Spent the morning dealing with paperwork and banking chores for the month, as well as reading the comics of course. I went over to Paines Prairie State Park early this afternoon and spent several hours there looking at the critters and walking the paths. They opened up about 3/4 of a mile of additional path since the last time I was there. Most of the main path has been closed this spring because a lot of it has been flooded or at least to wet to walk on so it was nice to have some additional scenery to look at, as well as having some additional distance to walk.
    In addition to the usual birds and gators sunning themselves I had a chance to see an 'American Bittern', a small brown marsh bird that is rather rare and at the end of the path, where they had closed it off again, I spotted one of the bison that the park holds, off in the distance. For the most part all you could see was its butt, but it was fun to see one once again. Then on the way back to the truck I spotted 4 of the wild 'Cracker Horses' that they have there. Remnants of wild ones that once roamed the area, I have seen them several times while visiting in the park.
    Went and had a early dinner at the local Chipotle and then headed on back to the trailer. Tonight is going to be movie night. I'm thinking 'Rain Man' for tonight's feature. I would of thought it would be one I had seen before, but surprisingly not. Looking forward to viewing it.
   Below are the remaining photo's from my trip to Wakulla Springs with Rima. For the first batch you will have to pull up yesterdays post.

Wakulla Springs State Park in Florida - Feb. 12, 2016

Part II

At this point our tour boat has shifted sides and is headed back up river towards the springs source. I still love the look of all of these bald cypress tree islands with all of the Spanish Moss hanging off of them.

A couple of Cormorants and a turtle hanging out on a tree stump. There are a lot of cormorants, as well as anhingas, that hang out in the park. Both species are diving birds that pursue their prey, fish, by swimming under water after them. Anhingas have straight bills and actual spear their prey, where as cormorants have a short curve at the end of their beaks and are able to grasp their prey with out it wiggling out. There are also minor differences in their color.

Another look.

 

We were lucky considering the day was so warm and sunny. On those days the resident manatee population usually moves out of the spring run into the main river where the water can be colder. Here is one of 2-3 manatees that we saw hanging around. What you are seeing are the two nostrils at the end of it's nose.

Another nice turtle.

A 'Moorhen', or as some call them, a 'candy corn' bird.

A little bitty alligator sunning itself. This one is about 2 feet long. At this length it still needs to worry about raccoon's and such, but its main worry is other, bigger alligators that would have no problem eating him whole.

There is a huge, 100's, flock of black vultures that over winter in the park. Every year I try to get a good picture, and every year I miss. This is about as good as it gets.

Evidently the vultures like this area because they can access water without feeling to exposed to danger.

Another cormorant. It is interesting to me that their eyes are such a vivid color of blue.

*brk