![]() |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Florida - Winter 2011 |
|||
Sarasota, FL |
|||
4 February - 29 March 2011 |
|||
Town Information | |||
Local Map |
|||
Photographs and Commentary |
|||
In 2010 we tried spending a few of weeks in the Sarasota area. We picked an RV Park that we had spent some time in with the kids about thirty years ago to use as our base. Time, as they say, changes memories and the RV park was not as we remembered it... primarily that in order to maximize profit they created new campsites in the existing space and made the new sites tight. We decided that we still wanted to spend time in this area because of the amenities it provides (see "Town Information" link) and found Sun N' Fun Resort and RV Park and made reservations for the Winter of 2011. We left New York on 30 January, after the worst of the storms that struck the area in December and January (we also left behind about 5 ft of snow in our backyard). We took our time on the way down and had a relatively uneventful trip (only one flat tire that required a replacement of a brand new tire). We didn't keep a journal of our time in Sarasota because this was not one of our "if its Tuesday this must be..." trips. We kept busy, but not with the kind of things that provided much to photograph. We did visit a couple of places, J N "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island and Myakka River State Park in Sarasota in which we took some wildlife pictures. AlligatorsAll of the alligator photographs were taken during two visits to Myakka River State Park. There are two tours available in the park that allow wildlife viewing. One is a tram ride and the other is a boat ride on Myakka Lake. |
|||
|
|||
This is not a threatening pose, the alligator is regulating his temperature |
Alligator mother protecting its nest, in background |
||
|
|
||
Birds |
|||
Anhinga (foreground), Stilts (Background)
Egret |
![]() |
||
Glossy Ibis
Great Blue Heron |
![]() |
||
White Ibis, note crab in its beak |
Juvenile White Ibis |
||
Limpkin
Little Blue Heron |
![]() |
||
Osprey, also known as Fish Hawk |
Pelicans |
||
Roseate Spoonbills, background
Snowy Egret |
![]() |
||
Stilt |
Wood Stork, on Left. Black Vulture, right |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
This Kite made a series of dives on fish, but came up empty | |||
As Seen on the Road |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
||
This Cardinal was a frequent visitor to our site at Sun N Fun RV Resort and would attack our rear window repeatedly. I supposed that he was attacking a rival, his reflection, in our window. I confirmed this when I saw him attack the polished rims of the motor home in the adjacent pipe. This bird must have a constant headache. |