South Florida's sub-tropical climate with plenty of marsh and wetlands (even if degraded from the past) provides easy access to numerous wetland birds, particularly assorted herons and egrets. Ibis forage in yards and along the roadside, spoonbills provide a colorful alternative, and various waders pop up from ditches, canals, and other wet areas all around. In a couple of casual walks, I managed to spot most of the local marsh birds, aside from the Limpkin and a couple of night herons. Maybe next time. Below are a few of the local wetland birds.
Florida boasts nearly 125 native ferns, the bulk of the more than 150 total fern species found in the state. A brief walk through the swamp and wetlands yields an abundance of ferns, a few of which are represented below. At times, several species crowd together, occupying a common niche. It isn't always possible to get a fully accurate identification without close examination, so some of the IDs below may be off a bit. If you have alternate suggestions, please let me know, as most ID work was done from the photographs rather than in the field. And speaking of photos, as I was photographing birds, it was only later in looking at the image that I realized there was also an alligator there, just a few feet from the Little Blue Heron I was watching. Sometimes being too focused lets you miss what is right in front of you.
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AuthorEnjoying the discoveries in every aspect of the natural world. Archives
May 2024
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