A few more from the Marsh Trail

The last week in Florida I went down to Collier Seminole State Park to spend a little more time back in Collier County (My former home for six years) The last week in Florida I felt COMPLETELY out of energy, both mentally and physically. 6 weeks of photographing and 5 shows really takes it ouf of a person. I had very little hope that I’d taken anything worth posting so I am just now looking at the photos. But to my surprise I have a few I like, so here they are.

This burrowing owl taking a look at a passing wasp was the “gift” photo of the trip.  I have to confess all I noticed while shooting this one was the burrowing owl perked up for a moment, I didn’t know what he was looking at but I snapped some photos of his reaction. The wasp happened to come into the frame and is almost in focus. These burrowing owls on Marco Island are so cute. They are about 9 inches tall and live in a burrow in the ground.

Every day I was the first one onto the Marsh Trail in the 10,000 islands Nation Wildlife Refuge. This particular morning I noticed tracks in the morning dew that accumulated on the short boardwalk from the parking lot to the trail. They certainly are cat tracks, and while it would be spectacular if they were florida panther tracks, I have to say by the size they were most likely bobcat tracks. I have found tracks in Big Cypress of the panther before and it’s moving to even know you have cross paths with one. In all the time I’ve spent in the Everglades and Big Cypress, I’ve still never laid eyes on a panther. I’m hoping someday I will!

An alligator basks in the morning sun warming up after a cold night.

A good day is a day you greet the rising sun at the Marsh Trail and see the sun set as well. This was early one morning before sunrise.

There is something about this photograph I love. I guess it’s the textures created by the rising sun on this great blue heron. It’s one of those I want to sit down and make a huge print of it today.