Event Update

Well, I ended up skipping McKee Botanical Gardens yesterday as I didn't have any RSVPs, and I had some other stuff I had to get done.  But we did get in a hike at Goodwin Wildlife Management Area. If you didn't GOYB, here is what you missed (Click on the picture to enlarge. The turtle is especially neat enlarged):

A red shoulder hawk. It's rare that I get a picture that actually shows why they are called red-shouldered hawks.

 We saw lots of red-winged blackbirds. They are another of my favorites, I just like the burst of color against so much blackness.

 This was our find of the day. Shown here is the divine Ms. H with a very dead turtle. The neat thing is, it was perfectly preserved. It appeared to have died of old age, there were no signs of a struggle or predators.

 It was completely stripped of soft tissue, most likely by bugs after death. The rest of it was completely intact, and, most likely due to dry hot air, it was almost mummified.

 Ibrahim showing how huge the turtle was.

Deer, dears. I love the diversity at Goodwin WMA - birds, turtles, deer, snakes. Critters galore!

We saw a LOT of REALLY big snakes this trip. Unfortunately, I forgot to charge the camera before I left, and most of the pictures of the snakes didn't come out. We also saw a huge herd of Roseate Spoonbills who are hanging out at the roost just as you come out of the parking area. I plan to charge the camera and go back for another dusk walk this week, most likely on Wednesday. If you haven't ever seen a Roseate, this is the walk to join me on, they are close to the road and easy to photograph (IF you remember to charge your camera battery, that is.)

Hope to see you out there with me soon!