Now that I am home, I have liberated pictures of the barred owl from my Canon SX110IS – so here he is again. Isn’t he pretty? 🙂
BONUS: The barred owl at Caracara Preserve
Category Archives: Caracara Prairie Preserve
Hooray for the Boy Scouts!
A young man named nick McNamara created the kissing gates as his Eagle Scout project. Well done, Nick! 🙂
Well. We finished the five miles well within the prescribed three hours. Now it’s time for a shower and some ice cream to cool off.
Wild orchid
Someone said this was last tresses but when I google that, I get a completely different flower. Quest for a positive ID continues!
Barred owl
Someone with very good eyes spotted this fellow, who was very good about the paparazzi surrounding him.
Cow trail
Cows follow each other in a long train, single file, while the forage. Surprisingly narrow, considering the width of a cow!
Old pulley in the woods
9:47 AM – We speculated that maybe this was used in connection with hunting. You can see that it has been kissed by the prescribed burn that occurred back in December.
The bone yard
Cattle ranging here can die of disease, or they can die if thirst during the dry season. Ranchers have taken to placing large kiddie pools here and there, pumped full of water so they can drink.
The intrepid dung beetle
He was so quick burrowing under, I did not get the chance to switch to video.
Cow dung – a growth medium!
9:24 AM – I am told by some of my hiking companions that these are "magic" mushrooms! The two people who recognized them exchanged fond memories of their college days. Me, I must have been absent that day, LOL 😉
Through the kissing gate
These gates are designed to prevent cattle from passing through.
Crossing the ditch into Caracara Preserve
Deb regaled us with a cautionary tale about never attempting to drive a truck into a ditch filled with water lettuce…
The amazing Florida sky
Slash pines and cabbage palms frame the sky.
Wildflowers on the trail
8:56 AM – Pink, snapdragon-like wildflowers bloom alongside the trail.
Unfortunate rodent
A dead shrew in the path. Cause of death unknown. Ants opportunistically feasting.
Orientation for the Caracara Preserve “soft opening”
Melissa Henning of Conservation Collier and Deb Hanson of CREW prepare us for the hike. We’re going through the Cypress Dome trails to get to Caracara.
Today’s Adventure: Caracara prairie Preserve hike for National Trails Day
Today’s Adventure: Caracara prairie Preserve hike for National Trails Day, originally uploaded by Erin *~*~*.
8:14 AM – It’s National Trails Day! I’ve got my hiking shoes on and I’m going on a five-miler at a brand new trail in Immokolee, Florida. It’s gonna be hotter than the hinges of hell! I must be out of my mind. Let’s go!