South Florida 2009 - Central and Southwest Gulf Coast
Spanish Needles; Bidens pilosa
Ocala, FL Dec. 12, 2009 This photo looks a bit foggy because my camera had been in the cold car, when I took it out of the bag in humid Ocala, the glass immediately fogged up! This plant has very irritating 2-pronged, barbed seeds. I came back from many a foray into the weeds covered with them! We saw this plant from one end of Florida to the other.
Fiddlers Spurge; Poinsettia heterophylla
Cotton Plant, FL Dec. 12, 2009 I found this plant growing in a field behind a convenient store. It is related to the Christmas Poinsettia.
Groundsel Tree; Baccharis glomeruliflora
Crystal River, FL Dec. 12, 2009 This was one of the few flower clusters I saw, most of the plants had already gone to seed. It is a very common plant in much of Florida.
Florida Lobelia; Lobelia floridana
Crystal River, FL Dec. 12, 2009 Kenny saw this flower before I did, he's been trained well! :) We saw it on the Crystal River Eco Trail. I was surprised to find it blooming in Dec.
Fringed Puccoon; Lithospermum incisum
Crystal River, FL Dec. 13, 2009 I found this plant blooming in an empty field next to our hotel in Crystal River.
Dotted Horsemint; Monarda punctata
Mint Crystal River, FL Dec. 13, 2009 This flower is a member of the Mint Family. It is a favorite of bees. I was surprised to see it blooming so late in the season.
This colorful manatee, who was definitely in the Christmas spirit, greeted the visitors at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. People in southern Florida have to use their imagination to decorate for Christmas. The best one I saw was Santa's sleigh being pulled by 9 dolphins! :)
Sheepshead Fish; Archosargus probatocephalus
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 I wondered why this fish would have a name like "Sheepshead" since it looks nothing like a sheep I've ever seen. When I Googled it to find out the scientific name, there were some pictures that showed its teeth. It has flat front teeth like a sheep's used for crushing its prey!
American Crocodile; Crocodylus acutus
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 This baby crocodile was in a display case at a reptile house at the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL. These animals are endangered in the wild due to habitat loss and hunting.
Florida Gar; Lepisosteus platyrhincus
Homosassa Springs, FL Dec. 13, 2009 This fish was resting in the shallow waters of Homosassa Springs.
The "Fish Bowl" is an underwater observatory at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. It is built over the mouth of the spring.
Florida Panther; Puma concolor
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 This handsome guy's nickname was "Don Juan". He had been removed from the wild because he had fathered too many cubs, scientists needed to remove him from the gene pool. He shared his enclosure with a female cougar, but they had to stay apart. She had been a "pet", her ignorant owners had her de-clawed, so she is unable to defend herself. When we drove down Hwy. 29 to the Big Cypress Preserve we passed "Panther Crossing" signs. The last stand for these magnificent creatures is in the Fakahatchee Strand and the Big Cypress Preserve. They are on the endangered species list due to habitat loss.
Hairy Indigo; Indigofera hirsuta
Pea Family Ocala, FL Dec. 12, 2009 This was one of the first wildflowers I saw on our trip. I was lucky to get this picture, my camera had been in the trunk of the car, when I took it out in the warm and humid air, the lens and viewfinder immediately fogged up!
Common Bitter Mint; Hyptis mutabilis
Cotton Plant, FL Dec. 12, 2009 Unlike Peppermint and other aromatic mints, this plant has a strong, unpleasant smell.
A "Gator" hole along the trail at Crystal River State Park Eco trail. We didn't see any alligators here, maybe they were holed up for the winter. Later, as we were nearing the end of the hike, we heard a noise in the woods. My first thought was an alligator, but it turned out to be an armadillo! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to photograph it in the underbrush.
Coontie; Florida Arrowroot; Zamia pumila
Cyad Family Crystal River, FL Dec. 12, 2009 As soon as we had unpacked our car, we headed to a hiking trail. Crystal River State Park had a nice, 3-mile Eco Trail. I was very excited to see this Coontie growing in the woods along the trail. I think my husband thought I had gone a little crazy when I started yelling excitedly, "There's a Coontie, I see a Coontie!" Of course, he had no clue what a Coontie is! :) The plant is not a flowering plant, it is a member of the Cyad Family and looks like it would have been at home with the dinosaurs!
Spanish Needles seeds and flowers
Wand Goldenrod; Solidago stricta
Crystal River, FL Dec. 13, 2009 This was a common plant growing along the roadsides in southern Florida.
Part of the fun of Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park is the boatride from the visitor center to the main part of the park. It was fun to see the plants, birds, turtles, etc. along the creek bank as we rode along.
Lu is a 50-year old hippopotamus that lives at the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. He was left at the park many years ago after he was part of a movie.
This long-toed turtle was in a display at the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park.
Turks' Cap Mallow; Malvaviscus arboreus*
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 This is a common flower that is planted as an ornamental. Normally, I don't include ornamentals, but this one is in the wildflower books. Sometimes it is an escaped plant seen in the wild.
Snook Fish; Centropomus undecimalis
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 The fishermen who were in the "Fishbowl" became very excited when they saw these snook swimming around in the spring.
Golden Dewdrop; Duranta erecta*
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 How a purple-flowered plant can get the name Golden Dewdrop, I have no idea! The park had lots of native and non-native (like this one) plants growing along the paved trails.
Verbena Family Ocala, FL Dec. 12, 2009 These are such interesting little flowers. The buds are rectangular shaped and the flowers change color after they have been pollinated.
The Crystal River State Park EcoTrail is an easy 3-mile walk through a pine forest, near a swampy area and through a grassy plain. This was the start of the trail.
St. Andrew's Cross; Hypericum hypericoides
Crystal River, FL Dec. 12, 2009
Primrose-leaved Violet; Viola primulifolia
Violet Family Crystal River, FL Dec. 12, 2009
South American Mexican Clover; Richardia humistrata*
Crystal River, FL Dec. 13, 2009
Crystal River, FL Dec. 13, 2009 This was a plant that I recognized from home!
Manatees are tracked using radio transmitter bouys like this one. It fits on the base of the tail and floats when the animal is at the surface.
The Flamingoes put on quite a show when they are excited. They strut around, holding their heads high and squawking loudly. We enjoyed watching them!
Key Deer; Odocoileus virginianus clavium
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 These little deer were not much larger than a German Shepard dog! The one in front looks as though she will soon be adding a little Key fawn to the herd! :) These tiny deer live in the Florida Keys, but they are now listed as endangered due to loss of habitat. There are TOOO many people in southern Florida!
(how's that for an easy scientific name?!) Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 This iguana was kept in the Education Center at the park because it is an invasive, non-native species in south Florida. They are herbivores, so they are not dangerous.
"Lorelei" and another manatee near the mouth of Homosassa Spring.
Scarlet Milkweed; Asclepias curassavica
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 The wildlife park also had lots of native wildflowers. This pretty milkweed had a Monarch caterpillar munching on it, surprising for Dec.!
Southern Amaranth; Amaranthus australis
Cotton Plant, FL Dec. 12, 2009 This flower is not very attractive, it is related to Pigweed.
Savannah False Pimpernel; Lindernia grandiflora
Crystal River, FL Dec. 12, 2009 I found this little plant growing on the Eco-trail. It is a small ground-cover plant.
Southern Fogfruit; Phyla stoechadifolia
Verbena Family Crystal River, FL Dec. 12, 2009 This plant is related to Capeweed. I was always fascinated by that flower when I was a kid.
Hairy Pillpod Sandmat; Chamaesyce hirta
Spurge Family Crystal River, FL Dec. 13, 2009
Crystal River, FL Dec. 13, 2009 I found this plant growing down by the canal boat ramp near our hotel.
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 I photographed this fish from the underwater observation area at the park, called the "Fishbowl". It is built above the outlet of Homosassa Spring. The water was a bit murky because of the recent rains. I was hoping for the crystal clear water I had seen in the springs many years ago.
Roseate Spoonbill; Ajaia ajaia
Homosassa Springs, FL Dec. 14, 2009 These pretty pink birds are quite a treat to see. I photographed this one at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. It was in an enclosure, so I was able to get quite close. I wasn't so lucky at Sanibel Island, where we saw them in the wild. The bright pink patch on the wing indicates this bird is an adult. Spoonbills use their unusual, flat bills to catch small crustaceans in the mud.
Blue Porterweed; Stachytarpheta jamaicensis*
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 13, 2009 Even though this is a non-native plant, it is often used landscape plantings, it can be found in the wild as a "garden escape".
Nile Monitor lizard; Varanus nilotictus
These invasive non-native lizards are causing severe problems to the south Florida ecosystems. This lizard was in the education center of Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. It ran constantly back and forth by the window.
Florida Manatee; Trichechus manatus latirostris
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park Dec. 13, 2009 This manatee, named "Lorelei", is a year-round resident of the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. One of the park volunteers pitched carrots into the water to attract her and others. I was surprised to hear that she had been scrubbed by park staff to remove the algae growing on her skin, since she doesn't go into the salt water. The early sailors who thought these huge, gray mammals were mermaids had been at sea WAAAY too long! ;) These gentle animals are herbivores, they normally eat sea grass. Manatees cannot tolerate water temperatures below 68 degrees F, so they move into the rivers in the winter.
Matrimony Vine; Lycium carolinianum
Crystal River, FL Dec. 13, 2009 I had to take this photo with my telephoto lens from a fishing pier. This was the only flower that I saw. The mosquitoes were brutal here, so I didn't spend much time trying to get a really good shot! I was glad to get the little wasp in the photo too! It would be nice if it grows on St. George Island when our son gets married there! I don't know why it is called "matrimony" vine.
