Florida's State Bird

For the last couple of years, I've watched Mockingbirds fix up a nest in the bush outside the living room window. But I never seen any little ones. This week I have awaken to the soothing sound of little ones asking for more food. Their poor parents rarely get any rest. Although, they may have been resting while I was trying to get a picture.

It wasn't an easy task. This nest is well hidden. It isn't very high in the bush, I would say my eye level, but the branches make it hard to get a shot. I had to grab a step ladder. Change the camera to flower setting, so I could focus, and get my shots very quickly. I watched on mockingbird take on a cat, and another take on five blue jays. These birds have the mentality of terriers.

This little guy decided he didn't care that I was watching or not. He wanted it to be known he was hungry. He's a bit blurred because he was moving, when I had a slow shutter speed. That was another problem I encountered. Not much light inside a bush.

Tarpon Springs 2008

It was a month ago when Linda, Mayra and I headed for Tarpon Springs. I had always wanted to catch on of the boat rides, but never got around to it. Mayra liked the idea, and for less than 20.00 what a value. We parked at the Sponge Factory, bought our tickets, and headed down the street for lunch.

Linda and I like eating at Santorini's. It sits right on the water. Most of the Greek restaurants in Tarpon Springs don't have water front views. The waitress thought we were nuts for wanting to sit out side. The temp. was just up in the upper eighties. The breeze off the water and the overhead ceiling fan keeps you from roasting. (I always prefer to sit outside. If I wanted to freeze I would have stayed in WA. I've never experienced anything like indoor living in Florida. You where your jacket at you desk, and remove it before leaving the building.)

Tarpon Springs used to be famous for sponges. The 1953 movie Beneath the 12 Mile Reef with Robert Wagner was filmed there. Today, the boats are used to take site seers out to see dolphins, manatees, and other wild life. Like the osprey family on the channel marker.

If you want to see dolphin up close, and don't have a kayak or canoe, go to Clearwater Beach, and ride The Little Toot. It's not a very big boat and the captain usually get the dolphins to swim in the bow stream.

Our little dolphin encounter wasn't too disappointing. We seen a pretty large group of them. I just used this picture because you can see the spray from one of them.


The Lighthouse on Anclote Key State Preserve was built in the late 1880's. Only a few years ago was it restored.

Like to buy a boat? It has air conditioning.

The old sponge docks may have been turned into tourist traps, but some of the water front property is used for a cannery and boat yards. Some of the boats in the slide show could use some work, or be towed out to the Gulf to be used a reefs.

Largo Nature Park July 2008

I know what your thinking more dragonflies.

I headed out for the park early this morning hoping to get a picture of the otters. I had barely left the car, when I spotted them. The four of them were there, and then they were gone. I didn't get a focused shot. The ran into the brush, and didn't come back out.

I like this Juvenile Little Green Heron. He just stood on the railing of the board walk, around the pond, and posed for me. As long as I didn't get too close he was willing to move around for me and give me diffent angles.



The pond had another willing subject. The gator didn't move. This guy is so big, that I would estimate that his head was about two feet head long. What suprised me was the common moorhens were swimming near him with the little ones.

.The water may be green, but you can still see the reflections. The little blue heron looked like he was checking out another bird.

I was still waiting for the otters to show up, but still they were a no show after hanging around the park for an hour.

The Park is one park that seems to have more people wandering around it with cameras, than just going for a walk. I ran into one guy that said he spotted a coyote. I met another that was looking for the coyote the other guy seen.

Me, I was taking pictures of Marsh Rabbits.

July 4th

Charlie started barking at something outside the fence. I looked and seen this little guy. I didn't see mama. Don't know what age they are sent into the world on their own, but this little one looked a little to be out here on his own. If he was alone, what a day to be out. All that noise.

.Speaking of the noise, my neighbors were quiet this year. The economy must really be going down hill. There were very little fireworks going off in my neighborhood

Not Sure

I was questioning myself if I made the correct decision. The Kodak has a very good lens on it. It's made by Schneider Kreuznach. Fuji makes there own lens. As I looked at some of my pictures, I wondered if Kodak supplied a better lens.


Today, I know I made a good choice. Even though this is just a picture of a lowly Mocking-
bird, it is a picture I would never have been able to make with the Kodak. The Kodak would have focused on the branches instead of the bird.

I still wish Kodak had come out with a version that is like the Fuji S100FS. Kodak's software is much better, and the camera set up is much cleaner.

Nothing New

I love dragon flies. They are as interesting as butterflies to me.


One of my books for birdbrains says that the red on the Red Bellied Woodpecker is barely noticeable. It isn't so, when the bird is in my neighbors oak tree. I think the red is easy to see.

Lake Seminole looks "healthy". It's a wonder anything survives in that muck.