Thursday, July 20, 2017

Silver Springs State Park, Ocala Florida


Hello and happy Thursday!


Back in March, hubby and I visited the Silver Springs State Park near Ocala Florida. It was a beautiful day for a visit to the park and for a hike on the trails. The main entrance is where you can find the glass bottom boat ride, some trails and a boardwalk with Macaques monkeys running wild. We were surprised to see monkeys wild in Florida, we have seen them in Costa Rica and Panama.

A pretty sky and reflection, the clear waters at the Silver Springs State Park is very clear and colorful.


The birds seen at Silver Springs State Park, Little Blue Heron, Anhinga, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Duck, Red-shouldered Hawk.


The Macaques monkeys seen on the boardwalk. I took a few photos of them but when they started moving towards hubby and I,  we decided it was best to leave. These monkeys have been in this park since the 1930's. Tour boat operator Captain Tooey released some monkeys on an island in the park  around the time of the filming of  a Tarzan movie film nearby.  The monkeys escaped the island and started breeding. It is said there are close to 200 monkeys in the park now.



The monkeys were running wild on the boardwalk, on the railing and they were in the trees above us.
There are warnings to stay a good distance from the monkey, they can bite.


There are different sections and entrances to this park on the same day we hiked on a trail that has views of the river. Some wildlflowers, egret, thrush, turtles lizards and the boardwalk.






























Another look at the pretty sky.


"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty."  John Ruskin



My list of thankful things:
I am thankful for good health.
I am thankful for pretty days and nice weather for our walks.
I am always thankful for nature I see.


I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.  Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments.
Have a happy day!

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday

60 comments:

  1. What a great place to visit, and blue skies, we have forgotten what they look like down here lately.

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  2. Good Morning, Eileen. You certainly had a gorgeous day for your visit. The monkeys would have made me uneasy, also. Interesting to learn how they came there.

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  3. a beautiful place with wonderful animals. amazing how animals can adapt... have a beautiful day!

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  4. Trabalho fotográfico fantástico e de grande beleza.
    Um abraço e continuação de boa semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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  5. I am amazed that steps have not been taken to remove these non-native monkeys from the park. A large group like that can change the native flora and fauna in a hurry.

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  6. Silver springs has long been one of my most favorite spots in FL.. I took my first glass bottom boat ride back in 1952 at age 8, and several over the years. back in the 50s across from the boats was a western town, I loved that place. we rode a stage coach to the town and they had gunfights in the street and teepees with Indians.. you stirred up memories. it is still gorgeous as I can see by your photos. love the monkey

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  7. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this amazing park with you, Eileen! What wonders there are around every corner!
    your photos of the monkeys and wildlife are super!
    Best wishes!

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  8. ...so many wonderful views of nature!

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  9. What a wonderful place to visit and so much wildlife to see which you have captured beautifully. The monkey is cute but I wouldn't want it jumping on me!!
    Have a great Thursday :)

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  10. Great place and a great post Eileen. I am very happy the monkeys are allowed to roam free but think you were wise to head in the other direction at their approach. Happy day to you :)

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  11. Oh my, that's so funny about those monkeys. I wonder how many people have been bitten. I wouldn't want to vist there with them running around. Looks nice though. Thanks for sharing.

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  12. Hello,

    Beautiful birds and funny monkeys! I can see that you have photographed a Iris among the wildflowers.

    Happy Thursday!

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  13. Hello Eileen,
    I can only agree totally with David, these foreign monkeys should not tolerated in a nature preserve such as this one!
    This said, your pics are lovely and the water so turquoise!
    Thanks for dropping by, I've been away quite a bit and have lots of pics to sort out!!
    Keep well and enjoy what's left of the week

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  14. Beautiful reflection in the first shot

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  15. What an amazing place, Eileen! A beautiful and fascinating series of photos! Thank you so much for sharing.

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  16. We haven't been there in years. I didn't realize the monkeys came into the park. When we were there they were only out on an island in the river.

    I've heard on the news that sometimes they find the monkeys quite aways from Silver Springs. There was one running around a neighborhood in Clermont. He had worked his way down the river and into the chain-of-lakes area.

    They sure are cute, but they sure can be trouble too. LOL

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  17. non-native species can cause havoc, but these guys sure are cute

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  18. Good morning and Happy Almost Friday! You certainly had a beautiful blue skies day for your visit! It has been many years since last we were there so I don't remember any monkeys at all. You got some excellent photos of them too. Loved all the other creatures--birds (of course!) and the turtle and lizard. So glad you had a pleasant visit.

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  19. Thank YOU, Eileen for being a true friend

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  20. Great photos and creatures and good things to be thankful for...

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  21. You do have beautiful parks in your region. How you must love discovering these wonderful creatures!

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  22. I wonder if the monkeys like it there. He was kind of cruel to release them outside of their natural habitat. But cool to be able to see them here... :)

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  23. How unusual to find wild monkeys in North America!

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  24. I had no idea wild monkeys lived anywhere in the US! thanks for enlightening me.

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  25. Wow Beautiful. Love that first picture.

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  26. I learned something. I didn't know that there were monkeys running wild in the US (I mean outside the state and national legislative branches!)

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  27. Beautiful skies, Eileen! BTW, I didn't know they had wild monkeys in Florida, and interesting backstory on how they came to be there.

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  28. Hi Eileen,
    A wonderful wildlife and great photos of the nature and the animals ~ the monkeys living wild is news to me... that's wonderful that it still takes place today!

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  29. Hello!:) Another beautiful park, with a tropical feel about it. Thanks for the wide range of lovely nature shots. The wood Duck is so pretty. Neat shots of the monkeys, but they can be a annoying, and I'm surprised they roam freely there. I had a bad experience with the wild apes in Gibraltar, and have been wary of monkeys ever since,.. you were right to move away.

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  30. Lovely sky shot and critters too ~ ^_^

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  31. A lovely place to visit. You've photographed it beautifully.

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  32. What a great place to see the wildlife without going too far.

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  33. I love that first photo...it looks so cool and refreshing.

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  34. I will admit that I might have been a bit suspect of those monkeys!! Seriously! Thanks for linking up today and have a great weekend!

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  35. Looks like a great place to visit.
    Merle........

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  36. Beautiful pictures and wonderful quote and poem. Thank you.
    May all your days be wonderful

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  37. I wouldn't have expected to see monkeys running wild either...and I would been wanting to keep my distance from them, too. LOL

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  38. Your most beautiful photo of the day has to be the first one of the beautifully colored water, with the clouds and sky reflection! And, the trail you hiked on is just full of colorful plants and critters. This is a wonderful post, Eileen. Have a great weekend!

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  39. Amazing place. Loved the pics.
    Greetings

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  40. I have to say I´m not that fond of monkeys in any way. Not even the ones I saw in Japan. Maybe because they behave much like us. :( Love the area and the birds :)

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  41. Eileen, these photos are stunning! That first one looks like it belongs in a calendar or a magazine.
    Amalia
    xo

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  42. I have vague memories of visiting Silver Springs on family vacation when I was very young. Beautiful nature photos, Eileen! Have a great weekend.

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  43. Interesting to read about the monkeys1 great photos!

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  44. Great photos!
    I did not know there were wild populations of monkeys in the US
    Have a wonderful week-end!

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  45. Hello Eileen,
    This also seems to me a very beautiful park.
    You have been able to make beautiful pictures.
    I wish you a very nice weekend.
    Greetings, Helma

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  46. Lovely photo's Eileen, but your first one is stunning.
    Loved seeing the monkeys and I like how you've done your mosaic.

    My good wishes for the up coming weekend.

    All the best Jan

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  47. i have always wanted to take a ride in a glass bottom boat, i never have!!

    beautiful captures of the landscape, and nice clear pictures of the monkeys. this looks like a great park!!!

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  48. Oh so pretty that first image is, I could barely get passed that one...I kept looking at its beauty!!

    Great post today Eileen.

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  49. I just love watching monkeys, they can be so entertaining!

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  50. You got a beautiful sky and reflection shot in that top one. Anhinga, Pied-billed Grebe, a bird I don't know and one of my favorite names ever, especially for such an unassuming little critter. The Anhinga seems to be shaped like a heron.

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  51. So many beautiful birds and animals to see in the park. I like the collage with a mixture of flowers, birds, turtles and lizards. Have a beautiful day!

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  52. I forgot to mention the monkeys. OMG. No thanks and good move. When we went to FL as a kid I begged for a monkey the entire time I was there and all the way back in the car to WI. But now I would freak if one came toward me or my camera.

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  53. Liking your nature views, blue skies and critters!

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  54. Great photos, Eileen. It must be a great park. I wish I could visit it one day. Kisses from Greece, my friend.

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  55. We MUST go there. Big article in the Ft Myers paper the other day (we read it on line) about these monkeys and the problems they are having ...I hope they are still there next season ...this park is on my must visit list!

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  56. How lovely to have a thankful Thursday!

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  57. Lots of amazing wildlife at Silver Springs! The monkeys are a bit scary...for sure! I'm thankful to live here! Enjoy your weekend! Hugs!

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  58. Oh my gosh what beautiful views! Your opening photo of the water is inviting!

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  59. When my daughter and family lived in Ocala, they showed me this park... but that was long before I was such an avid birder! There was an amusement side to it, and THAT is what they wanted to share with me! Hugs!

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