wildlife

And we all know what that means: photos!

The first comes from the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, and in this photo you can see all the elements of its name: the Apalachicola River, big and muddy from a recent rain; Alum Bluff, on the eastern bank, from which the photo was taken; and the mouth [...]

Not the bird itself, although I heard several1 in the same area, but its nest:

1. The white-eyed vireo’s song is often represented as “Chuck! Pick up your beer!” but there are variations.

I worked in a big empty field all day Friday. About the only thing I saw moving was the butterflies. So:

At least, I think that’s what this little guy is. (If anyone knows, please comment!)

Three for the price of one!

Banana Spider (Nephila clavipes)

Black and Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia)

Redfemured Spotted Orbweaver
(Neoscona domiciliorum)

I love seeing swallow-tailed kites — they’re so sleek and graceful — but in the area we’re working lately I see them all the time and the excitement has worn off. But this time I was lucky enough to see a whole family of three. The baby seemed fascinated by us; he kept circling just above the trees as if wondering what the hell we were doing. He caught something in a tree and was eating it in mid-air.

Today, we got to see some results of our labor. Some gopher tortoises were brought up from another base, down in Melbourne, and we had to find empty burrows to move them to at Camp Blanding.