Blog 339: Dragonflies, Skinks, and Purple Gallinules
Baby Opossum
While heading toward the saltwater boat ramp, Jan said, “Look at the opossum with a bad hair day!”, as an adult opossum scurried along looking like a bad case of mange had attacked her hide. “Wait," Jan said, “Those are babies on her back.” As the momma kept hustling as best she could for protection, we noticed that a baby had fallen off. I picked it up and the tiny creature showed me his/her teeth and gave me a hiss one might expect from a full-grown bobcat. I set her down close to where Momma found her security, quickly took a couple of pictures, then we left so that Mom and baby could get back together.
Skinks
Close to where our coach rests, we RV volunteers have a gathering place called “The Roost.” It includes several piles of wood that we use for group campfires. Our neighbor, Bonnie, alerted us to the fact that skinks were living in our firewood, and she pointed out where they were. For those of you who know your lizards, a skink is a little bigger than the anoles one sees all over South Florida. Here is a male broad-headed skink, a couple of frisky broad-headed skinks, and a five-lined skink. Makes me wonder who else is living in our wood pile?
Voles
Recently we have started seeing voles on the refuge. These cute little buggers hang out in all-salt marsh areas and are particularly abundant down by the lighthouse. Here are a couple of salt marsh vole photos.
Dragonflies
There are few living things more transparent, fragile, and beautiful than dragonflies. Here is a black saddlebags dragonfly we saw while on the south Double Dike.
While walking one cold morning on the Tower Pond Trail, Jan spotted a dragonfly lying in the path. She picked it up, hoping the warmth from her hand would bring back vitality to this creature of flight. However, the warm-up process was a slow one and there were birds to watch and other sites to see so Jan stayed in touch with the dragonfly while hiking along. Then the dragonfly was visited by a damselfly. Quite the hike.
A couple days later we were having lunch at Otter Lake and saw a male Eastern pondhawk dragonfly and a female Eastern pondhawk dragonfly. I shot two views of the beautiful green female.
Purple Gallinule
As most of you know (or have guessed), there are few things we find more beautiful in nature than birds. You have seen a few great examples in earlier blogs: the vermillion fly catcher, the American flamingo and on and on.
But one of our favorites is the purple gallinule. Here is the first one we have seen at the refuge. Here are three photos from the couple of hundred I shot.
Eagles
It has been a good year for eagle watching. Several nests, many productive, some good-looking juveniles added to the eagle family
More Birds
One More Pic
See you next time.
While heading toward the saltwater boat ramp, Jan said, “Look at the opossum with a bad hair day!”, as an adult opossum scurried along looking like a bad case of mange had attacked her hide. “Wait," Jan said, “Those are babies on her back.” As the momma kept hustling as best she could for protection, we noticed that a baby had fallen off. I picked it up and the tiny creature showed me his/her teeth and gave me a hiss one might expect from a full-grown bobcat. I set her down close to where Momma found her security, quickly took a couple of pictures, then we left so that Mom and baby could get back together.
)
Skinks
Close to where our coach rests, we RV volunteers have a gathering place called “The Roost.” It includes several piles of wood that we use for group campfires. Our neighbor, Bonnie, alerted us to the fact that skinks were living in our firewood, and she pointed out where they were. For those of you who know your lizards, a skink is a little bigger than the anoles one sees all over South Florida. Here is a male broad-headed skink, a couple of frisky broad-headed skinks, and a five-lined skink. Makes me wonder who else is living in our wood pile?
)
)
)
Voles
Recently we have started seeing voles on the refuge. These cute little buggers hang out in all-salt marsh areas and are particularly abundant down by the lighthouse. Here are a couple of salt marsh vole photos.
)
)
Dragonflies
There are few living things more transparent, fragile, and beautiful than dragonflies. Here is a black saddlebags dragonfly we saw while on the south Double Dike.
)
While walking one cold morning on the Tower Pond Trail, Jan spotted a dragonfly lying in the path. She picked it up, hoping the warmth from her hand would bring back vitality to this creature of flight. However, the warm-up process was a slow one and there were birds to watch and other sites to see so Jan stayed in touch with the dragonfly while hiking along. Then the dragonfly was visited by a damselfly. Quite the hike.
)
)
)
A couple days later we were having lunch at Otter Lake and saw a male Eastern pondhawk dragonfly and a female Eastern pondhawk dragonfly. I shot two views of the beautiful green female.
)
)
)
Purple Gallinule
As most of you know (or have guessed), there are few things we find more beautiful in nature than birds. You have seen a few great examples in earlier blogs: the vermillion fly catcher, the American flamingo and on and on.
But one of our favorites is the purple gallinule. Here is the first one we have seen at the refuge. Here are three photos from the couple of hundred I shot.
)
)
)
Eagles
It has been a good year for eagle watching. Several nests, many productive, some good-looking juveniles added to the eagle family
)
)
More Birds
)
)
)
)
)
One More Pic
)
See you next time.