Snow storm

NEW YEAR'S EVE - - 2007 is quickly heading toward a finish and 2008 is right ahead. More adventures and more birds and animals and exciting places await.

In the air

TIERRA VERDE, FL - - We returned to Ft. DeSoto Park to camp over the (long) Christmas Weekend. The birds weren't out in as great numbers as when we were here about two weeks ago. However, The Great Blue Heron (above) and the seagull hovering below, caught my eye. Note the identification/tracking band on the heron's right leg.

Twilight Zone

EGMONT KEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, FL - - In some areas, the western side beach on Egmont Key resembled a shot out of The Twilight Zone. A low mist and low cloud cover created this overcast scene at 11:30 in the morning. Beach erosion over a number of years turned these palm trees into dead shapes like what you might see after a nuclear war. The ATV tracks are from the park ranger patrol while the couple walking in the center of the pic came over on the 'ferry' with us.

Turtle's eye-view

EGMONT KEY, FL - - Ever wondered what it's like down there? Young kids have a low level point of view - - usually knees of the teenagers and adults around them. But let's get lower, let's check out the view from the vantage point of a box turtle. As you can probably tell, this resident of Egmont Key didn't take too kindly to a human trying to see things from ground level.

Lunch Time

TIERRA VERDE, FL - - One of our favorite camping spots in Florida is Fort DeSotoPark, a Pinellas county park south of St. Petersburg on Florida's west coast. Aside from nice campsites and great facilities, the area offers unlimited opportunity to photograph pelicans, egrets and herons - - like the one above.

The breakwater area along the nearby fishing pier is one such location. This individual has just grabbed a lunch appetizer. Now, the problem becomes how to swallow the fish since it won't fit down his/her throat sideways. Compounding the fun was a group of about six hungry friends (outside this frame) just waiting for a slip.

Time to smell the roses

JASPER, ALBERTA, CANADA - - There's always time to stop and smell the (wild) roses as this elk is doing in a shot from a trip to Jasper in 2004.