Bird Nerd & Words

Left tree is alive. Right tree was actually hit by lightning! Up close you can see a spiraling scar around the trunk running up the entire tree, evidence of the spark. I actually came across this tree during one of my Jay Watches this summer. Someone in our group identified the marking for us! Thank you Jay Watch! Happy Saturday.

On my afternoon walks I came across this flower and couldn't help but stop and admire the beauty. The species is endemic to Florida which is a plus for me. I advocate for native planting and this specimen sure does light up a landscape. Yellow Milkwort. I took this photo of them all growing in a shallow swell in a Pine Flatwoods preserve, Indrio Savannahs, in St. Lucie, Fl.   Also known as Rugel's Milkwort. You can find this flower almost anywhere in the state.   Formally known as Polygala rugelii The story goes that the milkwort name comes from it's presence in cow fields. It was believed to help them produce more milk! The name rugelii comes from Dr. Ferdinand Rugel, a Bristish botanist and physician who admired wildflowers too. Source: http://floridawildflowerfoundation.blogspot.com/2015/07/yellow-milkwort.html

SR 98 & SR 70 from Sebring, FL to Fort Pierce, FL is rich with history and parcels of natural beauty. Immensities of pasture, Hardwood Hammocks, Pinelands, and Marshlands compose a plethora of ecosystems divided by two lanes of open road. Classic texts such as A Land Remembered are actualized in this environment. Florida Crackers earned their salt upon this land which shaped the tides of commerce, war, and cultural adaptation. Historically this route traverses the Florida Cracker Trail. The Florida Cracker Trail Association adeptly points to the organic formation of the trail, existing below the Kissimmee flood plains, yet above Lake Okeechobee directly south.  The Association's website also points to the accreditation of the road as a Community Millennium Trail. I include this excerpt : "Millennium Trails is a partnership between the White House Millennium Council, the Department of Transportation, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the National Endowment for the A...

My mind classifies hammocks as low, earthy, dense with the smell of fresh rain or dried grasses. This particular hammock though sticks in my mind with a smell akin to my grandfather's workshop: sappy Pine. The freshness from the hot Florida heat slightly crisps the outer bark of looming Pines to release this fragrant note. Crunch beneath my feet reinforce the presence of scattered cones along the path and nettles that have dropped for months on end. Blackroot have sprouted from recent patches of burn highlighted by the celestial swaths of sun gleaming through the trees.  Previous trips led me towards the left off towards the edge of spanning pasture and grasses with random Oak stands making home to Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, White Eyed Vireo, and Eastern Phoebe. This particular day the sun was high above the clouds with piercing accuracy. I fled towards the right in refuge of more mossy dense Oak hammocks. Small vegetation corralled twin Oaks, their branches arched towards...

My day off in celebration of the 4th of July warranted a visit to the George Le Strange Nature Preserve in St. Lucie County. George Le Strange was an avid outdoors enthusiast, fisherman, and resident of St. Lucie County for whom the property is named. A trail traverses a thriving expanse of ecotones meandering along the Ten Mile Creek giving a rare glimpse at the ancient Florida water table. Giant Oak and Hickory reach towards each other creating canopies hiding sunken swamps primed with pure unadulterated life. Opposite the river a large man made lake, an old sand mine, poses a backdrop for painted skies at sunset. Below I include the brochure provided by the county and include my own commentary expounding on the factual and poetic journey throughout the preserve. A larger pathway at the boat ramp merges into a loose stoned pathway. Surrounding Pine trees riddled with woodpeckers sound their kwir kwir calls. An expansive view of the lake starts the journey. Approach...

"My Gaga's Lignum Vitae Tree in bloom, Long Key, FL" Midnight crawling, whiskey on my breath;Simonton intersects Duval to wait on a cab. Rhythms mingle, passing each soulful drunken bar while my eyes linger. Flung back, a 15 me sees the fabrics factory, a white boat of a Cadillac, and cassette tapes for crusin. A woman: 80’s tortoise sunglasses, freckled skin, a grin; hair windswept, an auburn caramel; Shorts fitted an hourglass figure; Blouse adorned in island vibes; Sandals, never flip flops. My Gaga, affectionately, a grandmother portraying charm I’ve chased all my life. Remembering; religiously she brought us meandering down here. Leaving my Papa parked in the pews of the Episcopal church on Truman, he’d migrate to the top of the LaConcha. What a perch to feel free upon with depth, salt air. Retrieval meant Cuban coffee at the laundromat. Seeing now, a wink, a smile, nodding approval of our shopping spree. Combing racks...

In memory of my late grandfather, these simple words I have to say. " On the bow of the boat I am free, On the bow of the boat I can breathe, On the bow of the boat I will see. And on the bow of the boat, I be. " -An homage to you, my biggest fan. Written by Julia Wiggins

"Yuk Yuk Yuk Yuk Yuk" permeates my lawn as I hear the staccato thuds of pounding beaks upon the electrical poles outside my house. The sounds repeat and I delight in knowing three crowned gems are here to rattle my cage today. Pileated Woodpeckers are one of the largest, if not the largest woodpecker to North America. I have found this species frequent more deciduous, older pines forests. Their cavities carved out by a larger than life bill create homes for their young of which they rear in the spring. According to Cornell literature, their supply of food is sourced from local carpenter ants. Though when wood beetles, worms. and other insects present themselves the woodpeckers are opportunistic feeders. Distinguishing woodpecker holes can become quite an art form, a useful ID tool for bird nerds a like. Just as their pecking resonate tone against granular surface will produce a profound ID, the oblong shape left in dead pines will serve as evidence to their presen...

Chase ahead regardless your decided outcome.        Take pieces of each memory, molding your approach to people and good conversation.        Let life lay simplicity at your feet, revel in good times, fight through the bad.                                       If anything, find peace in your                                       reflections Written by Julia Wiggins.

I always knew spring time had arrived when dad stuck his pointed finger out the truck window saying "Jules, kites!" Swallow-tailed Kites are an interesting breed found throughout the North and South American continents. They breed in North America roosting in the states of Florida and South Carolina. They winter in Central and South America, feeding on a variety of insects. To add, there are two distinct subspecies of Swallow-tailed kites: one native to Central and South America, the other a visitor to Florida. A distinctive feature at first glance being their forked tail, an assistant when gliding through the air. Looking up on a hot summer day, driving past open fields close to water and tall pines will produce sightings of one to two. Their habitat in the great outdoors are swamp areas peppered with cypress trees. Plentiful bounty of game snagged from open branches occupy their time. Seldom will you see them perched,...

Approaching my first day of blogging I am excited to share some interesting adventures going on in my life. Jay Watch is under way as I approach week 2 of my surveying. For those that do not know, the only endemic (meaning found no where else on earth) species of bird found in the state of Florida is the Florida Scrub Jay. The Jay is colored a slate or silvery grey and a deep cerulean. About 9-11 inches in height they boast a raspy call that spans their territory well. The impressiveness of their call adds to the efficacy of their existence. It correlates with their habitat: a scrubby pine area. This eliminates all potential for sound carrying properties. The frequency and tone of their call: a raspy reep sound, clicking noises produced by females, and a plethora of territorial shrieks, lend in their ability to throw their voice. Communication with other members of the family unit indicating feeding time, hierarchy, and danger are paramount to the success of...