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#NotesFromTheRiver - Herons & Egrets Overview

 

I'm afraid Time has not been my friend lately as I frantically strive to meet various publishing deadlines, but I have really missed doing my #NotesFromTheRiver posts, so I'm doing something a bit different today. I'm going to share some highlights from one of my new series of presentations, "Central Florida's Fabulous Wildlife." These are PowerPoint slide shows that I do for various local venues, such as Enterprise Heritage Center & Museum and DeBary Hall Historic Site. I know many of you are unable to attend these events, though I hope you'll be able to one day. In the meantime,  I thought perhaps you might enjoy seeing some of the actual slides used in the Herons & Egrets presentation. (Note, there are a LOT more slides than this, but I tried to pick the ones with the most information contained on them.) So, without further ado, dim the lights, sit back, and enjoy the show!

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#NotesFromTheRiver - Back Again With Some Exciting Announcements!

Greetings, all you fans of Florida wildlife and the St. Johns River! I know I've been MIA for some weeks, but I'm slowly digging myself out of the hole I fell into, and I'm hoping you'll forgive me for the long absence. I've got some fun things to share with you today, and with any luck, should be able to resume weekly posts next Wednesday.

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#NotesFromTheRiver - Here Comes the Stork!

NOTE: THIS POST WAS SCHEDULED TO RUN LAST WEEK,
BUT A TECHNICAL GLITCH ATE MORE THAN HALF OF IT.

HOPE I'VE MANAGED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND I APOLOGIZE
FOR THE DELAY.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, "HERE COMES THE STORK!"



NOOO! Not the Baby-Carrying Kind of Stork! 

The Nesting Material Carrying Kind, Like THIS:


Wood Stork
(Mycteria Americana)

 

Last week, I hinted I'd be talking about something quite beautiful in the air, but possibly a bit less so on the ground, and here it is--the wood stork. For some reason, I really love this big guy, and I hope by the time you learn more about wood storks, you'll learn to love them, too, if you don't already.

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#NotesFromTheRiver - Introduction to Central Florida Yard Birds - The Northern Cardinal


Northern Cardinal
(Cardinalis cardinalis)

 

Today, I'm beginning a series of posts about the birds that call our backyards home. You know the ones I mean. You see these guys at your birdfeeders or singing from the branches of your shade trees. Maybe you have a vague idea of what they are, but don't know much about them. Or maybe you've been trying to ID them, and haven't had any luck so far. I'm hoping this series (which will be interspersed here and there between other posts in the months ahead) will help you recognize what you are seeing and learn a bit more about each species. We'll be taking them a one or two at a time, starting with some of the most common of all. Even non-birders will likely have noticed these guys and maybe even identified a few of them, already.

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#NotesFromTheRiver - The Tiny Terror


Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake
(Sistrurus miliarius barbouri)

Last week, I told you all about the largest venomous snake in the United States, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Today, I'd like to tell you about his "dotty little cousin," the dusky pygmy rattlesnake. If diamonds are the hallmark of last week's big boy, polka dots are the hallmark of this week's little guy. And yes, he's a pretty small snake, averaging about 15" to 22" in length, though once in a great while, you might see one a bit larger. I never have, but YOU might. Who knows? I've heard there are a few out there. But being under 18" on average, these guys aren't as long as a full-grown eastern garter snake, which can get up to 28" or longer.

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#NotesFromTheRiver - Rattlesnakes on Parade: Watch Your Step!


A Seriously Annoyed Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
(Crotalus adamanteus)

A change of pace from birds today, with a post about one of the last two dangerous snakes found in central Florida. The last two species, that is, not the actual last TWO. I've done previous posts on the eastern coral snake and the water moccasin, and today, I want to talk about the Big Guy--the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Next week, I'll deal with the Little Guy, the dusky pygmy rattlesnake. In the panhandle area, you can find timber rattlesnakes (a/k/a canebrake rattlesnakes) and copperheads, but we don't have them here. However, of the two we have left to talk about, one holds the distinction of being the largest rattlesnake the United States, and the other is the one with the most bites attributed to it. Since they are both snakes you want to avoid cornering or stepping on, I'd like to show you how to recognize them. You'll want to give them a plenty of space if you spot them in the wild, and call for a professional to remove them if you spot them in your yard or (gasp) house. So without further ado, let's get started on the eastern diamondback rattlesnake.

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Alert the Media! Enterprise Heritage Center & Museum Extends Doug's Photo Exhibit An Additional Two Weeks!

Great news, everyone, especially if you haven't yet had a chance to check out Doug Little's fantastic photography exhibit at the Enterprise Heritage Center & Museum. This popular exhibit has been held over for an additional two weeks, so you still have time to stop by the museum, located at 360 Main Street in Enterprise, and see for yourself just how stunning Doug's photos are. The exhibit is free, but this wonderful little museum gratefully accepts donations.

To whet your appetite, here are a few of the kinds of things you'll see (and be able to purchase) on display through the 15th. Doug also has his notecards and calendars available for purchase as well.

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Wonderful Volusia County Beacon Article featuring St. Johns River Eco Tours

Absolutely fantastic article in the Beacon this week. This is what St. Johns River Eco Tours is all about, folks, and why it's the best two hours you can spend in central Florida. I hope you'll check out this wonderful article, after you've perused a few photos here, and then I hope you'll immediately book a tour on the Naiad and see for yourself. Doug, along with the very able Captain Dooley will enlighten you on all things pertaining to the river and its wildlife, and will make you laugh along the way. And that doesn't even take into consideration the many stunning photo ops you'll have.

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#WednesdayWonders - The Photography of #DougLittle


West Indian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis)

In honor of wildlife photographer extraordinaire Doug Little's one-man exhibit at Enterprise Heritage Center & Museum this month, I thought maybe you guys would enjoy a #WednesdayWonders post featuring some of my personal favorite photos of his. Yes, you read right. Doug's photography will be on display at the museum throughout the entire month of April, so I hope those of you in the area will stop by to view--and possibly purchase--some of Doug's most beautiful work. He has greeting cards and calendars on sale, as well, I believe.

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Another LBJ For Ya!


Aggressive Much?
(Yes, Where Protecting the Nest is Concerned)

This week's post, though shorter than usual, continues our exploration of central Florida's most common LBJs. (In case you haven't yet read last week's post, LBJ is a highly technical birding term for hard-to-identify species. The literal translation is "Little Brown Jobs," and is widely used among frustrated birders everywhere.) My time today is somewhat limited, as I'm getting ready for company next week, and have the usual 6,000 things to do before they arrive, but I'll do my best to give you some pointers on another common LBJ, so you'll soon be able to call them by their correct names. Maybe. (They ARE difficult, remember.)

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Three Common LBJs (Little Brown Jobs)


Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

As promised, this week's post veers slightly away from the shoreline of the St. Johns and into the backyards of local residents, focusing on those frustrating sightings that often can't be called anything other than "a couple more of those little brown jobs." Each of today's examples is a bird seen--but not always identified--frequently in our area, either year-round, or during migration. I'll do my best to give you some clear examples of what they look like, but I can't promise it will always be a help, unless you get a really clear view of said LBJ, or can make the identification based on habitat or activity. So, without further ado, here's my selection for this week.

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To Paraphrase Neil Sedaka - Catching Up is Hard To Do

Yo! *standing on a box, waving madly* Remember me? Marcia? I'm the Official St. Johns River Eco Tours Blogger. Yeah, the one who hasn't been blogging for months and months. But remember way, way back--before September 10, 2017? Before the Wicked Witch of the South (Hurricane Irma) threw a tree at us, smashed our garage and cars to smithereens, and brought a hoard of contractors, roofers, stonemasons, electricians, plumbers, drywall hangers, framers, and painters down on our heads? I used to come around weekly in those long ago days, and regale you (to the best of my abilities) with images and what I hope was witty commentary on all things related to central Florida wildlife and habitats. Any of this ring a bell? I hope so, because what I wanted to tell you is--I'm back!

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Yo! Pop Quiz!

I thought my time would be mostly my own as the last few bits and pieces of reconstructing our hurricane damage fell into place. I thought WRONG. Oh, so wrong! This last week of inspections and touch-ups and details has been insane, resulting in my not being able to post at all last week, and in really curtailing my activities this week. However, I decided I would touch base with you guys, and figured a brief, little quiz might be fun. With that in mind, pencils sharp everyone. No talking. Eyes on your own paper. And remember, neatness counts!

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The Fairest of Them All - My Top Ten

When you see a gorgeous bird or a beautiful flower, do you find yourself thinking, "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen?" I do. So often, in fact, that I realized I MIGHT be exaggerating. Yes, me. The Queen of Hyperbole might be overstating things somewhat. A wee bit. Maybe. So, I asked myself to reconsider and come up with the Ten Most Beautiful Things Often Spotted Along the St. Johns River. Well, MY top ten, anyway. And here, in no particular order, are my winners for your consideration.

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Presentations, Photography, and Information, Oh, My!


DeBary Hall Historic Site

The house is full of workmen again today, so my time is limited, but I just had to find a few minutes to share some exciting Coming Attractions with you. *Trumpet Fanfare Here*

Ahem. I'm very happy to announce that on Saturday, January 13, at 2:00 PM, Doug Little, owner of St. Johns River Eco Tours and wildlife photographer extraordinaire, will be joining me at DeBary Hall to help me kick off a new series of programs I'll be presenting at the Hall throughout 2018. Saturday's program (and the entire series) will feature many of Doug's fantastic photographs, in addition to lots of interesting facts about each species being discussed.


The name of the series is "Central Florida's Fabulous Wildlife," and each program will focus on one animal, or group of related animals, native to the St. Johns River Basin area. Along with a slide presentation, I will endeavor to share as much information on every critter as I can cram into the time allotted me, and I'm a pretty good crammer! Hopefully, those who attend these events will learn new and interesting things about the wildlife and habitat along our beloved river.

Manatee

The January 13 program will be an overview of the series, giving you a good idea of what to expect from each future presentation. It will also feature some of Doug's very best work. There will be plenty of time built in for Questions and Answers, and Doug will have his brand new, positively gorgeous 2018 Wildlife Calendars available for purchase. He'll be glad to sign and personalize them for you after the program. I will have all of my books available, as well, for those interested.

 

 

Some of the animals I hope to feature in the months ahead include the American alligator, the Florida black bear, herons and egrets, eagles and ospreys, Florida panthers, dangerous snakes, turtles and tortoises, barred owls, and more. And here are some samples of Doug's work, which I will be using whenever possible.

Great Blue Heron

 


Barred Owl

 


Florida Black Bear

 


Turtles on a Log

 


Bald Eagle


I'm so pleased to have an opportunity to explore the fabulous wildlife of central Florida with you, and I hope you'll join Doug and I on January 13, for what I think will be a fun event! We are both looking forward to seeing you there!

Central Florida's Fabulous Wildlife Overview

Saturday, January 13, at 2:00pm
DeBary Hall Historic Site
198 Sunrise Blvd,
DeBary, FL
386-668-3840 

FREE, Reservations Not Required

Coming Next Week

"The Fairest of them All"

See you then!

 

 

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Why I'm Happy to Bid Adieu to 2017 - #HurricaneIrma


Neighbor's Tree On Our House

Some of you may remember that the last time I posted was September 6, as we were getting ready for Hurricane Irma. If not, here I am, jiggling your memory. On September 10, well before the last of the hurricane swept through Sanford, a series of tornados touched down hither and yon in our area. One of them snapped our neighbor's tree off at the base, and slammed it down on top of (and completely through) our garage! It brought down the roof, the attic flooring, the garage ceiling, rafters, and many a heavy box from the attic--and dumped it all on top of our new Honda, at which point life as we knew it came to a long halt.

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#HurricaneIrma - No Post Today

Like most Florida residents, I am battening the hatches, preparing for the possibility that Hurricane Irma will be wreaking havoc with our state in the next few days. Latest projections show it hitting south Florida by 2:00am Monday morning, with several possible paths after that, one of which comes straight through central Florida, where I live. I'm hoping it wobbles farther east and heads out to the Atlantic to die a miserable death ALONE, away from all of us. But we have to be prepared, just in case.

This is the second most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, and certainly could prove to be catastrophic.  The storm surge and wind damage are the two things to worry about with this one, rather than the terrible flooding of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.

I'll be back as soon as Irma blows over (see what I did there?), and hopefully, this one will NOT turn out to be as bad as some are predicting. This is one case where I hope the educated guesses are wrong, but I don't want to bet my life on that. So, back to removing all the flower pots and other items in my yard that could turn into lethal projectiles in heavy winds. (And BTW, they are predicting tropical storm force wind and rain in my area as early as Friday, so getting things put away or tied down is important.)

Please stay safe, all of you who might be in harm's way. ALWAYS err on the side of caution when storms like this are approaching! See you soon!!

 


I live right about where the "L" in "FL" is, well within the dreaded Cone of Uncertainty.

 

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#NotesFromTheRiver - The Fairest of Them All


Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

 

The life of a writer is busier than most would imagine, especially when a book is being edited and wrapped up for publication. I love every minute of what I do, but sometimes it does get in the way of other fun things I enjoy, like sharing facts and pictures of what is surely the most beautiful of all our native ducks, the wood duck. (This is my humble apology for taking so long to get back to you, and I hope you'll forgive me for my absence, when you see what I've got for you today.) 

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#NotesFromTheRiver - That Old Coot!



No, no, no! That's NOT the kind of coot I meant!

 
Now, THIS is more like it!
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Photo by Doug Little

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#NotesFromTheRiver - Ducks That Whistle?


Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

 

Everybody knows ducks quack. Right? Well . . . yeah, sure. But not ALL ducks. Some ducks whistle, believe it or not, and since one of them, the black-bellied whistling duck, is a favorite of mine, that's the one we'll be talking about--and listening to--today.

Black-bellied whistling ducks were called Black-bellied TREE ducks back in the Dark Ages when I first started birding. The name made sense to me, because you so often saw this large, long-legged duck perched in trees, especially along tall, dead limbs that afforded the duck a great view in all directions. I'm not sure if that's why they liked those so much, but that's where they were often spotted. But some time ago, their "official" common name (which is an oxymoron, by the way, since common names are not official, and are often different from place to place) got changed to Black-bellied whistling duck. Unlike many of the other seemingly arbitrary name changes in ornithology, this one actually makes sense. As mentioned above, this bird whistles instead of quacking. If you can't imagine such a thing, go HERE to check it our for yourself. (But come right back. We have lots more to learn about this guy).

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