Joe's Adventures

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

2011-01-05T17:09:00.006-05:00

This morning we visited the Wakodahatchee Wetlands. It was warm and the Big Blue Herons were out in full force enjoying the beautiful weather. We saw another 10' + Alligator basking in the sun.

Blue Winged Teal

Great Blue Heron in flight

Anhinga basking in the sun

American Alligator

Alligator basking with a turtle roll call

Common Moorehen

Big Bertha

Holey Lands WMA/SFWMD East Coast Buffer

2011-01-04T10:04:00.007-05:00

Instead of traveling out of state for my vacation, we decided to do several day trips within the state of Florida. Last weekend, we visited Lake Okeechobee. It was peaceful and relaxing. Yesterday, we visited the South West section of Palm Beach County that is composed of Agricultural Land, Wildlife Management Areas, and portions of the South Florida Water Management Land. To most, this would be considered as a boring venture; however, this is an area of Florida that is left unappreciated. I lost count on how many Alligators and species of Birds of Prey that we observed. I really liked how quiet and isolated this area is, once you delve into its vast openness (venturing off of SR 27). I am definitely bringing my bike back to this area, as the paths are either closed to motorized vehicles or one needs a swamp buggy to gain complete access. Obviously, a bike will not endure the dense swamp areas, so I will stick to the dikes that offer an awesome view of area.

Its Duck and Deer season. The Ducks were everywhere! The SFWMD is a non hunting/fishing area.

An American Alligator basking amongst the Ducks.

Tricolored Heron
The Ducks are easily spooked.
Crow

Palmetto Palm Hammock

Big Bertha! This specimen appeared to be over 10 foot long.
Big Bertha is out of here!
River of Grass
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Dual-motored Airboat

Great Egret in mating plumage.

Lake Okeechobee

2011-01-03T14:06:00.008-05:00

On 12/31/2010 and 01/01/2011, we took day trips to Lake Okeechobee. On 12/31/2010 we spent the day at the Pahokee Marina with Barbara. We spent most of the day observing the indigenous wildlife via binoculars. We enjoyed watching the Osprey catch and eat fish. The weather offered a pleasant break from the back-to-back arctic blasts that brought our temperatures to a unseasonably low for several days. On 01/01/2011, we spent the day at Taylor Creek with friends. We stopped at Port Mayaca on the way to the Creek. The tall bridge offers an awesome view of the lake and the surrounding area. We visited the dike area and went on a nice boat trip with John Ryan, Nicole, and Jeff. Unfortunately, most of the pictures did not come out to well. I had my Canon Powershot that I feel has been dropped one too many times.

Pahokee Marina

A victim of the arctic blasts
Port Mayaca

Taylor Creek

Sandhill Cranes at Atlantic Ridge (Florida State Park)

2010-11-06T14:12:00.006-04:00

Scott, David, and I visited the Atlantic Ridge State Park this morning. It was in the low 50's with a slight wind. This is great hiking weather for South Florida. We saw three Sandhill Cranes on the way into the park. We stopped and captured several shots and videos of these magnificent birds. We only hiked for a few miles because my concussion from last weekend continues to bother me. Afterwards, we had a picnic at Phipps Park and watched the boats pass by.

Northern Everglades 10.31.2010

2010-10-31T17:02:00.010-04:00

This AM, David, Dave, and I hit the water early, to explore the Northern section of the Florida Everglades. The weather was perfect. It was the low 70's, the wind was about 5 MPH, and lots of overcast. It was very relaxing to experience the quiet and fresh air. Dave cooked chicken on his grill and we brought left over ribs and Caribbean Slaw. We took a quick dip afterwords. The water was very refreshing; however, with the number of Alligators that we saw, we did not stay in the water very long. Unfortunately, I slip and fell on the boat ramp, when loading the boat. I landed on the back of my head. I received a nice gash and bruise. Needless to say, I have a throbbing headache and my neck is stiff. It could be worse! No pain, no gain.

American Anhinga

American Alligator

Great Blue Herons

Red Shoulder Hawk

American Anhinga

Grilling!
Chicken Kabobs and Caribbean Slaw

Refreshing!
My lovely gash from the fall on the boat ramp :(

Juno Beach 09/18/2010 #1

2010-09-19T09:23:00.002-04:00

After being sick all week and being house/bed-bound, we decided to go enjoy our beautiful weather. We went for a drive along the beaches and made a few stops to enjoy the atmosphere. The video below exhibits someone para-surfing in the gorgeous weather. There were a dozen or so folks para-surfing on Juno Beach. It felt good to get out of the house; however, the effects of the virus that has been plaguing me all week still makes me dizzy and nauseous.

Happy Birthday Heather!

2010-09-18T10:51:00.002-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER!

Albino Oscar and Gold Severums 09/17/2010

2010-09-17T17:20:00.002-04:00

I shot a quick video of my tank that has one Albino Tiger Oscar, two Gold Severums, and three Silver Dollars fish (not in the video). The fish are getting along well and my current arrangement of rock and PVC allow for hiding spots. As they grow, I will need to remove some of these items.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVxhpK-rdnw

Pine Mountain 08/31/2010

2010-09-04T12:00:00.006-04:00

We visited the F.D. Roosevelt State Park at Pine Mountain for a few hours. The weather was simply gorgeous. We hiked approximately 5-6 miles of one of the trails that included getting a bit lost; however, we found our way back via following the main road. Hiking the mountain roads quickly exhibited how out-of-shape that we all are! We will definitely visit this park again and spend the day exploring the trails and enjoying the beauty of the mountain and the surrounding area.

Ocmulgee Indian Mounds 08/29/2010

2010-09-03T08:06:00.007-04:00

(above) Gulf Fritillary Butterflies munching on a passion vine.

The mounds looks really lush this year, as Georgia has received a decent amount of rain this summer. We only hiked a small section of the preserve. The weather was kind as it was 80 with an overcast. The humidity was also low. Being that I am still toying with the AV settings on my camera to capture decent low lighting shots, only a handful of my shots are posted.

Passion Vine in bloom.

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Web Worm nest

A Golden Silk Orb eating a Lady Bug. There is also a Grass Hopper in the web.

Beaver Dam

Big Pine Key 07/23/2010

2010-07-26T17:31:00.007-04:00

This last weekend, I visited Hector in Big Pine Key, Florida. We had a Tropical Storm pass through South Florida on Friday morning. Luck for us, this storm was a dry one. The drive to the Keys was very nice, as there was very little rush hour traffic. Due to the clouds that were part of the Tropical Storm, the sunsets were not as spectacular as they usually are. Overall, I had a great time, as always. I captured all pictures and videos with my iPhone 4.

The picture above is from was taken at Big Coppitt Key. The view is fabulous.

The video above is the sunset captured at Islamorada.

The video above is the sunset captured at Conch Key.

The video above is the amazing view that I captured at Big Coppitt Key.

The video above is the sunset captured at No Name Key.

Bridge Jumping

2010-06-05T12:09:00.013-04:00

Today, David, Hector, Javier, Allan, and myself went to Sugarloaf Key to bridge jump. We went early to beat the heat and the local crowd. The water was still cool and the current created a a lazy river. This was an awesome long Birthday weekend that was filled with snorkeling and laughing with awesome friends!

Fern Forest Nature Center

2010-03-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

Jennifer, David, and myself visited the Fern Forest Nature Center this morning. The weather was perfect for this outing and I was happy that we only encountered a few mosquitoes. It was 67 degrees, humidity of 43%, and a wind of 8 mph. Portions of the trails were muddy from last week's heavy rains versus the paths being shaded. I wish I could bike this terrain because a lot of the paths are riddled with roots, rocks, fallen limbs, cypress knees, and mud; however, bikes are not permitted. This is an awesome park that I plan on visiting often. We walked the entire park in approximately 3 hours. Next time, we will pack a picnic, as there are several tables in the parking lot that re shaded. Afterwards, we settled for 5 Guy's for burgers and fries.

Seabranch Preserve State Park

2010-03-20T19:00:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, we visited the Seabranch Preserve State Park. The weather was gorgeous, as the high was 69, the humidity was 50%, and the wind was 6 mph. We walked approximately 6 miles of the preserve. This was a good workout because a lot of the path was sugar sand. The first portion of the trail was littered with fallen trees. I assume that this phenomenon is the aftermath of the hurricanes from a few years ago. New growth a visible, as we saw lots of young pine trees as we walked further into the preserve. We also observed the palmetto heads recovering from a recent burn/fire. I am glad that we did not attempt to bike this, as the suger sand would have made it very unpleasant.

Blowing Rocks

2010-03-19T19:00:00.000-04:00

This morning, we visited Blowing Rocks Preserve. The weather was awesome, as the high was 69, the humidity was 50%, and the wind was 6 mph. We walked both sides of the preserve and enjoyed mother nature in action. The display exhibited by the waves smashing onto the rocks and blowing through the holes in the rocks was simply amazing. The combination of beach sand and sugar sand made for a good work out. I have not visited this preserve in over 15 years. I must not stay away for so long!

Miccosukee Indian Village airboat ride

2010-03-18T12:00:00.001-04:00

We visited Miccosukee Indian Village for an airboat ride. The short trip visited an old village and and a vacated house. I forgot how loud and fun airboats are. We did not see much wildlife outside of Great Blue Herons and Great White Egrets because it was later in the day. We definitely want to return and take a longer trip into the river of grass.

Shark Valley

2010-03-16T21:31:00.014-04:00

Today, Jennifer, Elan, Greg, David, and myself went to Shark Valley (the northern entrance the the Everglades National Park). It was a beautiful day with a high of 70, a 6 MPH wind, 55% humidity, and an overcast. We walked 6 miles of the loop. We will return with our bikes next time and ride the entire loop. We saw nature galore with my highlight being the observation of Alligator Gar jumping out of the water. Unfortunately, I did not get a shot of this exhibited behavior. We observed many Alligators of all sizes, with some being just a few feet from the path. I was excited to see a Roseate Spoonbill from a distance.

Great Blue Heron

Two American Alligators

Great White Egret

Tri-Colored Heron

Two turtles

A Tri-Colored Heron nestled in front of an Alligator

Night Heron

Snake Bird/American Anhinga chick in a nest

Two Alligators sunning on the shoreline

A Snake Bird/American Anhinga swimming for prey

An Alligator sunning with two Turtles

Great Blue Heron with a Limpkin in the background

Elan, Jennifer, and Greg looking at an Alligator

Wood Stork

Ferns growing on a Palmetto Palm

A fern growing in a limestone hole

Great White Egret with his breeding plumage

David voguing next to a 7' Alligator

Me with the 7' Alligator

A Moth spreading the pollen amongst the wild flowers

Alligator Snapping Turtle

A dozen baby Alligators

Soft Shelled Turtle

David, Elan, Greg, and Jennifer

A Great Blue Heron eating a fish

An Alligator resting in the water pipe

A pollen covered Bee/Wasp

Two pollen covered Bee/Wasps

A Beatle on wild flower

6 baby Alligators

Snake Bird/American Anhinga

The threesome: Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, and a Wood Stork

Roseate Spoonbill

Limpkin

2 baby Alligators sunning themselves

Apoxee Urban Wilderness Park after the rains

2010-03-14T15:26:00.007-04:00

Earlier today, Betty, Reggie, David, and I schlepped through the muddy and flooded paths of Apoxee Urban Wilderness Park. We traveled for about 1 mile when it became too deep to continue (the path getting deeper than 12-14"). The recent rains have flooded the area. Go to my most post from last weekend and see how dry it was before the two days of rain that dumped approximately 10-12". We rode about 5 miles of the dike area that borders Grassy Waters. We saw several alligators, a deer, and several hawks. The beautiful weather and being with awesome friends made this a fantastic outing. Afterwards, we washed the bikes, degreased the chains to eliminate the dirt & mud coating, and applies a nice layer of wat/dry lube.

Our feet were completely drenched!

The first breather to overcome the burn from riding in mud/flooded trails.

The second and much needed breather. My asthma was kicking in!

American Alligator

David and Betty enjoying the dry land provided by the dike; however, there were spots of sugar sand.

We spooked this 10' Alligator that was resting next to the path.

It is breeding season.

Hawk

Hawk eating a rodent.

Hawk

Apoxee Urban Wilderness Park

2010-03-07T16:18:00.011-05:00

Betty, David, and I visited the Apoxee Urban Wilderness Park today. Many of the marsh areas have dried up. I am hoping that the summer rainy season will bring much needed water back to the wetlands. Next time, we will return with our bikes. This is a large area that has an access to a dike that runs for miles along the border of Apoxee and Grassy Waters. The dike offers a fantastic view of the various terrain of the reserves and to the animal and plant specimen that inhabit the region.

A dried marsh bed.

David and Betty laughing at me schlepping over the drying bed.

Raccoon tracks.

The trio: Great White Egret, Wood Stork, and an Ibis.

A decent bike trail with some exposed roots and rocks.

Tri-Colored Heron.

Great Blue Heron.

Painted Turtle.

Air Plants.

Raccoon.

Ibis.

American Alligator.

Grassy Waters.

J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area

2010-03-06T18:59:00.007-05:00

Today, Scott invited me to join him at the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. Scott was brave enough to take his Honda CRV AWD into wetlands and rugged terrain of the reserve. I would have had a coronary taking my Honda Pilot through such environment, as it might get dirty! We had a great time. I have not been mudding or what not in years. I did get a few shots and captured one video. The highlight of the adventure was seeing a Bobcat for a few seconds!

A fire burning in the distance.

Scott and the all might Honda CRV AWD.

Two American Alligators. I saw approximately one dozen Alligators on this adventure.

Another fire.

Savannas State Park

2010-02-27T16:36:00.004-05:00

Painted Turtle

Today, we visited Savannas State Park. Its was a cool (58°), breezy day with a slight overcast that turned into a nice down-pour of rain. We only got to see a small portion of the park and plan on returning in the near future. The wild hogs have really made an impact on the area by eating the roots of plants and digging up the earth. The recent droughts have caused much of the marsh areas to evaporate and are now grassy plains. We did get wet from the down-pour, so our adventure ended earlier than we planned.

A small pond surround by an area that has been excavated by the wild hogs.

American Alligator

Great Blue Heron in flight.

Wild Daisies

Green Cay 02/21/2010

2010-02-21T15:35:00.014-05:00

Betty, Harriet, David, and myself enjoyed the beautiful Florida weather by visiting the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands. We lots of water birds embracing the change in weather, as its been unseasonably cold for several weeks. Its also breeding season, so many species were exhibiting courting behaviors. This adventure was a great way to spend a sunny Sunday morning in South Florida.

Painted Turtle

American Alligator

Soft Shelled Turtle

Anhinga with a Brim

Little Blue Heron

Banned Water Snake (?)

Green Heron

Mottled Duck

Blue-Winged Teal

American Alligator

Rabbit

Anhinga with a Brim & Purple Gallinules

American Alligator

Riverbend Park 02/14/2010

2010-02-14T19:48:00.008-05:00

David and Gordon

Today, Darlene, Gordon, David, and myself visited Riverbend Park. We walked a small portion of the path. We observed several species of Hawks and heard the Whooping Cranes from a distance. It was a beautiful day with a high of 62 and no wind. We also enjoyed a picnic at Double Roads Beach in Jupiter. Happy Valentines Day!

Darlene and Gordon (note the bulges in Darlene's jacket is from Tangerines that she picked)

1515 South Flagler Drive implosion

2010-02-14T09:17:00.006-05:00

Awesome!

Click here for a link to the article

Grassy Waters Preserve 02/13/2010

2010-02-13T14:56:00.007-05:00

We visited Grassy Waters Preserve this AM. It was a gorgeous day in paradise with a temperature of 56 with a light wind. We saw two Butterfly Orchids that appear to be doing well in the extended cold weather that we have been experiencing. We also saw a 5 foot Alligator sunning himself in the shallow, grassy waters. It was a great adventure!

Great White Egret

Butterfly Orchid

Dead Painted Turtle

Great White Egret

Butterfly Orchid

American Alligator

2010-02-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

Indian Rocks, Florida

2010-02-07T17:20:00.002-05:00

Dubuis Preserve

2010-01-02T08:32:00.007-05:00

On Friday we visited the Dupuis Preserve. It was a bit windy and it rained, as the cold front pushed through South Florida. The temperature dropped at least ten degrees while we were at the preserve. There have been several fires in the area lately. I captured a few shots of the damage and of a fire that was struggling to continue its wrath. This is one of our fire season in South Florida because of it being so dry.

Buckhead Ridge, Florida

2010-01-01T12:00:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, we went to Buckhead Ridge. The temperature was a pleasant 65 degrees with no wind. In the previous posts, I exhibited posts of some of the bird species that we saw. In this blog, I am featuring the beauty of Lake Okeechobee. It was fun to watch the locals toying with their air-boats and racing them. I was happy to see that the water level at the lake has stabilize from its low level over the last several years.

Pelican, Egret, and Herring

2009-12-31T12:00:00.003-05:00

Wood Stork

2009-12-30T12:00:00.001-05:00

Great Blue Herring

2009-12-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

American Osprey

2009-12-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

Southern Bald Eagle

2009-12-26T19:18:00.005-05:00

Today, we went to Buckhead Ridge (NW Lake Okeechobee) to meet family for lunch. We stopped at one of the boat ramps (GPS link) to explore what critters we could stumble upon. After only seeing a few Limpkins, Egrets, and Night Herrings, I noticed a bigger bird perched on a light in the parking area. I zoomed in with my camera and became excited over a glimpse of a Southern Bald Eagle. I was able to capture a few shots before the specimen flew off. I was also able to snap a few more shots of this amazing bird in flight. On the drive home, I saw several immature specimen perched in trees along the main highway.

The new world tank 13/13/2009

2009-12-13T15:13:00.003-05:00

Salvini, Green Severum, Firemouth, and Dwarf Gourami (above)

I took out the pots and some of the other items that were being used as caves/hiding spots by the cichlids. I placed several 3" PVC joints as the new caves/hiding spots for the Cichlids. I left the driftwood and rocks in the tank. The five species that I have are: Red Oscar, Green Severum, Firemouth, Green Texas, and Blood Parrot. Some of the cichlids species like to hide and may establish their own territory in the tank. The salvini is a predatory fish that likes to lurk. The four Gourami (a platinum, a pearl, and 2 gold) and the Cuckoo Catfish are dither fish that clean up after the messy cichlids.

Green Texas, Blood Parrot and Green Severum

Blood Parrot

Green Severum and Firemouth

Salvini and Dwarf Gourami

Red Oscar

Julie and the stuffed monkey!

2009-12-06T19:02:00.003-05:00

Green Cay 11/29/2009

2009-12-01T12:00:00.003-05:00

Tri-Colored Heron (above)

David, Allan, Javier, and myself enjoyed the beauty of Green Cay today. It was about 76, with a clear sky, and a very light breeze. This is the formula for a gorgeous South Florida day! I was happy to see several alligators. We even got the opportunity to observe two specimen disputing their territory, although this was one one alligator chasing another. There was not an actual stand off.

Caterpillar

Tri-Colored Heron

A turtle hiding in the duck weed

Limpkin

A Wood Stork grooming himself

Brown Thrasher or female Red Winged Blackbird?

Blue Winged Teal

Alligators! They are not always easy to spot with the duck weeds that acts as a camouflage.

A nice specimen!

Red Winged Blackbirds

Another nice specimen sunning himself!

A chase over territory!

Anhinga

Frog!

Green Cay: the backroom tour 11/29/2009

2009-11-29T16:39:00.005-05:00

Yellow Rat Snake (above)

Eva, my blogging buddy, gave David, Allan, Javier, and myself a behind the scene tour of Green Cay. Eva showed us the critters that Green Cay is raising. Awesome!

Ball Python

Corn Snake
Turtles: snapper, mud, and painted
Gecko!
Crocodile Skull
Curly Tailed Lizard

Palm Beach/West Palm Beach sky line 11/28/2009

2009-11-28T16:59:00.005-05:00

David, Barbara, and myself spent a portion of the this gorgeous day in the downtown area of West palm beach and in Palm Beach. The skyline shots were taken from the new floating docks along Flagler.

This an extremely complicated cross-way. Where is the brail?

The shot of the guy riding this bike did not come out :(

Grassey Waters Preserve & Apoxee Urban Wilderness Park 11/26/2009

2009-11-26T15:11:00.008-05:00

While David and Liz were watching the Macy's Thanksgivings Day festivities, Scott and I schlepped through Grassy Waters and Apoxee Park. It was a beautiful day that was in the low 70's, with a slight overcast, and with a mild breeze. Everything was green from the needed rains that we received yesterday. Being that we did not arrive at the parks until after 10 AM, we did not see many critters. It was a peaceful outing and I really enjoyed the quietness that allowed me to enjoy the simple sounds of the breeze singing the trees.

Coral Cove Park 10/09/2009

2009-10-10T12:00:00.002-04:00

Today we snorkeled the shoreline of Coral Cove Park. It was fabulous because only a few people were at the park and the water was relatively clear. We saw a variety of fish. We met the boss, a 4' Barracuda, that followed us for a few minutes. It was another relaxing day!

The speck on-top of the closest rock is David

Crabbing 10/05/2009

2009-10-08T12:00:00.039-04:00

This afternoon, Debbie invited Liz, David, and myself to assist her in setting some crab traps. Being that I am always open to new things, I decided to add this to my list of experiences. Debbie placed pig feet in each of her 6 traps. We loaded the traps onto her pontoon and were off to place them in sea grass for harvesting. We simply tossed them into the water with their painted bouey's tied to a rope (for identifying).

This adventure also landed us at Beer Can Island, where the locals go to lounge in the shallow waters. It was a fun and a relaxing afternoon! Did I mention that it was stress free? Ah, the perks of being on vacation!

Debbie, Liz, and David

Liz and I getting ready for some hard labor!

That is taxing! HAHA ;)

Where do we sign up?
Beer Can Island

Nancy Forresters Secret Garden 10/05/2009

2009-10-07T12:00:00.014-04:00

This AM, we met Scott at Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden, in Key West. This is a beautiful garden that was covered with lush, tropical foliage. The foliage was so thick that the majority of the property was completely shaded from the canopy. The Garden is also a shelter for parrots. Unfortunately, due to the low lighting, the pictures of the parrots were too dark.

(Stag Horn Fern (above))
Philodendron
Haliconia
Philodendron
Bamboo
An angelic shot of David
Bamboo Palm nuts
Licuala Palm
Hyacinth Macaw
Hawk Head Parot

Philodendron
Philodendron
Fan Palm

Bamboo
Buffoon Macaw
Ginger
Haliconia
Bromeliad

Licuala Palm
Tree Fern
Bamboo
Alamanda