Cooperative Heron

Hardly a day goes by on our morning walks around Gainesville when we don't see one of these, and usually several of their distant relatives also. Now and then one, like this guy, seems to want to pose for us. Okay, in all likelihood he is mesmerized by a fat tadpole, and couldn't care less about us. Even so, I couldn't resist taking his picture.

A Day Fit for Frogs

Following recent heavy rains, the humidity was extreme on today's shortened walk. Several kinds of frogs responded by calling, something most usually do after dark. First there was the "!glug" of bronze frogs, then the "click, click" of cricket frogs. Almost together squirrel treefrogs sounded off with their rasping calls, and green treefrogs (image above) chimed in with their call, which reminds some of the sound of cowbells. Pig frogs joined the fray with their namesake snorts. A while later I heard the high-pitched buzz of a narrow-mouth frog calling from a puddle beside the path. There may have been other species whose calls I don't recognize. Missing this morning was the booming call of bullfrogs, which we hear most days, often from storm sewers, where their sound is widely transmitted and weirdly amplified.

A Glass Lizard

  Eeks, a snake! Well, maybe not.

A Glass "Snake"

I came across this small (ca. 1 foot) snake-like creature on today's walk, and soon realized that he was not a snake at all, but a glass lizard.

Three or possibly more kinds of these limbless lizards may occur here, so it was necessary to take a close look to figure out which one he was.

Vertical neck bars and lack of prominent stripes may be tipoffs

Examining the patterns on the head and body suggests that this specimen is a young eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis). The habitat seems right also. Second opinions will be welcomed.

March 11 at San Felasco Hammock

Training for our long walk in May, we've been taking long hikes. Today we did a six mile walk at San Felasco Hammock. As always, the place served up many delights.

Several small fringetrees (Chionanthus virginicus) near the parking lot were in blossom

The area's many flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) had mostly lost their blossoms, and in places the trail was littered with white petals. One small tree, pictured below is evidently a late bloomer.

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

One upland area had experienced a controlled burn. The fire appeared to have been a hot one that was effective in killing most invading deciduous trees.

Dead Carolina cherry (Prunus caroliniana) trees in burned area

Despite appearing to have been completely consumed by fire, young longleaf pines (Pinus palustris) survived.

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) seedling

On the left is turkey oak (Quercus laevis), another fire tolerant tree

Rusty Blackhaw

This little tree is called rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum). It has dark, shiny green leaves. How puzzling, I thought. Nothing about is looks rusty, and how did it ever get that name?

Problem solved? The photo was taken early March here in Florida, and perhaps it is the new spring foliage that gives it its name. That's possible, although some accounts mention brilliant red fall coloration.

Signs of Spring - February 11, 2013

Yellow Jessamine

American Hop Hornbeam, just leafing out

Shiny Blueberry

Muscadine Grape

Slash Pine in Blossom - Cedar Key 1/11/13

Having cars covered in pine pollen is not something we normally associate with early-mid January.