08 Pine Island: Flowers
Trip Start
Jan 15, 2008
1
8
9
Trip End
Jun 08, 2008
Pine Island,
Florida,
United States
Thursday, April 24, 2008
After unloading the bike at my new home (for a couple of months) on Pine Island, I finally re-attached the bed to the van wall (I had that falling feeling when catching sixty winks on the way back to Mississauga). The Everglades, even before the oncoming wet season, have changed considerably in my one month absence -- the water level in the northern part of the park is up about 12 inches. The wildlife, especially the birds, is spreading out to utilize the "new" feeding zones. I have been seeing Swallow-tailed Kites on a daily basis but have yet to take a good picture
001-Wild Petunia
.Falling in love with the little cabin with its screened-in-porch; Pine Island in the slough at the north end of the park is so peaceful and scenic. My quest to photograph and learn about the wildflowers of the Everglades is progressing rapidly -- hopefully there won't be too many complaints of overkill. I am also continuing to help turtles cross the road as they seek nests for their eggs.
I'm slowly wearing the dog out in the heat by going on flower photography walks, but Bogie eagerly wags his tail the next morning to do it all over again :). The orchids and the small wildflowers are the most spectacular; got to wade and walk through a marsh to see a five-hundred year old (estimated) Cowhorn Orchid plant -- I expect to return a number of times to this area as other types of orchids come into bloom soon.
The weather is typically 80-89F during the day; hot enough to remove my jean jacket :) -- one week, it cooled to 70+F. I finally got my first long-distance pictures of a swallow-tailed kite and I'm looking forward to seeing a Frigate bird (next on my hit list).
Had a short kayak trip of a lifetime as I got to see, closely, an endangered American Crocodile and hundreds of Gators in the same area, which is rare
002-Wild Petunia
. Being in a kayak ten plus feet from a fifteen to sixteen foot crocodile keeps one on the edge of your seat. Also espied another Spoonbill and Glossy Ibis while finally capturing a picture for my collection of a carnivorous Bladderwort.The Magnificent Frigate (a.k.a. Man O' War) is currently elusive -- the rangers at Biscayne National Park have not seen any for over a month. Hopefully, patience will pay dividends over the next couple of months. Since I have now captured so many flower pictures, I am posting prior to meandering to other places in the Glades.
Been spending time with Bogie, a short-haired Border Collie, at agility classes -- these dogs have awesome speed when flying through the courses; failure, in most cases, is the fault of the handlers.
Tidbits:
- The best "Everglades Wildflowers" book is by Roger L. Hammer, circa 2002.
- Epiphytes (a.k.a Airplants), which include most orchids, are the most spectacular plants to my eyes and, unlike vines, do not harm host trees.
- Visited estate auctions for a change of pace; if you need stuff it is a buyer's market.
- Hopefully I will get to utilize my tent soon; the stars at night down here are spectacular.
PS: Please send me a note if I have misnamed any flowers... Thanks... TomB
Comments
thinking of publishing?
So with all these pictures, are you going to be publishing a book of your own on the Everglades wild flowers?
Flowers :)
Being a visual person, I always learn by doing...
Besides, I think there are too many Everglades books for me to make a dent in that market :)