Piney Z Lake at Dusk:Part II

I was eager to get to Piney Z lake today at dusk which means I can't have dinner with mom and dad so I begged off to go kayaking. I am beginning to figure out how to use light and to set my camera so I can get the lighting I want. But it has taken me a long time without any lessons...

I thought that egrets would be flocking on the lake on Saturday and when I arrived I was delighted to find this was the case. At dusk... egrets, woodstorks, cormorants, anhingas, and ibises fly in to roost.

A fisherman enjoys the last of the day.

I think the aerodynamics of the woodstork make for dramatic shots. they look so primitive yet modern and sleek when they take off and fly. The flapping of their wings is unique.

The foliage on PineyZ is turning now.

Goodbye to this little gem of a lake just a hop, skip, and jump from my home.

Thanksgiving day on a spring fed river

I've taken this shot before but it is such a pretty part of the river right now that I took another one.

This egret snagged a delicious Thanksgiving treat. There are a great number of birds on the river now including many great egrets, cormorants, redshouldered hawks, turkeys, warblers, kingfishers, yellowlegs, and of course pileated woodpeckers. I spotted two turkeys gobbling near Blue Spring...thankful to have outfoxed the hunters...I also ran into Shug Parnell again with his pretty dog. He had been to Perry to get his turkey breast and to visit his friend and an ex-wife in facilities there. He told me that some hunters were now getting turkeys and carving the breast out and throwing away the rest of the bird: too lazy to use it all up. He agreed with his cousin Mallory Horne or "Horne" as he calls him, that if you hunt turkeys you should use the entire bird and do the plucking and dressing yourself. Shug is about eighty six years old.

One of these days I am going to figure out how to upload my photos in the order in which they are shot...I've been so busy with my obligations I have spent too little time on the river. I expect to get out again very soon.

Veteran's Day Salute to my Dad

Butterflies and Bees

Mark Wright b. 8/27/53, d. 10/30/2007

Monday, Monday

First eagles of the breeding season.

Cassidy spring

Stephanie's boat has a very quiet muffler. It is hardly detectible...

St Marks Saturday

Sunday Morning Float on The Wacissa

Evening on the Wacissa: Thursday

Wacissa on a Tuesday Morning

It's been a rough week and it's only Tuesday. I arranged my schedule to

clear my head with a float. See the tree climbing snapping turtle?

Piney Z at Dusk

I' haven't had much time to kayak but I love going out on this little lake. I always see something interesting. The planes were really cool. What is going on with them?

Wacissa Saturday

Alligator Farm...St Augustine

This is the Marabou Stork. The stork resides at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine which we visited yesterday. this bird is indigenous to southern Africa. I am using a new Nikon Coolpix and trying to figure out how to get the best images. Bear with me and sorry for the poor quality.

Misty Wacissa Evening

Piney Z Lake at dusk

This photo is of the canoe trail at Lafayette Heritage Park from the boat launch area on the third fishing finger of Piney Z Lake. Itwas about six thirty when I launched. I had decided to go out at dusk last Saturday to see what was roosting on the lake.

This is how the dredge thickets look which divide the lake. There are lots of skittish little green herons in this part of the lake but they were difficult to photograph.

Here are some long views of the cypress roosting areas which I like to visit in all seasons.

This little skimmer and his mates were all around the lake. I have never seen them before and I don't yet know their names.

The great egrets are interesting to photograph from the water up into the trees which I only get to do on this lake.

This osprey had a fish and he hauled it all over the lake for about an hour before polishing it off.

Some folks were fishing along the banks. This very large alligator was hanging around hoping for an easy snack.

This flock of ibises cruised in at dusk to roost. In this light these flocks look like paintings to me.

I had a lovely Saturday night on the first day of the Fruit Moon month. Ga'loni, I think the Cherokee call it.