Wild Florida

With cooler weather (finally) arriving in Florida, I have resumed my nature walks, in search of all things wild: wildflowers, birds, insects and gators.


No walk is really complete without at least one gator sighting and I've actually starting recognizing and know where to locate quite a few of the 'regular suspects'. On a recent trip, the tally was 3 baby gators and 1 big mama. That was a great 'hunting trip'. All this talk of 'wild' things might sound dangerous, but when it comes to gators, I don't take any chances. Yes, you do have to be careful, but basically if you leave them alone, they leave you alone. Luckily, most of the state parks have wonderful boardwalks that allow you to roam around without being put in harms way. The mosquitoes, on the other hand, can be quite treacherous and you are really in trouble if you forget your bug spray!

It is beautiful in the swamps around Tampa right now (November). The bald cypresses, for a very short time, turn all kinds of wonderful shades orange (as you see in the photo), losing their leaves and remaining 'bald' until springtime.

I have started a new gallery on Fine Art America for my Wild Florida pictures. Click here to see more: Wild Florida