Saturday, July 02, Audubon Center, Winter Haven
Today I visited the Street Audubon Center in Winter Haven to work on clearing trails. Afterward, I did a little photography. Photo'ed a Zebra butterfly on coral honeysuckle in the butterfly garden.Then did a white cluster flower on the main trail and Lake Ned. Then photo'ed some more flowers near the house. ........................ Herman

Sunday, July 03, 2005, Lakeland Highlands Scrub
Got started about 0800 on a hot and muggy morning. Had not been to the scrub for a while and thought that with all the rain recently, the trails would be wet. Photo'ed a yellow flower while walking in. At the trail split, there was a clump of bushes on the north side of the trail. There were Mockingbirds and Carolina Wren in the bushes, Got a photo of a Juvenile Mockingbird and a Wren. Also, in a dead tree between the trails I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker going into a hole. Got several photos of it. Continued on the north trail and photo'ed a blue flower and an Great Egret across the marsh. Did some scene photos and another blue flower. The trail was wet, but still passable. Only about an inch of water in some of the wettest places. Arrived at the west trail and saw a Red-tailed Hawk in the top of a tree. Got several photos of it sitting and when it flew. Continued south on the west trail. Saw a hawk flying to the west. It landed in a tree a long way out. Got several photos, but from a grreat distance. Photo'ed some white and some yellow flowers. Arrived at the south trail and took it toward the pond. Was not sure that I could get by the pond. Got to the pond and photo'ed an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly and a few scenes of the pond. Saw an Opsrey in the osprey nest. The trail at the southeast corner of the pond was very wet, but I was able to get through it, just got my socks an little wet. Got back to the first trail split and took some more photos of the Red-bellied Woodpecker and the Carolina Wren. The scrub was not as wet as I thought that it would be, but it was wet. ........................... Herman

Monday, July 04, 2005, Circle B Bar
Here it is July 4th, very hot and humid. Got started about 0830. Took a few scenes and a white flower while walking to the marsh. The marsh was too wet for me. Water would be well over my boots. Took the oak hammock trail. It was also wet, but passable. Walked all the way to the lake. Photo'ed an Osprey in a tree on the lakeside. Sat on the dock and photo'ed a gator in the lake and Osprey and Egret flying over the lake. I was now soaking wet from the heat and humidity and started back to the entrance. Saw a Roseate Spoonbill on the lakeside and took several photos before it flew. I was leaving the lake when I saw the spoonbill return with what I believe to be a juvenile chick. took several photos of them. Still trying to verify if it was a chick. Walked on out. Hard to do much in the heat/humidity. ........................ Herman

Friday, July 08, 2005, Circle B Bar
Today was another heat and humidity day. A lot of both. Walked with a friend and we got started just after 0800. Very little activity today. We had four dry days and I tried the marsh again, but it was still too wet. On the trail to the marsh photo'ed a small flower on an air plant, My friend said that it was an orchid. Also photo'ed a black fuzzy catapiller and a translucent insect. Detoured to the east trail and to the lake. On the lakeside photo'ed an Anhinga and Little Blue Heron. Also photo'ed some spiders. On the walk back to the entrance, saw another air plant and photo'ed a small yellow flower that my friend said was another orchid. I was really getting tired, just cannot take the heat and wet anymore. Walked on out to the entrance. .................. Herman

Wednesday, July 15, 2005, Lakeland Highlands Scrub
Got started a little after 8 am this morn and walked with a friend. It was warm, but not to bad. Walked out toward the pond. Enroute, photo'ed a Giant Swallowtail and a Brown Thrasher and a Gulf Fritillary. Arrived at the pond and the trail was flooded at the southeast corner. Saw a Osprey in the Osprey nest and photo'ed it. Walking back to the railroad trail, photo'ed a blue flower and a female Red-winged Blackbird. On the railroad trail, photo'ed a brown and white spider in a curled-up leaf. Walked on around to the west trail and was talking about not seeing many snakes in my walks at the scrub. Saw a snake with it's head sticking up. The head and about the first 6 inches of the body was nearly black and the rest of the body was brown. Continued walking to the south trail and then turned around and backtracked. Had been hearing some jays in the brush, but had not seen one. Saw something about 80 to a 100 yards west of the trail. It turned out to be a Krestel after a couple of Scrub Jays. We watched it fly around, dive and try to get at the jays in the bush, but it was not successful. Got some photos of it. It flew off to the south and we saw a couple of Scrub Jays on the trail. They stayed near us and we photo'ed them. The Krestel flew into a tree overhead, apparently after the jays again. We got some more photos of it. It never did get a jay. On the railroad trail photo'ed a Zebra Swallowtail. The north trail and the south of the pond are wet, but the railroad trail and the west trail are dry. A good walk today, was starting to get hot as we finished about 11. ............................ Herman

Friday, July 29, 2005, Circle B Bar
After about 2 weeks of not walking, I finally got back out to Circle B. It was hot, humid and wet. Got started about 8 and saw a Red-shouldered Hawk on a tree limb just inside the entry. It flew, but I got some photos in the second tree. Walked on round to the horse trail. Saw another Red-shouldered Hawk and got some more photos. Photo'ed a Monarch butterfly. The marsh was flooded and I tried the oak hammock trail. It was wet, but a new trail was cut around the flooded part. Photo'ed a Georgia Thumper grasshopper on some moss. Photo'ed some Lion's Paw flowers and a large green grasshopper. Got out to the dock and the trail just before it was flooded. Saw and photo'ed a Great Blue Heron and a Little Egret. Sat on the bench near the dock for a spell and photo'ed a large spider. Walked back on the east trail and photo'ed a brilliant Red Admiral butterfly. Took the horse trail down to a new trail cut toward the entry and west of the ponds that are on the east trail. Saw another Red-shouldered Hawk on the new trail nearly to the entry. Circle B is very wet now. Skeeters are very bad. Had to respray deet twice. Soaking wet when I finished. Good hawks today. ........................... Herman