Follow me on Twitter Last month, my daughter and I visited my mother in Naples, Florida for a week. I thought I’d share some of the wildlife pictures that I took. Most of the shorebird pictures are from the beach in Naples. Sometimes dolphins feed along this beach – always fun to watch! Occasionally they get really close & you would think they are going to rush up onto the beach! I tried to get some pictures of one of the dolphins & almost had it jumping out of the water, but no. This fin shot was the only clear one I got. We also took my daughter on an airboat ride to see some alligators. What a fun trip! Last year, the lake was much smaller and there were tons of baby alligators everywhere. This year, the lake was flooded and the babies weren’t as accessible, but there were lots of very large alligators to be seen! The males were just starting to go out into the open lake to set up their territories – no bellowing yet though. I hope you enjoy the pictures!
Time for another field trip to Moss Landing State Beach! I headed out with the zoology class to look at birds, otters, seals, & sea lions yesterday. We had a sunny day this time, so I think the pictures turned out a little better than the ones I posted last spring.
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- Curlew
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- Godwit and Willet
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- Egret
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- Willett
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- Curlew
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- Great Blue Heron
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- Marbled Godwit
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- Sea Otter
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- Otters
Wednesday, I took my marine biology class to Moss Landing to observe a variety of shorebirds and marine mammals. Viewing the harbor side of Moss Landing State Beach, we could see a beach full of harbor seals, a large raft of resting sea otters, and across the harbor a floating dock jammed full of sea lions. A nice variety of shorebirds can be found in the shallower water down the road. We got a nice view of an American White Pelican. During the breeding season, these birds have a growth on their beak which falls off after the breeding season. It was an overcast, windy day, so the pictures are a bit dark & not as good as I’d like. I certainly need more practice!
Home » Moss Landing Bird & Marine Mammal Field Trip » Wildlife » Moss Landing 2009
I was in Florida earlier this month and I had the opportunity to visit the everglades and Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. It was a great trip and I was able to get a few good pictures. We saw lots of alligators, yellow belly sliders and softshell turtles, and lots of lizards; several species of anoles and skinks. We saw many beautiful shorebirds as well. There were quite a few dolphins, but I didn’t get good pictures of them, I’m afraid.
The first part of the trip was a short walk into the Fakahatchee swamp. Last year, I read The Orchid Thief. This is the area where the orchids were being stolen, although we were just on the fringe of the Fakahatchee. The trip included a boat ride through mangrove islands. We saw lots of ospreys & their nests as well as many dolphins on this part of the trip. No manatees, unfortunately. We also took an airboat ride on a lake that was just filled with alligators. I would have like to have spent an entire day in each of the spots!
Another day we visited Ding Darling and saw some beautiful shorebirds; little blue herons, ibis & roseate spoonbills. This is another area where I’d like to spend more time.
Home » Everglades Visit » Wildlife » Florida 2009
