On the windy side

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - A lot of my daily jaunts around OB involve walking on the beach.  And hiking up of Mt. Ormond... better known as the OB bridge at a oxygen-busting 61' above sea level.  Friday's walkabout was blown or washed away by a 17mph East wind combined with high tide.  The fluttering sand condition warning flags were a clue that unless you were into deep, loose sand, it was easier to follow A1A South ...thus the colorful blooms.  

     And if you've got a brother who has nine felines hanging around his house you get used to cat cartoons / jokes popping up in your phone.  This is not a photo of one of his cats, but is representative of the many presents they show up with.

It's colorful out there...avian-style

Camera shy Great blue heron

Anhinga catching the breeze

Roseate spoonbill landing zone

Moorehens meandering; flowers blooming

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Orland Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL
 

The usual characters at the Farm

This roseate spoonbill quartet weren't getting along

The blue heron conundrum...roll left or right for comfort

ORMOND BEACH, FL -- - Wednesday was sunny with a pretty good wind blowing off the ocean.   Not great weather, but good enough to take a ride to St. Augustine and check out the crew at the Alligator Farm.  It seems like we go nearly every week, but when you purchase a yearly pass you should get your moneys worth.  Besides it's nesting time and we had hoped to spot some hungry chicks making life harried for their parents.  No such luck.  Nearly every nest had somebody keeping the eggs warm...or adjusting the positioning to make things more comfortable.  Those parents not warming a nest were busy in building or repair mode.

This black and white ruffed lemur looked loney

The colors of the sky; great egret and evergreen made a nice mix

 

It's springtime...let's build a boat dock

Work crew heading north on the Halifax to build a boat dock

 

Light, shadow and a bit of color

A snowy egret takes time out from getting a tan to find what's itching him

Another snowy contemplates his neighbors nest-building prowess

There were 6 golden conure parrots...and made noises like 50

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - It's Easter Weekend which should have been a warning to us about visiting the Alligator Farm.  But the weather hasn't been cooperating the past few weeks. And Friday looked to be forecast as bright, sunny and windy.  There was no mention of loud, restless middle schoolers with teachers and parents in tow: The Dreaded School Trip.  We were attacked as soon as we arrived at AF in St Augustine by a blue wave from Boca Raton...36 students and 14 elders doing their best to enjoy themselves.  In order to keep the kids involved they each had a four sheet Q & A booklet to be filled out. I joke about the "blue wave," but they were all well behaved and respectful of the 'old folks' taking photos.