Inhabitants Of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

This weekend I decided to go take a peak at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary boardwalk and see how things looked since the last time I was there was during a draught. I noticed quite a bit of water in the area walking back to my favorite spot and the lake known as Lettuce Lake was quite full. The only downside from having as much water as there was is that the wading birds don't have anywhere to stand as the water is to high for them. I saw some other cool reptiles and amphibians there this time though. Never fails but I always seem to find frogs everywhere I go. In this case there were quite a few of these Green Tree Frogs that seemed quite young around in Lettuce Lake. 

The other creature I came across was two baby Alligators. Never did see the mother but I was quite sure she was somewhere close. With the plants on the surface, other stuff in the water these baby Alligators blended in quite well and were quite easy to just walk on by without seeing them. The baby Green Tree Frogs were the same way except once you saw one your eyes kind of adjusted and then all of the sudden your like whoa theres a lot of baby Green Tree Frogs here. There were also quite a few Green Anoles out there which I have honestly never seen that many before. Usually the the lizards you see are the Brown Anoles which are an invasive species to this area. To see more of my nature photography click on any photos.

Out Back Photography

Ibis Doing A Balancing Act

This week I decided to talk about some photos I took from our backyard or a neighbors back yard. Here in Florida we have a pond out back that birds like to frequent and also the area in general that we live in during the wet season remains quite wet. Just the other day we had a Anhinga taking a dip in our swimming pool and drying its feathers off at the side in the hot sun. In the past I have also seen animals like turtles and wild pigs. Even if you don't live in a area that wildlife frequents, if you look hard you might be amazed at what you might find. 

Chipmunk Caught Red Handed Taking Food From Bird Feeder

Turtle Rescued And Released Out Back

Water Splashing Upwards From Impact Of Water Droplet

I know just taking a walk out back from where I work I find subjects to photograph that interest me. Not always wildlife though. One day walked out back while it was raining and sat down on a bench near this puddle and watched the rain drip off the roof hitting the water hard enough to splash upward a little. So I laid down on the ground in work clothes to take this photo of the water splash. In my opinion it looks even cooler looking at the water in the photo seeing that second where it hits and the water goes upward. To see other photographs I have taken click on any of the photos.

Turtles Are Not Speed Bumps!!! (Please Watch For Them)

I was on my way home one night heading away from a street named Veterans. I all of the sudden noticed a police car went into the turn lane going towards Veterans and then flipped his lights on and went into my left lane. I was in the middle lane and was thinking oh great I did something wrong. As I came closer to him and pulled up next to the police car I noticed something in front of the car but figured it was just trash he didn't want someone to hit. I looked closer and realized that it was a turtle he had stopped for and it had been hit by a car already. He picked it up and said, " Oh it is still alive". 

After saying that I immediately responded that I could take care of him and that I am volunteer at The Conservancy Of Southwest Florida. The one thing that kept going through my head as I was heading home with the turtle next to me was," why did this have to happen now of all times?" I mean if it had happened during the day, I would have been able to find help for him right there and then. The next day I went and checked on him to see how he was doing and he had moved around quite a bit during the night which I was glad to see. So after taking him down and leaving I realized I hadn't taken any pictures of him so I called back and asked if it was ok to get a picture. I also offered to stay and help since they were short handed. It is hard to believe how many animals are injured every day.

I checked periodically during the time I was there to see how he was doing by peaking in a corner that was uncovered and from what I could tell he was going to be just fine. They patched him up with gauze and electrical tape on the area of his shell that was broken from the impact of the car. Aside from that what he needed most was just rest to let the wound heal. To end this story while I was there one of the cute animals I saw being helped was this baby squirrel who was being fed. If anyone would like to donate to The Conservancy Of Southwest Florida please click on this link https://www.conservancy.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=478. If you live here locally for example Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs Etc and would like information on volunteering click on this link http://www.conservancy.org/page.aspx?pid=521.