Ocala Florida

I am linking up with   Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday    and NF Trees

They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts.

I am sharing more from our Florida visit, this was toward the end of our March visit in Ocala Florida. We walked a loop around the lake in Tuscawilla Park. It was a lovely path lined trail with some of the Spanish Moss covered trees that I just love.

A Pileated Woodpecker was seen in one of the moss covered trees.

Ocala is known for all it's gorgeous horse farms. So, it is fitting that there were horse sculptures in the park. In the background are some of the native trees in Ocala and the moss covered trees are common.

A pretty painted horse sculpture.

A look at the lake and  various trees across the way, I love the palm trees.

I like this statue, it could be hubby and I in our golden years.

Anhinga with his dinner.

The abstract fishing pole is one of the many sculptures seen in the park.

The lake shore was just covered with ducks, egrets and cormorants and anhingas.

We walked the pathway around the lake checking out the birds, the lake and all the sculptures. I hope you enjoyed our visit to the park. If you are ever in the Ocala Florida area it is worth a visit.  Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit. I appreciate the nice comments..

I use Pic Monkey to create my mosaics, you can use Pic Monkey free or pay for an upgraded version.

I hope you can join in on our fun at  Mosaic Monday and   Our World Tuesday  and NF Trees 

 Thanks to Judith our  host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  Also thanks to Monica for hosting NF Trees.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead!

Disney Wilderness Preserve

I am linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences
I hope you can join in on the fun and share your fence scenes and pretty skies.

Happy Canada Day ( a little late, sorry) to my Canadian blogging friends.  And I wish everyone in the USA a happy 4th of July. 


For this week's Good Fence and Skywatch Friday memes I am sharing more of our Florida trip. On this afternoon we took a drive to the Disney Wildlife Preserve in Kissimmee. It is not your usual Disney Park, the 11,500 acre property was transferred to the Nature Conservancy to preserve and restore the wetlands and is part of the Everglades ecosystem. They have a program to help the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker on the preserve. I read that the woodpeckers are doing well in the pine habitat. The Wood Stork and families of Sandhill Cranes, Crested Caracara, Bald Eagles and other birds can be seen at the preserve.

 One of the first birds I saw at this preserve were the Eastern Meadowlarks. They are beautiful birds, I love their bright yellow colored chest.

For Skywatch Friday I have a view of the trees, wetland and marsh and a pretty sky.

I like this old Walt Disney quote I found. It seems very fitting even for the present time.

"Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future"  Walt Disney.

For my Good Fence entry a view from the overlook of the trail and wetlands on the Disney Wilderness Preserve. We saw some pretty clouds and blue sky during our visit.

The Mockingbirds were common birds seen all around the preserve and in Florida. This Mocking bird posed nicely on the post for me.

Another one for my skywatch, it was a hot day and we wished for some cloud cover for our walk on the trail.

Some fence scenes from around the Preserve's visitor center, the pond, swallowtail butterfly and heading out of preserve we saw some cows on the field. It is a conservation area with both working and protected lands. This preserve is also listed on the Great Florida Birding Trail. If you are ever in the area I suggest visiting and taking a walk on one of the trails.


 I hope you enjoyed my post and photos. Thanks for stopping by and for the nice comments.


To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check for more fence shots at Tex's Good Fences

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.    I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

I am linking up with   Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday  and NC Sue's Wordless. They are both fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts.

I am sharing some images and mosaics from our visit to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park located in Homosassa on Florida Gulf Coast. This park showcases Florida's native animals and some birds that were rescued and rehabilitated. It is sometimes called an assisted living facility or a haven for animals in need.

I took so many photos at this park I could not possibly show them all. I am picking a few favorites.  Above is the Owl mosaic with the Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl on the top row and the bottom row has the Barn Owls and a Burrowing Owl.

The Barn Owl is one beautiful owl. I would love to see one in the wild.

Above the Bald Eagle mosaic.

A larger image of the Bald Eagles.

Top row has the Fulvous Whistling Duck, Black bellied Whistling Duck and the bottom row has another Fulvous Whistling Duck and the male Wood Duck.

A larger image of the Fulvous Whistling Duck they are found in Central and South America and the southern USA. If you are ever in the area I would highly suggesting visiting this park. The birds are just awesome and I believe Manatees  can be seen in the winter months. Thank you for visiting and for all the nice comments.. Have a great day and week ahead!

I use Pic Monkey to create my mosaics, you can use Pic Monkey free or pay for an upgraded version.

I hope you can join in on our fun with Mosaic Monday  and Our World Tuesday and NC Sue's Wordless.

 Thanks to Judith our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer and to Sue for Wordless Wednesday on Tuesdays.  

Fort Island Gulf Beach

I am linking up with   Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday   They are both fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts.

It is the last day of May, unbelievable how fast the days are going..I love summer so I am hoping for lots of warm sunny days ahead.. Are you ready for some more of Florida? These are shots from the Fort Island Gulf beach in Crystal River on Florida's gulf coast.

The Fort Island Gulf Beach was a pretty spot with a nice sandy beach.

I am not positive but I am guessing that the Terns above are the Royal Terns with some Laughing Gulls.

We saw a lot of  Terns, Gulls, Sanderlings and the Piping Plovers. Any help with bird id's are appreciated. I do not claim to be an expert, lol.

I saw that there were a lot of Black Skimmers at one end of the beach.

Black Skimmers, Terns and Gulls.

Above hubby in the orange vest tried snorkeling at a park called Hunter Spring in Crystal River. I sat near the car watching the White Ibis, Mallards and some Scaup ducks hanging around the parking and in the water. I hope you enjoyed this collection of images from our Florida trip. I still have more to share. 

Thank you for visiting and for all the nice comments.. Have a great day and week ahead!

I use Pic Monkey to create my mosaics, you can use Pic Monkey free or pay for an upgraded version.

I hope you can join in on our fun with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday.

 Thanks to Judith our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  

Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland Florida

Linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences  

For this week's Good Fence and Skywatch Friday memes I am sharing more birds, skies and fences from our visit to Lakeland Florida. On this day we walked close to three miles around Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland Florida. It was a little foggy in the early morning, we could not even see the whole lake during our walk.

Above is one of many of the Limpkins we saw during our walk.

Scenes from our walk around the lake, ducks were plentiful and lots of fences in front of the big homes on the lake. My contribution for Tex's Good fences above. During our walk, various groups of ducks would actually run up to us like they were greeting old friends. I know they were looking for food but we did not have anything for them.

This may have been one of the few days we did not have sunny skies while in Florida.. A foggy look at the lake..that is if you can see the lake.

Not a lifer, but one of my favorite Florida birds the Purple Gallinule. It's beak color is different than the Moorhen or Common Gallinule.

A look at the sky, trees and fence as we walked around the lake. Another combo fence and sky shot for both of the memes. I love the trees. I am pretty sure later in day the weather was much better.

It was easy this morning to look straight into the sun..this is it folks, my view of the sky on this day.

More of the Lakeland Birds we saw during our walk around the lake. On the top row: Little Blue Heron, Wood Stork with Limpkin, Mallards or Mottled ducks.  Bottom Row: White Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Duck family.

I hope you enjoyed this series of skies, fences and birds. I know you all know me by now, I can not do a post without my birds, lol! Thanks for stopping by and for the nice comments..

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check for more fence shots at Tex's Good Fences

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.    I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..

Sora

Linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes and NC Sue @ Image-in-ing

For this week's Wild Bird I am sharing the Sora I saw while in Florida.. It came out into the open at the Viera Wetlands..just as I was driving by..The Sora was not a lifer for me my first sighting was Sora @ Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico and last year I saw it in a local Maryland Park.  They are always cool birds to see..

The Sora is a secretive bird in the rail family. It has a short yellow bill, black face and a triangle-shaped body..

I was able to click two some what clear shots of my Sora..

The Sora did not stay out in the open long before it hightailed back into the reeds..

 I hope you enjoyed the Sora and my wild bird post.. Till next week's wild bird post.. I wish you happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird and nature photos please visit:

 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes and Sue for NC-SUE @ image-in-ing

thanks to all of our hosts... Michelle for Nature Notes and Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday.

  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Kissimmee Florida

I am linking up with   Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday   They are both fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts.

After spending three nights on Florida's East coast we drove on to spend some more time at Kissimmee, located inland and not far from Orlando.. I am sharing some of my photos from our visit to Gatorland.. I am not too crazy over the alligators but it was fun seeing the breeding area they have for the birds..

Above a breeding Cattle Egret with lovely colors. The Breeding Marsh at Gatorland was the big attraction for me..Egrets were everywhere..Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets and the Great Egret all had nest at this rookery..

Some scenes from our visit to Gatorland...Black Crowned Night Heron perched on the fence railing, a turtle safe out of the water,  I did like this weird grin on this huge gator.  He/she looks happy..

Also seen as my header, all these Herons and Egrets were seen at the Gatorland rookery..

 I hope you enjoyed my Gatorland post and photos.. Thank you for visiting and for all the nice comments.. Tomorrow is our 25th wedding anniversary, it seems like time has gone by so quickly.. Have a great day and week ahead!

I use Pic Monkey to create my mosaics, you can use Pic Monkey free or pay for an upgraded version.

I hope you can join in on our fun with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

 Thanks to Judith our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  I wish everyone a happy week ahead!

Saturday's Critters #72

Saturday's Critters #72

Happy May and happy weekend, everyone!  It's Saturday and it's time to share your critters.. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who has linked up in the past and for those who are linking in on this week's critter party. And of course I always appreciate my blogging friends stopping by just for a visit.

These shots are all from Kissimmee's Gatorland in Florida.. Their rookery is probably one of the largest I have ever seen. They say the the heronry or I call them a rookery is popular with the Egrets, Herons, Storks and the Anhinga because of the alligators.  The birds nests are high enough above the gators and they feel protected from critters raiding their nest such as the raccoon.. The raccoons will not go near the alligators..

Momma feeding her chicks..

I loved seeing the egret chicks up close, usually they are high up in the trees..

One nest had some Egret chicks that looked a little older..

This photo you can see some of the alligators laying in the water right below the egrets and their nest..

This Great Egret is showing off beautiful feathers and the pretty green color on his eyes.

This is a look at the rookery from the top of the tower..it only shows a small part of the rookery at Gatorland.. I hope you enjoyed this post and now I am looking forward to seeing your critters...

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks to Tex Theresa aka Tex, I was able to add this link up button and thanks to  Jennifer for creating my photo badge.
<a href="http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/"><img src=" https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3915/15299083201_9709303697_m.jpg" width="185" height="240"></a>

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

Thank you for the visits and for all the nice comments.. As always I appreciate your participating with my critter party..Have a happy weekend!