Day in the Forest

Hi All,

The plan was to paddle the Silver River with Joe & Sandra. However, the weather was iffy so we stayed in the forest. A morning hike around the campground perimeter revealed a snake across the trail and a great raccoon paw print on a sand mound created by a scarab beetle. We also spotted a depression in the sand obviously dug out by an animal, containing what looked like cat scat. We decided it was from a bobcat.

Near sunset we drove to a nearby cluster of trees with Red Cockaded Woodpecker nests. We didn't see the birds but did notice how the Forest Service had protected the trees during the recent prescribed burn.

We also enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Red Rat Snake across the Trail

Raccoon Paw Print

Notice the protected area at the base of the banded tree

More Merritt Island

Hi All,

After a stop at the visitor center we drove to Cape Canaveral National Seashore and walked along the beach.  Hundreds of surfers were waiting behind the break for the perfect wave. Not too many birds along the beach but a nice assortment.

We then drove along the dikes between the mangrove islands looking in vain for the reported cinnamon teal. We did see huge flocks of coot.

We made it back to Shanty Pond just before the rain started.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Royal Tern & Sanderlings

Thick Flock of American Coot

Back to Merritt Island

Hi All,

When we came to the birding festival in late January, there were lots of interesting presentations so we had little time to bird the wonderful Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge so we decided to come back for two days.

The Blackpoint Wildlife Drive was drier with fewer birds but still a great diversity of species. Check out the photos below.

After the wildlife drive we went to the manatee viewing platform at Haulover Canal. As in the case of all our previous visits, we saw no manatee. However, we had an experience that is the highlight of our trip, perhaps the highlight of the winter.

We spotted a dolphin in the canal. As we watched, the dolphin swam in slow circles then rushed at high speed into a nearby cove chasing a fish. As the water got shallow the fish jumped out of the water and the dolphin jumped after it. It happened so fast that it was not clear whether the dolphin caught the fish or not. However, this cycle repeated every few minutes for over a half hour. Watching this hunting behavior was like watching a National Geographic show. A fabulous experience.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

American Avocet Resting

Reddish Egret

Roseate Spoonbill Resting

Mr. & Mrs. Blue Winged Teal

Happy Alligator

Interesting Weekend in the VC

Hi All,

No pictures this time but a few interesting happenings in the Visitor Center. Friday's total sales were almost $300, easily a record day for us. Saturday we had 150 visitors, another record. 

Then, on Sunday, we had two interesting visitors. One woman looked at our name tags and told us about a family friend in Brooklyn named Greenbaum.

 The other was an elderly man who told us that on this day (Feb 19) in 1945 he was going ashore on Iwo Jima. He said it was tough going as it took 5 weeks to clear the Japanese off of 3 miles of island.

Meeting folks like this is what we love about volunteering in the VC.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Sent from Carl's iPhone

Palatka Bluegrass Festival

Hi All,

We all had a great time at the bluegrass festival today. The performances went from noon to 10PM. Wonderful music.

Most of the crowd of over 750 people are here for the full weekend, camped in their RVs.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Tour bus for the Headline Act

Schultzs come to Town

Hi All,

Roberta and Elliot stopped in Salt Springs for a few days on their way down south to Delray Beach. We visit Salt and Silver Glen Springs, had a fun picnic and hiked to see the sand boils.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Spring water boiling up through the sand

Happy Valentines Day

Hi All,

It is fun to find just the right Valentine card and later discover that we both picked out the same card.

Happy Valentines Day to all our family and friends.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Great Day with the Greenbaums

Hi All,

We spent a wonderful day with Tara, Scott, Wyatt and Garrett on Saturday. We had a delicious lunch at a Ponte Vedra restaurant along the intercostal waterway then walked a mile along the ocean beach. The boys didn't find any interesting shells but Wyatt was thrilled by the find of a package of fishing lures. 

Back at their house we played games before dinner and our drive back to the forest. 

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Photo Shoot on the Beach

Watching the Space Station

Hi,

Carl had occasionally read about how the International Space Station was visible in the early morning or evening sky. This happens when it is dark on the earth's surface but the very large space station is still in sunlight about 240 miles up in orbit. 

With the help of the web site "Heavens Above", Carl found the time and direction of the next bright pass. Sure enough, at 7:43 PM last night, the bright sight of the space station arced across the evening sky, racing past the background stars. Really neat.

If anyone is interested in watching the International Space Station or any of several other large satellites, check out www.heavens-above.com. You can enter your observing location and display a table of times and directions for the passes in the next few days. If you want to pick a bright pass, remember that the magnitude scale is reversed; negative numbers are the brightest

Enjoy,

Love
Sandy & Carl

Great Day and a Great Dinner

Hi All,

We spent another wonderful day with the Campbell's. They then joined us for  grilled steelhead trout dinner at Shanty Pond.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Another Glorious Day

Hi All,

We had a wonderful day today in spite of the Super Bowl outcome. Jim and Evalyn are down from Jacksonville and we drove around the forest with them and hiked the Lake Eaton Sinkhole Trail. The late afternoon sky was very dramatic and at 5 PM it was still over 80 degrees.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Down in the Sinkhole

More red lichen, a sign of clean air

Backlit Clouds

Emeralda Conservation Area

Hi All,

Emeralda Conservation Area is about 40 miles south of Salt Springs. The birding was excellent as we hiked 4 miles along the top of the dike. Lots of raptors including bald eagles, red tailed and red shouldered hawks and osprey. We also heard a barred owl calling. One of the highlights was a flock of cedar waxwings. On the way into the area we passed an alligator sunning himself down in the Ditch. 

On the way back out of the area, we found that the alligator had climbed up on to the road. 

Since the only alternate route would be about 6 miles and we could stay on the other side of the road about 8 feet from the gator, we decided to calmly walk past. He watched us but did not move.

Love 
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Davenport Landing

Hi All,

We got a late start today, not surprising given that we got home at 1:30 AM.

Once we got moving, we drove up to Davenport Landing, a hiking trail and small campground (3 primitive sites) along the Ocklawaha River. There is also an Indian burial mound and interpretive signs describe Indian settlement 12,000 years ago when they hunted the long since extinct, 
Mastodon. 

A delightful exploration that will give us more information to share with visitors.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Along the Ocklawaha River

Old Retaining Wall