - 4
Glossy Ibis - 40
White Ibis - 250+
Cattle Egrets - 137
Black Crown Night Heron - 1

2012-01-11T10:33:00.001-05:00

The photos tell it all, it's grey day. The sunrise was spectacular. The sun was peeking under the expanding cloud cover turning everything pink. Then the wind came up along with the wind came a sprinkle of rain. Then the wind dropped and I was able to get an abbreviated walk in. I cut it short because of the darkening clouds and spits of rain.

There were a few others out this morning. The faire fencing has the Fragrance Garden cut off along with about a half-mile of my walking paths.

2012-01-10T11:09:00.001-05:00

It is a beautiful morning. The sun is warm, the breeze is light and there is just a little uptick in the humidity. I saw the Bobcat this morning. I almost got a photo but all I got was his hind quarters. The little blue heron, ibis, and common moorhen were all feeding near the boat launch. The Cape Jasmine is blooming in the Fragrance Garden.

The fences are going up for the Faire and some of the players and support staff arrived this morning.

2012-01-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

What a nice morning. There were many walkers in the park this morning and strangely no bikers. They are starting to get the park ready for the Medieval Faire which starts its 2 weekend run this weekend. This is a very popular event in the park and closes off several walking trails.

The bird of the day was the Great Blue Heron I counted 4 of them in the same general area along the boardwalk. The one building a nest near the recycled products bridge was hard at it today. I've only seen the one bird so I'm not sure if the nest will be used. I remember the nest was partially built last year and abandoned.

The woodpecker was working the palm trees near the beach. The holes were made several yeas ago by other woodpeckers and sapsuckers (I've not seen any this year). The palm warbler was along the path to the boardwalk. The green heron was in its usual spot where the boardwalk expands in width. The blue-grey gnatcatcher was feeding on insects on a yucca plant in the fragrance garden.

2012-01-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

It is a beautiful morning down here in southwest Florida. The sun is warm, the air is cool, the wind is calm, and the birds are out in force. I took a rare Saturday walk because I miss a couple of day due to the cold temperatures and wind. The park is very busy. There is a cancer walk/run this morning.

The bird of the day was the Red-shouldered Hawk. I saw 2 on the way into the park, and 3 more inside. The Cardinal was singing at the entrance to the park. It looks like the pelicans may nest in the park this season.

I know I've said it before, but I still think this is best place to get up close to wading birds. I was within 2ft. of the Tricolor Heron when I walked past him. I took the photo from about 4ft away.

2012-01-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

Well I'm back in the park after our brutal cold snap. For those of you who don't live here please don't laugh to hard. For the past 2 days I had to wear long pants and socks. I even turned the heat on in the condo the past 2 mornings and wore a light jacket last evening for a trip to World of Beer. I know I wont get much sympathy from those of you that have a real winter but for us it was cold (33F). Some of the tomato plants in the Community Garden look to be damaged but the rest look OK.

The Logger-head Shrike greeted me as I entered the park this morning. He was singing not a normal thing for them to do.

The Red-shouldered Hawk was doing what most of the birds I saw today - Perched in the sun trying to warm up.

The little gator and Anhinga were at the bridge to the Nature walk. I was surprised to see the gator. I thought it was to cool for him.

I think this is a ruby-crowned kinglet.

The Great Blue Heron is building a nest in the Australian Pine on the north side of the recycled products bridge. You can see it without binoculars. He is making a lot of noise while constructing the nest. I thought someone had put a large dog on the island.

This is a palm warbler. I've seen a couple of times the past week in the rushes along the boardwalk near the marina.

The coot was working the water around the marina.

These are the flowers of a plant called the mother of thousands. There are several of these in bloom in the Fragrance Garden.

Another shrike. There are a pair of them along the path at the north end of the Bermuda Field.

As most of the birds were doing today this cormorant was basking in the sun.

2012-01-02T11:07:00.000-05:00

We are going to have a big time cold front push through today. I started out on a calm beautiful sunny morning and by the time I finished my walk it was rapidly cooling off and almost completely overcast. The park is very busy again today. About the only secluded spot was the area near the entrance to Riva del Largo. That is where the gator was swimming. The egret is coming into breeding plumage. The anhinga was basking in the sun by the entrance to the Nature Walk.

2011-12-30T11:36:00.002-05:00

It was a bit on the cool side at the start of my walk (I won't start until the temperature is a least 60 on my lani). It's Farmers Market day in the park so it was busy. There were a few birds out but mostly people. The coot was near the boat launch. The Tricolor and Little Blue were along the path that leads to the boardwalk. There are a pair of shrikes in the north side of the Bermuda Field.

Now for the good stuff. It is strawberry and Honey Bell season. The best strawberries come from Plant City (also known for its sink holes) or someones garden. Honey Bells are best eaten over a sink. They are simply out of this world. If you are in the area, Sun Harvest has the best berries and bells, period!

2011-12-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

I had to wait until the temperature reached 60 to walk this morning. For most of my was it was overcast, cool and dull, as you can see from the photos. There were birds this morning and building crowds. It's going to be another busy day in the park.

The Glossy Ibis was at the beach along with a skittish flock of Killdeer . I usually only see a pair in the park. The Little Blue was attracting attention from the walkers. The Great Blue is coming into breeding colors. All of the flower photos are from the Fragrance Garden (Ti plant, Lavender). I don't know the name of the red flower.

I head a Robin in in the woods behind my condo this morning. They are occasional winter visitors to southwest Florida. Sometimes we get flock in the thousands.

2011-12-28T14:56:00.002-05:00

I chickened out on a morning walk, the breeze was too cool for my walking attire (shorts, t-shirt and Tevas). So I swapped my routine around and went for a walk in a very busy park this afternoon. There were people, bikes and surreys everywhere in the park. Plus there were walkers, folks fishing, and a painter or two. I saw more watercraft on the lake today than I've ever seen in my years of walking the park. Birds on the other hand, missing. The shrike was watching the crowds along the path to the boardwalk.

2011-12-27T11:17:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, I did. It looks like a lot of other folks did to. I noticed new cameras and kayaks in the park. To bad it wasn't a good day for birding. There is a front on the way and the wind is is blowing out of the south at 15mph. I was sitting on Jane's memorial bench in the Fragrance Garden and the Bald Cypress leaves were falling like rain.

2011-12-22T12:15:00.000-05:00

Another nice day. The park is very busy with families and bikes. I even saw a couple of tandem bikes today. Most of the birds were on the wing this morning. I saw the eagle soaring high over the park. The Little Blue and Gator were at the usual spot on the west side of the park. The Zebra Heliconian butterfly (one of my favorites) was in the Nature Walk area. They like the wooded areas. The Shrike was along the boardwalk.

If you are in the area and looking for something to do on Christmas Eve, Eve drop by the park. The Farmers Market (come hungry) is open this Friday, the train is running from 10AM and the Inflatable Bounce houses and slides are open around the same time. The bike and boat rentals are open at 10AM as is the ice cream shoppe. The weather is going to be fantastic. I'll be working the Lakes Park Foundation booth, stop by and say Hi.

2011-12-21T11:14:00.000-05:00

The Picasa to Blogger interface is still broken so my layout is different.

The morning started out with no breeze, with a warm sun and cloudless skies. Toward the end of my walk the wind had kicked up significantly with strong gust from the east. There are many school aged kids in the park this morning. The Inflatable Bounce House and Slide will be open this afternoon.

The wood stork was basking in the sun near the entrance to the Nature Walk. Note his pink feet. I think they use them as lures when feeding.

There were at least 4 Great Blue Herons in the park this morning.

The black snake was one of two snakes I saw this morning. The other was a small ring-necked that I had to run off the path. I almost got him off the path when he decided to play dead.

The Little Blue was back at his assigned post in the park.

I received a question about the Bobcat that has an injured foot. He is recovering and the park folks are keeping tabs on his progress and assist if needed.

2011-12-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

Well there is a new release of Picasa today. For those of you that use the "Upload To Blogger" the button is missing. Don't panic it is there you just need to to go to Tools the Configure Buttons and add it and other missing buttons. Also the upload to blogger problem is back today. so I recommend exporting the photos to a folder on you computer, then go to Blogger and upload them from the Blog. A pain but it works.

Enough of the technical stuff. It is a breezy partly cloudy morning in the park. It's good that the clouds are around, otherwise it would be a hot morning. There were many more runners and bikers than walkers in the park today. There were a few Cattle Egrets along the beach front this morning and just a few Tricolors along the boardwalk.

2011-12-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

It is a nice but breezy morning down here in southwest Florida. The park is somewhat busy. I saw several new faces today. As usual with a breezy day the birds were few and far between. The Little Blue, Tricolor Heron and grebe were about the only birds I saw. The Shrike was singing in the Bermuda Field. The Yellow Warbler was feeding at the marina. All of the flowers are from the Fragrance Garden.

2011-12-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

Hope you like photos of American Bald Eagles. We had one in the park this morning. This is the first one I've able to get close enough to get some good shots. usually they are soaring over the park or roosting out in the lake. But today one was near the exit to Reflections Lake.

The park wan't very busy. I'm guessing the cloud cover for the early part of the morning kept some folks away and it's that time of the year when people leave for the holidays.

I did get some other shots of the usual birds. The Little Blue, Tricolor, and Green Heron were along the boardwalk. The Shrike and Mocking Bird were just outside the Fragrance Garden. The Red-shouldered Hawk was behind the train shed.

2011-12-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

You get a lot of photos today. I noticed that the ones I posted on Monday didn't work. It was because of the reoccurring interface problem between Blogger and Picasa (both great free google products). Today the interface worked like it is supposed to, so the first 2 shots are from our foggy Monday. Tuesday was a rain out for me. But today, fantastic!

The Red-shouldered Hawk on the flag pole is from my condo. The Merlin was in the park this morning instead of his usual spot at the park entrance. The Tricolor replaced the Little Blue at the west side drain and the Red-wing Blackbirds are back. All of the flower shots are form the Fragrance Garden. The bees love the pink puff ball tree. The Osprey was having breakfast near the entrance to Riva Del Lago. I noticed the cattails in that area have been killed off.

To my blog followers from the UK. Have a great trip and thanks for your kind comments.

2011-12-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

It was a foggy start to the day and I think that kept the walkers away. There were just a few of us out and about. The fog muted the colors on everything. It was foggy enough to take a shot of the sun. All of the flower photos are from the Fragrance Garden. The pink puff ball tree bloomed over the weekend. The sun came out at the end of my walk as you can see from the Anhinga shot.

2011-12-10T11:07:00.000-05:00

I took a rare Saturday walk in the park. I had to make up for missing Thursday because the wind from the north was to cold for my walking apparel. I was surprised that it wasn't busy. There were very few walkers on the paths. There were some kayaks and a paddle border on the lake. The birds were back along the shoreline. The Red-shouldered Hawk was along the western path and the Pelican is back. The Loggerhead Shrike was singing this morning. Normally they just chirp. There were many doves in the pines near the Amphitheater. The locust were buzzing in the Nature Walk area.

The photo of the pod is the from the Floss Silk tree. It is where the silk is located. This is the first one I've seen on this tree and I've been watching it for 8 years.

The park is set for the Festival of Lights. There is a sneak preview tonight 6-8:45PM.

2011-12-07T11:49:00.000-05:00

It is another beautiful day. Its so nice the birds are taking time off. The Tricolor Heron at the beach was it. The turtle was alongside the boardwalk. The park was busy for a weekday. The train crew is busy setting up xmas decorations.

If you are in the area and want to see the best collection of birds in the county go to the Twins stadium. The ditches along side six mile cypress are drying up and the birds; Rosette Spoonbills, Egrets (all types) Wood Storks, Ibis (Both types) Ducks (several types), Herons (all except the Black Crown) are concentrated there.

I couldn't get the interface between Picasa and Blogger to work yesterday. They must have fixed it because today everything worked just fine.

2011-12-06T10:37:00.000-05:00

2011-12-05T10:02:00.000-05:00

Spectacular!!!!!! The sky is blue, the breeze is soft, and the sun is warm. The birds are missing except for the usual ones at the new drain. The Little Blue was looking for breakfast. The Anhinga was roosting in the pepper tree near the marina. The last photo is of the triple palm trees area near the creosote bridge. This clean up, dress up project was done by one of our excellent park employees as part of their work objectives. It looks great. Almost forgot, when I got home last evening I was greeted by an Owl hooting in a tree near my condo. It's been years since I heard one in this area.

2011-12-01T11:16:00.000-05:00

Burrrrrrrrr........ I had to wait until the temperature got to 60 this morning. Even then, the wind was on the cold side, straight out of the north. The park was almost empty; 1 biker, 2 runners and 6 walkers. My bird friends were hunkered down on the west side near the new drain as was the little gator. You can see how cool it was, the gator only had his nose and eyes exposed. The flowers are from the Fragrance Garden. The white one is on the Strawberry Tree. I can't wait to try the fruit. The cormorants were near the train shed and the Great Blue near the new filter marsh.

2011-11-30T10:49:00.000-05:00

It is another beautiful morning down here in southwest Florida. The sky was mostly clear and the breeze was from the north. Bikes were the everywhere. It was like everybody got a bike for Thanksgiving. The Red-shouldered Hawk was sitting in a tree on the west side of the park. The Tricolor was by the bridge on the way to the marina as was the Common Gallinule. The Merlin was at his favorite roots at the park entrance.

2011-11-29T10:58:00.000-05:00

It is a very nice morning in the park, several walkers I met commented on just how nice it is. The birds were having a holiday or something, I saw just the 2 waders. The Little Blue was in his usual spot at the new drain on the west side and the Great Blue was near the train shed. There were many micro-birds in the trees near the pavilion on the path to Reflections Lakes. I'm sure they flew in with the front that went through yesterday. If you're a birder bring your binoculars and enjoy. They will be around for a day or so.

2011-11-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

It is a nice breezy morning here in southwest Florida. There is a front on the way and I could see the clouds off to the west. Almost every wading bird was on the west side of the park so all my shots were into the sun. The flower shot is from the Fragrance Garden. The bottom right is a photo of what is called "Florida Snow". These carpets of White Pusley flowers are everywhere. Some people hate them because they are an exotic invasive weed and others love them. I fall into the latter group.

2011-11-23T09:21:00.003-05:00

Beautiful! Lots of bikers today more than I've ever seen in the park They are removing the digger from the park, that will improve the beach view.

Great bird watching today. The Red-shouldered Hawk was in a palm at the beach. The Great Egret and Great Blue were on the west side at the new drain for the lake. The rabbits, I saw 5, and the Little Blue were along the path to the boardwalk. The last shot shoes how calm the lake was this morning, again beautiful!

Happy Turkey-day.

2011-11-22T11:18:00.001-05:00

It a nice morning, perhaps a little on the humid side. We got a lot of rain yesterday afternoon and evening, most unusual for this time of year. The park is busy with families and bikers. The Killdeer were working the beach area along with a spotted sandpiper(??). The great egret was near the beach area.

2011-11-21T12:07:00.001-05:00

It was a mostly cloudy morning when I started my walk by the end it was mostly sunny. There were a lot of families in the park, I'm thinking there are a few folks visiting for the holiday. The only birds today were the coots. All of the flower shots are from the Fragrance Garden. The link from Picasa to Blogger is broken so the format is screwed up.

2011-11-17T10:53:00.003-05:00

It's another summer like day; warm and humid. As you can see from the water shots, no breeze. The Green Heron was along the boardwalk. I've not seen him in months. It was also a great day for watching butterflies. They were everywhere in the park. I saw 2 hummingbirds in the Fragrance Garden. How's that for a mid-November morning.

2011-11-16T10:24:00.001-05:00

Another warm and sweaty morning. It feels like September, not November. It was a light traffic day in the park and not very many birds either. The Little Blue Heron was in his assigned spot but no one else. The Great Blue was in the Nature Walk area, very strange to see one in there. The flycatchers were in the trees between the Bermuda Field and Fragrance Garden. The gator was on a rock usually reserved for cormorants and Anhinga.

2011-11-15T11:34:00.001-05:00

It's back to summertime; hot and humid with no breeze. The park was mostly empty of walkers. There were a few bikers on the paths.

The osprey was near the beach bathing. The Tricolor and Little Blue were at their assigned places on the west side of the park. The little gator was relaxing in the same area.

There is a new boat launch near the Fragrance Garden. The little Southern Ring-neck snake was near the creosote bridge. I almost stepped on him. It was a 2 gator day and I think I saw another swimming far out on the lake but I couldn't be sure. The Red-shouldered Hawk like this spot near the new filter island.

2011-11-14T10:37:00.001-05:00

It is a fantastic morning; sunny, warm and breezy. The park is busy with many new faces on the paths. The bird count was on the low side today. The Little Blue and gator were near each other at the new outlet on the west side of the park. The Tricolor was near the marina and the coot was on the bank near the train station.

I was in Vegas most of last week and for the first time ever I won! I didn't think it was possible.

2011-11-07T11:23:00.001-05:00

Today started out breezy, mostly clear with a few clouds to the north east, it ended mostly cloudy with a bit of blue sky's to the west. As you can see from the lack of photos the birds were somewhere else. This is the first wood stork of the season in the park.

2011-11-03T11:36:00.001-04:00

It is one of those Department of Tourism days, perfect! The paths were busy and the birds weren't around. The Little Blue was on the new drain on the west side. The Great Blue and Red-shouldered Hawk were in a tree near the entrance to the Nature Walk. The cormorants are back and this one was acting odd.

Tomorrow the Farmers Market begins its Friday 9AM-1PM season. It runs every Friday until May.

2011-11-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

It is a nice breezy morning in the park and the crowds are out. The birds are few and far between. The ones out like the beach area. The shot of the beach is a view from the west. One of the scarecrows from scarecrows in the park, has migrated to the community gardens. The Merlin was back on his perch just outside the park.

2011-11-01T11:23:00.001-04:00

It is a breezy cool beautiful morning in southwest Florida. I'm back from a weekend with the grandson and family at Universal Island of Adventure and Studios theme parks in Orlando. We had a perfect weekend up there. The lines weren't very long and I enjoyed both parks. My favorite ride was the Simpsons. It is amazing what they can do with 3D and simple movements of the ride.

The park is cleaning up from the Fall Extravaganza. I think the breeze kept the birds hidden but I got a few shots anyway. The Floss Silk tree is almost at its peak. For those of you who have been around the area for awhile: when was the last time you saw the beach as open as it is now?

2011-10-28T11:18:00.001-04:00

It looks like we are in for some rain today. It was cloudy when I started and just kept getting darker as I walked. I'm a little tired because I stayed up watching the Series. My only comment is now the Ranger fans know how we Cub fans feel. It's hard to believe the Rangers blew it twice; 1 strike away from a World Series win...............................aaaaaannnndddd choked!

The park was somewhat busy with walkers, bikers, joggers and returning snowbirds. There were a few birds out today. The woodpeckers were working the trees along the path to the boardwalk. The ibis was enjoying frog legs for breakfast, again. The hawk was near the creosote bridge and the mockingbird was too. There were several Tricolors throughout the park.

All of the flower photos are from the fragrance garden. The reflecting palms are near the amphitheater.

I almost forgot it's Stone Grab season down here. I had some last night and they were delicious. I think it is the only no kill protein, totally renewable resource (only 1 claw is harvested and the crab is returned alive to the water) on earth. Enjoy!

2011-10-27T12:28:00.000-04:00

It mostly overcast and a bit more humid today. I got a late start for some unknown reason....just slow. The park is busy with many kids at the inflatables and hayrides. They have restocked the pumpkin patch. They were just about sold out.

The little blue flowers are along the west side path. The little gator was in the same spot. The Passion Flower is in the Fragrance Garden. The moorhen and osprey were near the marina. The photos of the construction equipment and heaps of dead cattail are from the beach area. Sometime next week the beach is going to look great....like it used too several years ago.

The last photo is of my little friend the Merlin a.k.a. American Kestrel, he's back! This means the snowbird season is officially under way.......Welcome Back!

2011-10-26T10:57:00.000-04:00

I'm going to run out of superlatives for our weather all I can say is WOW! The flycatcher was on a fence near the entrance to the park. I couldn't identify the species. The grebe has been joined by 2 others. The big gator was at the marina and the smaller on by the entrance to the Nature Walk. If you look closely at his mouth you can see he has a torn skin flap. The Osprey was observing the park along the path to the Boardwalk.

There is heavy digger work going on along the beach area. It looks like they are removing the cattails.

2011-10-25T12:23:00.000-04:00

It is a partly cloudy breezy morning but still very nice for a walk in the park. The Flamingo photo was taken by a bird patrol member near the Sanibel toll booth. It's also been seen at Bunch Beach. I'm thinking I should take a trip out there t see it. The other shots are from the Fragrance Garden and along the path to the Halloween Extravagance.

2011-10-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

You just can't beat the weather, it is a perfect morning down here in southwest Florida. The park was about normal for a Monday, not to busy. The Little Blue was posing for me on the west side of the lake. The Muscovy Duck and Tricolor Heron were in the same area. The gator was cruising the main lake. The construction crews opened up the barrier around the newly constructed filter island.

2011-10-21T12:12:00.000-04:00

Oh, what a beautiful morning. I'm a little out of sync this morning. First off I slept in, then the coffee maker flooded the counter top - my bad, and the Comcast box is booting. So I had to spend 30 minutes online with Comcast - the new box arrives tomorrow. They are out of the HDTV DVR boxes in Fort Myers. That means the snowbirds are returning.

As for the park it is in great shape for the weekend. I had some birds to photograph this morning. The Great Blue was on a roof top at Reflections Condos. The doves were on the west side of the park. The Ibis is having frog legs plus for breakfast and I got a shot of the Kingfisher.

Looks like a great weekend for the Fall Extravaganza at the park!

2011-10-20T10:57:00.000-04:00

What a difference a day makes (think I head that somewhere). It is still a little breezy but other than that it is perfect; cool, dry, and sunny. The folks that maintain the park have done a great job in putting everything back in order.

Because of the breeze the only wading birds I say were Tricolor Herons. As you can see the water is receding from the new discharge area. The blue boat broke loose from the docks at the marina and was blown about a half mile away. The pink flowers are on the Floss Silk tree in the Fragrance Garden. The last two shots were taken along the train track path.

2011-10-19T12:21:00.000-04:00

It is still overcast this morning and breezy. We had a tropical system move through the area over the past few days. Friday-Sunday it was windy and cloudy then came the real stuff a huge amount of rain 6-8 inches, thunder, lightning, and strong straight line winds. It was so windy last night that the wind was blowing so strongly through my sliding door it caused the access door to the attic to be lifted and dropped several times. I had to get up close up and turn the A/C on.

The park did OK. There are many palm fronds down and other debris on the paths. The lake is way up as you can see from the first 2 shots on the right hand side. The gate concrete barrier is usually 2 feet out of the water.The 1st photo shows the new plants that were planted last week on the new filter islands.

There were several wading birds out today. Most of them were Tricolor Herons. I've been trying to get a shot of the moth in the Fragrance Garden for several weeks. The little turtle was near the marina. I move it off the walk.

The Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation's "Scarecrows in the Park" event kicked off Friday evening. We had about 1000 votes in the popularity contest over the weekend. The weather on Monday and Tuesday did a little damage but nothing that cannot be fixed. You can view the Scarecrows by clicking here.

2011-10-14T11:19:00.000-04:00

It is a pretty nice morning. The sun is filtered by some thin clouds and there is a nice cool breeze out of the north. There were more bikers than walkers today. The park is almost ready for the Halloween Extravaganza. The Scarecrows are ready and the pumpkin patch is too.

It wasn't to birdy around the lake. The white bird is a young Little Blue. The green bloom is on the Ylang Ylang plant in the Fragrance Garden. The shrike was in the Bermuda Field. Mocking birds were everywhere in the park. The Tricolor was near the marina.

2011-10-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

It is back to our warm and humid weather pattern. That means it's very sweaty out there. The paths had more bikers than walkers today. The Ibis are feeding near the puddles in the park and there are a lot of them to feed around.

The Halloween Extravaganza is coming together. Scarecrows In the Park starts this weekend, so if your in the area come to the park and enjoy.

The pink flower is in the Nature Walk area. The Little Blue was in the same area by the Recycled Products bridge. The wasp nest is in a cactus plant in the Fragrance Garden, two chances to get stuck. The micro flower bloom is in the Bermuda Field. The Great Blue was by the creosote bridge.

2011-10-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

The humidity is on the rise but there was a nice breeze to help keep me cool. They are working on the lake discharge on the west side of the lake. I was wondering why the park wasn't as busy as it was yesterday when I remembered Monday was a holiday for some folks.

The Little Blue was crossing the path at the recycled products bridge. The Great Blue and the Pie-billed Grebe (1st one of the season) were off the Marina area.

The red flowers are in the Fragrance Garden.

2011-10-10T11:37:00.000-04:00

It is a nice morning and the park has puddles everywhere. We had over 3 inches of rain on Saturday. The dead tree was struck by lightning a few weeks back. Notice its proximity to the water playground. That's why there are lightning detectors on the playgrounds that shut the water off when it detects lightning in the area.

The catbird was mewing in at palm tree in the Nature Walk. The water shot was taken from Georgia Point just outside the Nature Walk. You can see there was no breeze this morning. The Blue-grey Gnat-catcher was working the trees near the train shed. There were many other warblers and vireos feeding in the trees in the same area.

The red flowers are all over the plants near the creosote bridge.

2011-10-07T11:02:00.000-04:00

I can feel a change in the weather today. It is slightly warmer with a touch of humidity. The breeze is still nice and keeps you cool. I was about a mile into my walk before I saw anyone else in the park. Then the foot and bike traffic picked up.

The bird of the day was the Anhinga. They were everywhere drying their wings. The Red-shouldered Hawk was hiding in the pines on the east side of the park. The rabbit was in his usual place along the path to the boardwalk.

The cluster of white flowers are on a vine on the bridge to the Amphitheater. The last photo is a shot of a Palm Warbler working the trees near the train shed.

2011-10-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

Another gorgeous morning. The shot in the trees is one of my favorite spots in the park. This is the oak hammock in the Nature Walk area. There were cardinals, jays and an osprey singing to me this morning in the Nature Walk.

The Great Blue did not want his picture taken. He was croaking at me as I approached him. The flower shot is of the very fragrant shrub that I talk about near the creosote bridge. The last shot is of one of the fountains at the north end of the park.

2011-10-05T09:54:00.001-04:00

Still beautiful. There is a little more wind today but no complaints. You can tell that it wasn't a good day to shoot bird photos when I'm reduced to taking shots of posing grackles. Such is the life. The Anhinga was was the only other bird I saw this morning. There were several joggers out and about. The flower shot is from the Fragrance Garden.

2011-10-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

It is another fantastic morning. I got an early start today. It is mowing day so the wading birds were no where to be seen. The Tricolor Heron was the only one I saw. I did hear a catbird mewing in the Nature Walk area. The first on of the season. I saw a Palm warbler on the path near the train shed. The fragrant shrubs are in bloom near the creosote bridge. It is worth the walk to smell them.

I was almost rundown in the Gladiolus crosswalk, again! The jackass driving the pickup never slowed down for the red light. I wonder about some of our drivers.

2011-10-03T12:51:00.000-04:00

It is a spectacular day here is beautiful southwest Florida. All I want to do is just stay outside and breath the day in. I turned the A/C off yesterday and let the fresh air flow through the condo for the first time this fall. Words cannot describe how nice it is down here.

I was late getting to the park this morning because I slept until 9AM! By the time I got to the park the train was running and the paths were empty of the morning walkers and joggers. There were 2 women fishing from the board walk.

Wading birds were scarce the 2 Tricolor Herons were just about it. Butterflies are everywhere in the Fragrance garden. The yellow wild flowers are in the Nature Walk area and the Lilly is in the Fragrance Garden.

2011-09-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

It is mostly cloudy this morning. That made for a little cooler walk but when the sun came out the sweat did too. We are supposed to get a cool and dry air mass over the weekend with lows in the upper 60s. Maybe a day without A/C.

The park is very busy. It is another school holiday. It is like a Saturday minus the bouncy houses. I saw a gator but it was very shy so no photo.

The little Blue Heron and rabbit were along the path to the boardwalk. The Water Lilly and Lobster Claw flowers are in bloom in the Fragrance garden. The White Peacock butterfly was feeding on the blue flowers in the garden.

The Great Blue was at the marina.

2011-09-29T11:34:00.000-04:00

Another warm and humid morning. The park is busy because the schools are out for Rosh Hashanah holiday. The wading birds are off observing it too. The east side of the park had the most bird sounds. There were woodpeckers, mockingbirds, and a warbler. The yellow cloudless sulphur, I think, butterflies were everywhere in the park. Butterflies are still the most difficult subject to photograph.

The park is getting ready for the Fall Festival and Halloween Extravaganza. The surreys are decorated and the train tracks are almost ready for the Haunted Express.

2011-09-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

It is another warm and humid start for the day. The rain held off yesterday and the puddles in the park are shrinking. I guess that includes the wading birds. The Anhinga was the only bird at the spillway. The turtle is munching on a Pond Apple.

2011-09-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

I was able to get out and about today. Yesterday was a complete washout. The lake is just about as full as I've ever seen it. The park was busy with runners and just a few walkers. The wading birds were missing.

The Osprey was soaring over the eastern side of the park. The Tricolor was at the spillway again. The kingfishers have returned to the park. I was puzzled that there were no warblers in the trees this morning. I heard several of them when I was having coffee on my lanai.

The 2 gators were tussling in the reeds at the marina.

2011-09-23T11:42:00.000-04:00

Very warm and muggy with no breeze. The sweat poured off me this morning. I started out under mostly blue skies and ended under mostly cloudy skies. I walked through the Nature Walk area today for the first time in a month (it is a haven for skeeters) or so and found it mostly flooded. I'm thinking it was from yesterday's rain.

The wading birds were missing the two on the spillway were the only ones I saw. There were many Mocking birds throughout the park. The hawk was sitting in a tree until a squirrel made him fly to the light pole. The rabbits are getting bigger. The ducks were at the small lake by the train station. The Anhinga was at the marina.

I like these red flowers. I'm pretty sure they are a weed vine.

2011-09-21T11:20:00.000-04:00

I'm back from the cool and rainy Colorado Mountains. I was with friends trying to fish the Conejos River area in south central Colorado near Antonita. The 10 photos at the bottom are from the trip. The first one was taken at the Platorro reservoir. It's at 10,000 feet and the day we were there is was very windy and cold. The raspberries were delicious and we caught just enough trout for dinner.

We tried to fish the Trujillo Meadows Lake twice. On the first try it was windy, rainy and cold. The next day we started fishing then the clouds moved in and it started to rain which immediately change to sleet, then snow with thunder.

The photos of the drier areas are form a road trip out east of Antonita to the Rio Grand River. We did that to get out of the rain which you can see from one of the shots was trying to follow us.

The blue bird is a Steller's Jay and the deer is a Mule Deer.

The last 2 photos are of the Conejos River where our cabin was and a moon shot from the cabin.

The park shots of the completed spillway control at the entrance to the Nature Walk where the Tricolor was fishing. The Little blue was near the same area. The Great Blue was along the path to the Boardwalk along with two fishermen. The Anhinga really likes to perch on the recycled products bridge sign. The flowers are Dwarf Ponciana in the Fragrance Garden.

2011-09-09T12:01:00.000-04:00

I got a late start this morning thanks to me having to stay up late watching the NFL. Games that start after 8:30PM end very late here in the eastern time zone. Any way the park was not very busy. I see any other people after the Train Station area.

Mocking birds were singing in the Fragrance Garden. That is where the flower photo was taken. The rabbit was along the path leading to the boardwalk. The Tricolors were fishing in the same area.

2011-09-08T09:58:00.001-04:00

It is a sunny morning, finally. There were more birds out and about today mostly on the east side of the park. There were several Pileated Woodpeckers and Blue Jaysaround the park. Also, the woods north of the train shed had several warblers in them. I need to work on my warbler identification skills.

There were just a few walkers on the trails. The joggers out numbered us. They are wrapping up the construction at the spillway.

Gulf Fritillary butterflies were in the Fragrance Garden. One was nice enough to pose for me. The little gator was in the same spot as yesterday. The Great Egret was at the beach.

The skeeter helicopter was out this morning.

2011-09-07T10:30:00.001-04:00

I got a walk in. We had a total rain out yesterday. We had tropical rain showers and some heavy thunderstorms. According to the weather guys 3 inches fell in the afternoon. It was enough to allow water to run into the new drain at the north end of the park. The south drain was running over. The Tricolor was fishing from it and the gator was relaxing on the output side.

There is more work on the spillway today. The snake is a water moccasin. He caused one walker to turn around. The Great Blue was along the same path as the snake and the Anhinga was on the island statue near the creosote bridge.

I almost forgot, World of Beer is open the the Bell Tower Shopping Center. Wow!!!! If you like beer go. No food just great beer from around the world.

2011-09-05T11:05:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day. It is warm and windy today. The park is busy. There are lots of folks picnicking, biking and walking throughout the park. The birds are on holiday too. I didn't see any of the usual posers. The early migrants are starting to show up. The sandpiper was at the beach. I was surprised to see the family of Common Moorhens. I thought breading season was over. The lizard was bouncing up and down trying to impress his mate. The squirrels have stripped the fruit from the Geiger Trees.

2011-09-02T09:45:00.001-04:00

It is still cloudy, 5th day in a row. However, the clouds and a slight breeze made for a pleasant walk. I'm so used to the heat and humidity that today was a shock to the system. The park was not busy. I passed one other walker this morning.

The photo of a metal cage is what businesses are doing to protect the brass water main valves from metal thieves. The thieves have moved on the these now. I think because most of the AC units now are protected by cages. I can only wonder what's next on the theft chain.

The little Blue heron was in the same area as yesterday. They finished the metal work at the spillway. As you can tell the Great Blue was the bird of the day. The Anhinga was sound asleep at the recycled products bridge.

The wilds cotton has opened and the Lilly is about to bloom.

2011-09-01T11:19:00.000-04:00

I finally got to walk. It has been a wet and cloudy week down here in southwest Florida. Most unusual. The park is very wet with puddles everywhere. There were a few walkers out and about this morning. The cloud cover muted the birds colors. The rabbits were in their usual spot along the path to the boardwalk.

The construction is underway at the spillway at the entrance to the Nature Walk. The flower shot is from the Fragrance Garden.

2011-08-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

I’m back from a wonderful trip to Yosemite National Park. You can view the photos here and the video here.

We couldn’t get reservations in the park so we stayed in Mariposa Ca. I think we chose the best option if you cannot stay in the park. The reason is the drive in to the park along US140 is very scenic as it parallels the Merced River and the entrance to the park is the famous Arched Rocks. Whereas the drive up US41 from Oakhurst is forest views, not bad but US140 is prettier. Also the dining options in Mariposa are excellent. We ate at Savoury’s, the Charles Street Dinner House, and Castillo’s. Every meal was extraordinary.

We had a little problem on our second day; our return to Mariposa via US140 was blocked by a fire in the Merced River Canyon. The fire was started when a motorhome caught fire and blew up near El Portal. This made our drive to the park twice as long and the smoke was making the sky hazy.

Fire aside, all I can say is what a beautiful park. The park is very busy with visitors from everywhere on this planet. I lost count of the different languages I heard. The other thing is, be prepared for long days behind the wheel. Expect to spend a day for the drive through the valley, up to Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove and another for Tioga Road, Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass. Then there are the hikes, I think you can spend a life time hiking here just as John Muir did.

2011-08-22T10:21:00.000-04:00

It is a very warm and muggy morning out there. There is a lot of standing water and running sweat. The Lilly is in a creek near the park. The gator was just waiting for breakfast to stop by. It was near the shore by the maintenance building area. The Snowy Egret was dining from the spillway. The swallowtail butterfly was in the Fragrance Garden. I looked in my butterfly book but couldn't id the species. The turtle was munching on a Pond Apple near the creosote bridge.

The ibis was feeding along the main path to the boardwalk. Last Friday I was with a group from the Lee County Bird Patrol that counted the morning fly-out from the Lakes Park rookeries. We counted over 2800 White Ibis leaving the rookeries. The fly-out begins just after sunup and last about 30-45 minutes. Two of us counted over 1400 ibis from our point of view. It was spectacular!

2011-08-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

It is a nice morning. The humidity is down a bit and there is a breeze from the east. The birds were missing from the paths. The flower is a Dwarf Poinciana. The gardeners have planted several of them in the Fragrance Garden. The stack of wood is the results of exotic plant removal along the path to Riva de Lago. You have a good change of see the park gators now that the rookeries are empty.

2011-08-17T10:36:00.000-04:00

After yesterdays rain out the storms are staying just off shore so I got my walk in. The park was very quiet. I saw 2 other walkers and 4 runners. There weren't many birds out today. The Great Blue was sunning near the spillway and the Tricolor was on the spillway There were many of the little frogs around the train depot. The one in the photo was on the corner of a brick.

2011-08-12T10:16:00.001-04:00

It's ugggy out this morning. One can drop lbs out there today. The were several bikers and walkers out and about today.

As you can see the birds were few and far between. The Snowy was at the entrance to the Nature Walk. The Great Blue was at the north end of the park as was the butterfly. The lizard was in the Fragrance Garden. I saw a raccoon family on the trail to the train shed. I've not seen them in years. The yellow fish is a gar. Very unusual color.

2011-08-11T10:57:00.000-04:00

I got my walk in before the rain got me this morning. The park was busy, I'm thinking today is a makeup day for the washout yesterday. There were many bikers, a couple of joggers, a kayak-er, and a photographer. It was also very sweaty. We got about 3inches yesterday and there is water standing everywhere.

The wading birds really like the new water drains. The Great Egret and Tricolor were at the new drain on the west side. The others were at the new spillway.The hawks were roosting on a digger near the Bermuda Field.

I got a warning from the google that I've exceeded my photo web space for my blog. Looks like I've got a lot of work to do this weekend.

2011-08-10T10:25:00.000-04:00

Well, if you walk enough in Florida you will get caught in a rain storm. Today was my turn. I was about a mile into my walk when the storm hit. I was lucky to be near a shelter so I was protected from the lighting and torrential down pour. Once the rain let up it was very peaceful and quiet in the park. Needless to say I was the only one out and about.

There were a few birds out in the rain. The Tricolor was near the shelter I was in. After the rain let up I got a shot of a Great Blue and a family of ibis on my way home.

2011-08-09T09:30:00.000-04:00

Today is sunny and dry. Yesterday was very unusual for sunny southwest Florida, it rained off and on all day.
I got an early start this morning and it was very quiet in the park. I saw one other walker and 3 bikers.

There weren't many birds along the paths. The Little Blues (the white one is a young one) were at the beach. The Great Blue was at he spillway at the entrance to the Nature Walk. The mammal of the day was the rabbit. I counted 10 of them around the park. The Anhinga was drying on the boardwalk.

2011-08-05T10:22:00.000-04:00

I think it is a bit better today. The breeze is from the east and feels a little dryer. The park is all set for the weekend. The grass is cut and trimmed. Everything looks very nice. I passed one other walker, a couple of bikers, a joggers and a flock of birders.

It is another bird lite morning, to bad for the biriders. I saw 2 Tricolors. The big gator was near the boardwalk. It was just waiting.

2011-08-04T10:12:00.000-04:00

I had to wait out a shower this morning. You might think that would cool things off, you'd be wrong. It hot out and humid out there. I was the only one in the park except for the mowers until I was on my way home. There were a few fishermen out this morning.

I can translate what the Anhinga is saying...it's hot! The ibis was the bird of the day. There were several Great Blues around the lake.

There were many butterflies in the Fragrance Garden this morning. The one in the photo is a White Peacock butterfly.

The photo of the thunderhead over the marina was taken from the creosote bridge.

2011-08-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

It's like walking in soup, warm, still, and very humid.

Things that make me go hummm.. They have put guard rails between the path and the new drainage area at the west end of the lake. You would have to veer more than 10 feet off the path to fall into the water. I'm thinking most folks could stop themselves before plunging into the water but now they may smack into the guard rails.

The wading birds had better things to do than pose for me today. The shot of the moss roses like plants was taken near the bridge to the Nature Walk. The big gator was cruising in the same area. The morning glories are blooming in the Fragrance Garden.

2011-08-02T10:20:00.000-04:00

This morning was warm, humid, sunny with no breeze. So the sweat factor was high. I passed only one other walker. There were just a few runners and a couple of bikers on the paths.

There weren't many birds along the paths. There more Ibis out today. The Tricolor was the only one I saw. The Common Moorhen was along the gravel path to the Riva towers.

I've never been a fan of Zinnias but if you want constant color and bloom they the way to go. These are in the Fragrance Garden and have been in bloom all summer. The orange flowers are on a Geiger Tree. There are 3 of them in the park located along the gravel path to the train shed.

They have refurbished the shelter and deck at the north end of the park. The photo of the drain area is the the north end of the park. Now there is a new water inlet at the north and an outlet south end of the lake. The spillways at the train trellis and the entrance to the Nature are are under construction.

2011-08-01T11:17:00.000-04:00

I got a little later than normal start this morning so I was surprised it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. There was a slight breeze from the southeast and some thin high clouds that helped keep me a little cooler.

The path is open, paved and grass planted in the construction area. They even put in 10-12 new trees a mixture of pine and palms.

The Loggerhead Shrike was near the entrance to the Nature walk. I've not seen one in several weeks. The rabbits keep getting bigger. The bird of the day was the Tricolor Heron. I counted 5 this morning along the path.

The cactus flower is in the Fragrance Garden. As is the pink Wild Cotton bloom.

The Anhinga was perched on the bridge by the Amphitheater.

I guess some of my photos are pretty good. I had the one of the Great Blue I took last Friday made into a 16x30 poster at Walgreens. When I picked it up the clerks questioned me as to where the copyright acknowledgement for the photo was. I explained the them I took the photo. The clerk said wow you are very good. So my ego was stroked for the day.

2011-07-29T10:19:00.000-04:00

It is hot and sunny this morning. The best thing I can say about it is there is a breeze from the east. The park is busy with picnickers in several shelters. The west path is kinda closed (you can walk around the equipment) so they can pave the portion that was dug up for the drain.

It weren't many birds out but the one Great Blue was spectacular,

The Water Lilly is in the pond in the Fragrance Garden.

2011-07-26T09:57:00.000-04:00

It is a rumbling, humid, warm morning. I waited for a passing shower to start my walk and was rewarded by a beautiful rainbow over my condo. The mowers are out in force in the park. I think they can or need to mow every 4 or 5 days to keep the grass under some control. I didn't pass another walker this morning. I did see 5 bikers and 3 runners.

The bird of the day was the Tricolor Heron. I counted 7 of them between the entrance to the Nature Walk and the Boardwalk. The Red-shouldered Hawk was at the maintenance building area. The Great Blue, Snowy Egret and Tricolor were at the spillway at the entrance to the Nature Walk.

There are 2 new information signs at the kiosk at the park pedestrian entrance. One is a trail map and the other explains the watershed for the area. The heavy construction equipment is gone. They have added a filter to keep debris from clogging the new lake drain at the southwest end of the lake.

I've been waiting for a couple of weeks to see what type of a bloom will show on this yellowish plant in the Fragrance Graden. I'm beginning to think what you see is what you get. The Beauty Berry bushes are turning color.

2011-07-21T10:40:00.000-04:00

It is warm and a bit more humid this morning. The park was very quiet with just a few walkers and bikers on the paths. There weren't very many birds along the paths either. The Little Blue Heron was the first I've seen in awhile. The dead trees along the path at the north side of the Bermuda Field are marked for removal.

2011-07-20T10:34:00.000-04:00

It is a bit warmer this morning because there is no breeze as you tell from the photo of the Great Blue with the lake in the background. There were more walkers this morning and several bikers. The Tricolor was the only one I saw this morning. The Anhinga is drying on one of the only rock islands that have not been covered by rising waters.