Smyrna Dunes Park

Sabal Palmettos watch the clouds

Smyrna Dunes Park is 73 acres of wild Florida, overlooked by towering condos, a last refuge for the natural world. The park is surrounded by water on three sides, and consists of five ecosystems, ocean, river (Indian River), scrub zone and salt-water marsh. I was there a year ago February. This was my last vacation with my husband, who succumbed to Alzheimer's three months later. It is only now that I have the peace of mind to write this blog.

View of park from condo, scrub zone and ocean visible

On a walkway. The lighthouse is across the Ponce Inlet,
where the Indian River reaches the sea. Saw Palmettos.

Saw Palmettos, Serenoa repens.

Walking along the board walk, the treasures were down below. Not quite spring yet, but several flowers were blooming.

Coastal Plain Golden Aster,  Chryopsis scarbella.

Common Blanket Flower,  Gaillardia pulchella.

Queen butterfly, Danaus glippus, enjoying the Gaillardia

Going to seed. Hard to tell what season it is here..

The Prickly Pear knows it's still winter..no flowers.
 (Opuntia Humifosa)

Partridge Pea, Chamaecrista Fasciculata.

Charming massed foliage!

Sea Oats, Uniola paniculata.

Some plants are not wanted

Schinus terebinthifolia is from South America.

Besides butterflies, other creatures make their living on the dunes.

Gopher Tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus.
The only tortoise found in Florida

A marked Gopher Tortoise burrow,
 edged with Cat Briar, Smilex genus.

The Mockingbird knows it's nest building time.
(Mimus polyglotus)

A stand of cedars, Juniperus genus.

Yellow Rumped Warbler, Setophaga coronata.
In the cedar

I have no ID who this is.

The park is not just dunes. The beach is where the shorebirds are.

Royal Tern, Thalasseus maximus. Bad hair day.

The Laughing Gull, thinks it's funny.
(Leucophaeus atricilla, Juvenile)

Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres.

Non-breeding plumage.

Fish Crows arguing.  Corvus ossifragus.

Snowy Egret, fishing. (Egretta thula)

Willet (or wont it?) . Tringa semipalmata.

The moon rises.' The days dwindle down to a precious few'.w.'.

The sun sets, on what is left of the dune wilderness.
These are the last sunsets I will see with my husband. RIP

I'm glad I will not be young, in a future without wilderness,~Aldo Leopold

The Real Florida: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Salt Marsh

Another worthy escape from fantasy Florida, is the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. "Refuge" says it all. Wildlife needs refuge from relentless development. As usual, there is never enough time, so this early spring tour is confined to the Black Point Wildlife drive, a seven mile loop through salt marsh.

If you stop for a photo. The cars behind you line up waiting..

I brake for butterflies..Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
on Tall Thistle(?)

One good Fritillary deserves another..

These last shots taken on foot.
There are parking areas and trails..
The flower is Alba bidens.

A blind along the trail, from which a Roseate Spoonbill was seen. It did not pose..

There were fields of White Sweet Clover (Melilotus alba).
Clouds of Tropical Whites (Appias drusilla) enjoyed the bounty.

A beautiful Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

The ubiquitous Zebra butterfly (Heliconius charitonius). 
Also on Alba bidens.








So many beautiful butterflies..What more could one ask for? Why beautiful birds of course!!

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula).
"Egret" comes from the French 'aigrette'.

Perhaps I can catch dinner?
'Aigrettes' are the breeding plume feathers'
so many birds were killed to obtain.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
All Egrets are herons, but not all Herons are Egrets.

Tricolor Heron (Egretta tricolor)

                                                  Herons come in so many colors!

Green Heron (butorides virescens)

Enjoying the evening.

It is getting late, all hail the lowering sun!

A pair of Boat Tailed Grackles have an evening snack.
(Quiscalus major)

Mom collects nesting materials. It is early Spring.

Time to head home...

                     

                       If we kill off the wild, we are killing a part of our souls ~ Jane Goddall

The Real Florida: Blue Springs State Park

..

Those dark forms are manatees. Excuse please, this is an iPOD picture..

Yes, it is still there..at least that's what it said on a sign outside Blue Springs State Park, in Orange City Florida. Spanish Moss (not a moss, but a lichen) , palmettos, cypress forests, alligators, manatees, not malls. Abundant bird life, not indistinguishable subdivisions. The real world beyond Disney World.

Blue Springs State Park is a dedicated Manatee Refuge
and winter home to a growing number of West Indian Manatees

Hello!

Gar hang out there too.

So do alligators.

And non-native Tilapia. This is a male, fanning out a nest space.

Blue Spring is the largest spring on the St. John's River. St. John's River cruises are offered..or you can launch your own canoe or kayak. These pictures are from the cruise boat.

Early spring on the St. Johns.

Great Blue Heron..of course!

A super sighting of an American Bittern!

Mistletoe in the trees. A hemiparasite.

A baby alligator..

Mom not far away..

The obligatory Anhinga drying it's wings.
Poor birds do not have waterproofed feathers.

A young Cypress forest.
The original was cut down for it's high-quality wood.

White Ibises in the trees.

A juvenile.

What are you looking at?
Osprey, beautiful "Fish Hawk"

We are enjoying the sun..

Spanish Moss and Spadderdock.
Tick, tock, time to head to the dock,
back to the other Florida..

Florida Springs will not protect themselves; those who know and love them must protect them~ Jim Stenvenson, Florida Department of Environmental Protection.