Friendly Barred Owl at Riverbend last weekend:





Rich recently bought a new camera so we have been going different places for him to test it out. Busch Wildlife Sanctuary provided some easy subjects, such as this bald eagle that cannot be released due to a damaged wing.









Another good place to test out a camera is Green Cay wetlands in Delray beach. I have ranted about the rude people there before, but I think the problem is getting worse. I had some uncoordinated power walkers blunder into me while snapping a photo. While you're not being physically assaulted, its a great place for experimenting with photography since the birds are close and abundant, but don't expect peaceful enjoyment of nature.

White ibis with hapless leopard frog





Most folks breeze on by and never notice the little Sora rails



I was lucky enough to catch a brown water snake in the background!













Just before the fight



We are back to 80 degree weather here. I hope it does not signal the end of cooler winter temperatures, but at the same time I am glad there has not been a hard freeze this year. Let's hope we make it through March!

Because the cold weather hit us late this year, the plants are all confused. We have ended up with "Autumn in January"

Loxahatchee River



Posh armadillo



Lots of eagle activity at the swamp.



Get outta my airspace!



The Carolina Wrens are singing territorial songs.



Face in the tree.



Deer are easier to spot since the trees are defoliating.

It was a chilly morning in the park and the usual suspects were present at Anhinga trail:

Cormorants



Black Vultures







Red-Bellied Sliders



Lots of Gators





Bluebirds at Research Road





A small crocodile that has clamed Eco pond for himself. We were saddened to hear from a park ranger that many of the larger crocs died during the prolonged cold spell last year. We saw a few medium-sized crocs at the marina, as well as a manatee, which was the first time I had seen one there.



Another great day in the glades!

Happy New Year to all! Can't believe 2012 is here.

It has been so nice being off of school for a few weeks, I remember what it is like to have a life again! We both also had a short break from work, which was great because we got to do a lot of hiking and nature watching.

Lots of birds in the yard





We have also spent many hours exploring Riverbend park and the surrounding trails.









Red Shouldered Hawks are abundant







There are several families of deer that inhabit the park.





The Monarch of the Glen



He is a great poser and stayed for many pics. I was concerned that he might be aggressive toward us but it turned out he had other things on his mind.







The object of his affection



Once he found her, he gave chase! We left them to it.



Back to work tomorrow! Luckily I still have another week off school so I will enjoy my last moments of relative freedom! We are also preparing for our first freeze of the winter here in S. Florida after a warm Christmas holiday.

Last week we headed up to the Kennedy Space Center for our anniversary. I booked us a special tour to the Vehicle Assembly Building, which had been off limits to the general public until recently.

The Vehicle Assembly Building. It is HUGE. Each of the stars on the flag is 6 feet across.



Inside, you just kept looking up and up and up and the building just kept on going. It was pretty awe inspiring, a steel and concrete cathedral.



This is the actual space shuttle Endeavor. It is being prepared for display at the California Science Center in LA. It was a bit sad seeing it sat there like that, but also amazing to be so close to a shuttle that had gone on many journeys to space.



After the VAB, we continued on the rest of the tour. There is a rocket being assembled inside this building:



Shuttle launch complex 39A



Mural of the International Space Station



It was a nice day although bittersweet. Although it was sad to see that the shuttle program is gone, the truth is that with the end is also a new beginning. It is inspiring to see what has been accomplished so far, and exciting to think of what new discoveries await us in the future.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!
From Rich and me, and all the woodland creatures that inhabit our tree.

These are from my trip back in Nov. Only a month and a half late!

After our visit to the Grand Canyon we headed to Sedona to see the famous red rocks. Lit by the setting sun, Sedona is truly stunning.













Apparently Sedona is known for being a site of mysterious energy and profound spiritual quests. I had no idea of this until I got there. I don't normally believe in any type of supernatural phenomena. However, the night I stayed in Sedona, I had an interesting experience- which may have been spiritual in nature, or may be very easily explained by oxygen deprivation and fatigue resulting from the Grand Canyon trip! Either way, it is a fascinating place that I hope to visit again soon.

Speaking of spirituality, the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona is the most serenely beautiful church I have ever seen. It is a popular tourist spot since it provides great scenic views of the red rocks.



The chapel itself is simple and welcoming, with huge glass windows looking out over the scenery.



The rocky cliffs behind the church resemble figures.





Leaving Sedona behind, I spent my last day in Arizona in Scottsdale since I had an inhumanely early flight the next morning. Since I had a few daylight hours left, I hiked most of the way up Camelback mountain, which is right in the middle of town.







I was almost at the top when I noticed a dark smudge across the horizon. I asked one of the other hikers what it was and he said nonchalantly, "Must be a dust storm" and continued on his way. Needless to say, I scrambled down the hill as fast as I could go and just made it to my car when it hit. Almost immediately the sky was dark, I could barely see 50 feet in front of me, and a howling wind screamed all around the car- it was like a really bad summer thunderstorm in Florida. Luckily it cleared up pretty quickly but the wind and dust remained throughout the afternoon, so that put an end to my outdoor activities! I found out later that it was a rather serious dust storm that the locals refer to as "haboobs" from the arabic word habb meaning wind. It was an exciting end to my first visit to Arizona!

I was in Santa Monica, CA for a conference last week. It was my first time visiting the Los Angeles area and I did not know what to expect, but I had a pretty good time.

Evening on the beach





After the conference I drove up to Malibu and headed into the hills. It was 28F when I arrived and there was frost on the ground. Not what I think of when I think "Southern California." Glad I brought a coat!

Malibu creek state park. Plenty of birds around, including a flock of about 20 Ruby Crowned Kinglets, which was very cute. Also deer and coyote.







Next stop, Hollywood.





View of the smog shrouded city



Last stop was a visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the La Brea Tar Pit museum. The tar pits were awesome, although they reeked! It was interesting to see since I've seen it on TV before. The art museum was a nice way to wind down at the end of the day. I spent my time admiring medieval painting and sculpture.

Mammoth statues in one of the tar pits





Not much else going on, other than I have a short winter break from school. It will be nice to have a life for a few weeks!

Or, "Mr. Lizard Face" as I've named him. He lives in our front garden.



These guys are very quick. The only reason I caught this one was because it was early in the morning and slightly cool.

I just got back from a short visit to Florida's west coast. The weather was weird and unsettled for most of the time, but I saw lots of nice birds and wildlife.

Obligatory Gator



Night Heron



Roseate Spoonbills





I sent in that last shot to the Audubon Society since the middle bird has a band of some kind. I remember they did a banding project in Everglades National Park a couple of years ago, perhaps this is one of those birds.

It is hard to believe that it is December already. Where is time going?!

The adventure started along the iconic Route 66 in Williams, AZ.



As we entered Grand Canyon National Park, a small herd of elk crossed the road in front of us. They took their time, allowing for some nice photos out the window.



First views of the canyon from the overlook point near the visitor center. "Wow" just about covers it.



This ground squirrel posed for the hordes of tourists passing by.



Bluebirds pecking at the thawing edges of a frozen puddle. You don't usually think of the canyon as being a cold place, but on the morning of our visit temperatures were in the low 40's. We were lucky on our trip, since it snowed the day after!





Western Scrub Jay, our constant companion and guide









Continuing on toward the Bright Angel Trail, there was a flock of these tiny Pygmy Nuthatch near the parking lot. Note the pine cone for scale.





Views from the Trail. I took a few hundred photos yet none of them really capture the size or intensity of the place.





Ancient Havasupai pictographs



Canyon Wren







Mules carrying materials for trail repairs



Rest stop







Scrub Jay was there to guide us on the hike back up to the rim. This part of the journey was dreamlike, surreal.







And Raven wished us farewell



It was an amazing journey.