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Yellow Morning at Lake Apopka

Posted Tuesday, September 28, 2021Tuesday, September 28, 2021 Jess Yarnell1 CommentPosted in Lake Apopka

Yesterday there was a decided chill in the air as the overnight temperatures dipped into the 60s. Yes, by Florida standards, that is a hint of fall. I grinned with delight as I pedaled down Lust Road on my bike. The sparkle of dawn, no cars on the drive, and the chatter of awakening birds – who could want a better start to the day?

The fall birds are coming back! This little Yellow Warbler played peek-a-boo with me, hiding in the vegetation and then periodically showing himself. Then he darted out in full sight to hunt for a bug.

Yellow seemed to be the color of the day. The marshes were cheerfully decorated with yellow flowers, as if they too are welcoming a Florida fall. The golden light of the sun was soft around yellow birds, like the Common Yellowthroats who seemed to be everywhere.

I spent a while at the Crazy U, checking the trees there for migrant warblers. Little birds darted in and out of the branches, including this White-eyed Vireo who seemed rather curious about the silly person on a bicycle.

An Eastern Towhee appeared and reminded me to “Drink my tea!” (That’s really what his call sounds like!) I only had a water bottle with me, but he said that was just as good. While I hear towhees on the drive regularly, it’s been a while since I’ve seen one. His yellow eye followed the color trend of the morning.

Tiny Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are year-round residents in Central Florida, but they are much easier to spot in the cooler months. I spotted several darting over the bushes, chasing both each other and the bugs destined to become their breakfasts. This little guy posed next to a spider web and then devoured a small insect.

Far off in the fields, I spotted a Red-shouldered Hawk. He was near a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds who were attacking him mercilessly. Frankly he didn’t seem interested in causing trouble, but the red-wings didn’t believe it. Finally the hawk gave up and flew farther away.

Chip! Chip! The calls of Palm Warblers made me smile as I welcomed back the first of fall migrants. In a few weeks, all the photographers will be complaining “just another palm!” But in this first week of cool weather, all northern visitors are a welcome novelty (even the coots!)

Mrrow!!! My first of fall Gray Catbird spotted me and reminded me to go home and feed my gray cat. Squirt said that was very good advice indeed!

Small Hints of Fall at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

Posted Sunday, September 19, 2021Saturday, September 18, 2021 Jess Yarnell2 CommentsPosted in Lake Apopka

There’s a small hint of fall in the air now. It’s very subtle. The light is changing, the days are growing shorter, and there’s a breath of coolness in the early morning air. A sign of changing seasons and returning birds!

As our Black-necked Stilts and Least Bitterns start making their way south for the winter, it’s nice to say hello to returning friends! The Belted Kingfishers are one of our earliest winter birds to come back to Lake Apopka. I’ve seen kingfishers as early as mid-July, although this year, I didn’t see my first bird till early September.

“Chip! Chip!” My heart did a happy dance when I heard the familiar call of a warbler. The Yellow Warblers have been moving through Florida for the past few weeks, and I spotted several diving for bugs. They were all over the drive – at the Lust gate entrance, down by the lake, and in the trees and bushes as I drove along.

This baby Common Gallinule reminded me that the summer breeding season is still going. Common Gallinules lay several clutches of eggs throughout the season. That way we get baby “aliens” all summer long!

The little Common Yellowthroats are technically year-round birds in Central Florida, but they are often easier to find in the cooler months. This little female chipped until I finally spotted her deep in the vegetation.

The Least Bitterns haven’t left yet and I miss them already! Watching my little family grow up this summer was so special. This adult posed out in the open as three cameras poked out the windows of the van in front of me. The bittern grabbed a fish to charm the cameras.

My last photo of the morning was this Red-shouldered Hawk, perched up in the top of a tree. He said that no matter how many hints of fall I was seeing that morning, it was still hot out. Very hot. He asked me if I could find some birdie air-conditioning for him!

Slowpoke Green Turtle

Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2021Saturday, September 4, 2021 Jess Yarnell1 CommentPosted in Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge

On a late July turtle walk to the Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge, Rich and I walked a good stretch of the beach without encountering a turtle. I wondered if it would be a turtle-less morning when I spotted sand being thrown in the dunes. That’s a sure sign of a nesting Green sea turtle. Green sea turtles dig giant nests and scatter sand widely to disguise the true location of their precious eggs.

That turtle kept us waiting for an hour! We took several little walks up and down the beach, waiting for her to finish her nest. Rich wrote the turtle’s nickname in the sand – “SLOW POKE!”

The turtle was worth the wait. After she emerged from her nesting hole, she started her slow crawl down the beach. Rich and I were the only people around, and we gave her plenty of space.

It was long past sunrise, so I didn’t even try for the “turtle entering the water with the sunrise in the background” shot. Instead I ran down to the water and waded in so I could photograph her as she approached the waves. You could see the relief on her face as she approached her water home.

The waves began to rinse the sand from her. She gave me a final portrait pose as she entered the water. Already the waves were washing away her tracks as she headed into the waves and swam off. With any luck, the eggs that she left buried in the sand will hatch in about two months!