In the Company of Cattle Egrets

Driving south on U.S. Highway 41 between Williston and Dunnellen (Florida) late on a Sunday afternoon on our way to visit friends, we were simply enjoying the drive. Looking east, I saw the typical Florida scene I have come to love: black cows, white birds, humongous green trees and a dark looming sky.

Suddenly, in the grass field next to the cattle, there were hundreds of white birds flying. This certainly got our attention! We turned the car around and came back to the side of the road to observe.

They would fly up and land in the tall grass. Then fly up again. Moving from one side of the field back to the other. Not still for more than a few minutes at a time.

Some continued hanging out with the cows and others seemed to prefer hanging out on the fence posts.

After a good while observing and absorbing, we were back in the car heading south, doing "research" on the smart phone on the "humble" but ever present Cattle Egret.

 We learned:

1. "The cattle egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Wikipedia
3. Scientific name: Bubulcus ibis
4. Rank: Species
5. Higher classification: Bubulcus"

"The short, thick-necked Cattle Egret spends most of its time in fields rather than streams. It forages at the feet of grazing cattle, head bobbing with each step, or rides on their backs to pick at ticks. This stocky white heron has yellow plumes on its head and neck during breeding season. Originally from Africa, it found its way to North America in 1953 and quickly spread across the continent. Elsewhere in the world, it forages alongside camels, ostriches, rhinos, and tortoises—as well as farmers’ tractors" Cornell Lab of Ornithology

 

Arrived safely at our destination to friends who patiently "humored" our amazement and appreciation of this "typical" rural Florida scene which was played out before us in abundance this afternoon.

Grateful for the opportunity to witness.  Even more grateful for the aptitude to "turn the car around" and be able to appreciate and enjoy what was before us.

Down the Creek; With a Paddle

It's early Sunday morning; bright sun and few clouds. Here we are at the Earl P Powers Boat ramp in Southeast Gainesvile, Florida meeting our outfitter and group for our paddle down Prairie Creek. 

We head out to Newnan's Lake
  

Until we reach the entrance to Prairie Creek

A narrow, winding creek in a natural preserve area

Many cypress knees

A Limpken along the bank

Another Limpken amongst the cypress knees

The water is high considering all of our rainfall but we still have several down trees to contend with

LLL 'does the Limbo" with this tree. I'm hearing Chubby Checker in the my mind singing "How loooooow can she go?"

Apparently, quite low!  The rest of us got hung up on the other side with a submerged log. But there was no way I was going to be able to get under this log the way she did.

Another log requiring some assistance and a bit of "scrunching"

Prairie Creak is absolutely beautiful to navigate. Well worth the hassle of an occasional "scrunch" and "duck"

Many Apple Snail eggs attached to grass and  cypress knees. Vivid orange in some cases. Unfortunately for the eco system, these belong to an exotic variety instead of the native Florida snail and bodes for an uncertain future.

Not too many alligator out today. Just a few of the "small guys"

A "nature" quiet morning and afternoon.  (Nature is NOT quiet. I mean we heard no machine sounds during most of our paddle)

The creek skirts the eastern edge of Payne's Prairie State park.  Original water flow for the creek empties into the Prairie.  In the 1930's canals were dug to divert the water down to Orange Lake.  Still a very contested issue to this day.  Toward the end of our journey, we are in Camp's Canal and paddle past a weir which determines how much water flows to the Prairie and how much flows to Orange Lake. 

We exit the creek and headed home by 2:30 in the afternoon. Physically tired but emotionally exhilarated both by being in such close contact with nature as well as having challenged ourselves and come through. 

My ice cold tea from the car cooler would not have tasted so good under other circumstances. 

Smile.