Traveling in the south – Sugar Mill Gardens

Live oak covered with Spanish moss (not a real moss but a member of the genus Tillandsia, which makes it a flowering plant. There is also ball moss (another Tillandsia), resurrection fern and some Florida butterfly orchids as well as lichens. This tree is a true ecosystem onto itself. Here is a mix of ballContinue reading “Traveling in the south – Sugar Mill Gardens”

Traveling in the south – A day at the Atlantic shore

We spent the day traveling on the beach at New Smyrna Beach and at the Canaveral National Seashore. we managed to fins a great variety of plants and animals, including this armadillo. Not far from the armadillo we found a gopher tortoise. Brown anoles are much easier to find than green anoles. Amont the interestingContinue reading “Traveling in the south – A day at the Atlantic shore”

Traveling in the south – some sketches

Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers have been our constant companions the past four days. And they will probably be the most numerous warbler for most of our trip. Once we were in southern pines Pine Warblers became quite common. Yellow-throated Warblers are one of the least common warblers that we’ve had so far. But they should beContinue reading “Traveling in the south – some sketches”

Traveling in the South – birds and more

Boat-tailed Grackles are now an everyday sighting. Having seen our first Eurasian Collared Dove of the trip, these are now being seen daily. I wish that we were seeing Loggerhead Shrikes daily, but these are rather sporadic, unlike many years ago. An American Widgen is always a treat. Reddish Egrets are one of my favoriteContinue reading “Traveling in the South – birds and more”

Drawings – 11 (colored-pencil)

A few years ago, perhaps 8-10, Susan and took a class in colored-pencil drawing. The class was immense fun. Here’s some of what I did at the time. This mandella shows my inability to draw a circle, but I like it anyway. I had improved drawing circles with this drawing of marbles, which I’ve neverContinue reading “Drawings – 11 (colored-pencil)”

Drawings-10 (Prehistoric animals)

Two drawings of Smilodon (Saber-toother cat) skulls. Both views show different aspects of the skulls better. But how did the actual animal look? Did Smilodon look like a lion, tiger or jaguar? Perhaps we’ll never know. Arsinotherium, a prehistoric ungulate. Recently we were in the U.P. and there was a statue outside of a businessContinue reading “Drawings-10 (Prehistoric animals)”

A few days in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

We’re just home after spending five days in the Upper Peninsula. These are Oldsquaw (now called Long-tailed Duck). A very impressive flock of Snow Buntings. One of the many SNowy Owls that we saw on ur trip. A young Bald Eagle. One of four Glaucous Gulls that we saw at the Dafter Dump. Two ofContinue reading “A few days in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan”