SATURDAY MORNING NOT AT THE BIRD FEEDER?

"And maybe some hand lotion?  All this swimming has really done a number on my hands."

It's been so hot the birds have been scarce, especially as I put the bird feeders away for the hot summer months.  They will be over later when the sun starts going down, to drink from the water bowl I put out.  I still have loads of photos to share of our chatty birds, but I didn't have time to put a post together. They will be back next weekend.

As for our alligator friend above, I have shared it before.  It was taken in the Everglades back in 2014, and as I reshared another post from there yesterday and for those who may remember it from before, I hope you won't mind another repeat.  I will be transferring an old post at least once a week for a while.

Enjoy your weekend!

EVERGLADES A FEW YEARS AGO...

At least one day a week for a while, I thought I would share old road trips we have taken over the years.  This one was back in 2014.  We went to Florida, to the Everglades.  I have never seen so many alligators in my life, to the point that I was more than a little leery. Most of the time we were looking down at them, but a few had made it to the pathways where we walked.  I don't ever remember their number, a lot more than the previous trip we made a few years before, it seemed to me anyhow.  

They seemed to be thriving.

It is around this time that they start looking for mates.  The sounds they were making were surreal.   What we at first thought all those years ago as very loud frogs, were in fact the sound of alligators calling to each other, and it was loud!  We heard similar sounds on this visit, though they weren't quite as noisy.  

I was startled to find a couple of alligators right next to the trail we were walking on.

They were on either side.  You really had to be aware of your surroundings.

Do you see the Great Blue Heron on the left of the picture below, among the bushes?

We saw this large group at the end of one of the boardwalks.  We were a lot higher than this looks.  

A few of the tourists were getting too close to get a photo op in my humble opinion.   I came across a man whom I thought was very unwise.  He was asking his wife to take photographs of him with their two young children by one of the alligators right next to the trail.  The three of them were hunched down to get the alligator in view.  I couldn't hear what the mother was saying, but I could tell by her expression and the sound of her voice that she wasn't happy, and in the meantime he was telling her to take the photo, which she quickly did. Later as she and I were walking towards each other along the same path, we were passing the spot where the two alligators were on each side.  We both were 'tight-rope' walking in the middle of the path, and as we looked at each other while keeping an eye on the alligators, in the universal language of the eye-roll which spoke volumes, we smiled and laughed nervously as we passed one another, and then walked on in the opposite direction.  

They are wonderful creatures, however, and it was awesome seeing them in their own natural habitat. You just have to be sensible and treat them with the utmost respect.  

As I walked by this big fellow I remembered the Ranger right next to us, telling someone that they aren't as slow as they look, they can run 20 miles per hour on land.  

So, it is important not to take them for granted.  Sleepy they may look but not really.   You just have to use your common sense.  Many of these photos were taken with a zoom lens.  I was not as close as it looks.

We did, however, have a tremendous time making our way along the Anhinga Trail, and then walking along the boardwalk.  They are an incredible sight to see.  

On reflection, if I saw an alligator at the side of the trail like we did, I would head in the opposite direction.  I can't move that fast these days.  Frankly and you may think I am being overly cautious when I say this, I wouldn't want to take very young children here, no energetic toddlers who feel the need to run.  I did see 12-13 year olds, being escorted by Park Rangers.  These alligators all seemed as though they were resting or sleeping ....

but several had their eyes open, and seemed as interested in us as we were in them.

I am not sure if we will ever get back there, but I'm very glad we got to see them on this trip.

You feel like prehistoric times haven't disappeared at all.

Apologies for the groaner!  I read it somewhere and I couldn't resist using it for my logo.  The author was marked unknown.  

ALLIGATORS AT THE EVERGLADES IN 2008

Twenty-two years ago and it is hard to believe it has been that long, I saw the Everglades for the first time. It was an amazing experience.  I have been back once, but that has been several years ago also.  

I remember when we first arrived and started walking around, we heard a very strange sound. It was almost like a loud chirping.  At first I thought it may have been a thousand frogs, or like the cacophony you hear from crickets on a very hot night. Then we thought perhaps that strange sound came from birds.  

Finally we were told that they were the mating calls of the alligator. There were dozens and dozens of them, and it was incredible to see them in their natural habitat.

We saw them in the water, lying in the grass below us as we walked on the trails, even on the side of the trails, and the whole time, those loud chirping  calls echoed everywhere...

which to a person who has never heard an alligator before was mesmerizing.

The coastal plains of the southeastern United States are home to most alligators, who live in both natural and man-made fresh water lakes, ponds and wetland areas.

A bit ungainly out of water but they are great swimmers.   That's not to say they can't move fast so don't be deceived.  I read on one of the information boards nearby that they can shoot out of the water like a porpoise.

The males are between 10-15 feet (3 to 4.6 meters) in length and can weigh 1,000 pounds (453 kg). Females grow to a maximum of 9.8 feet (3 meters).

Facts about alligators:

There are over 200,000 alligators in the Everglades, but over 1.5 million in the state of Florida.

As solitary reptiles, you will rarely see alligators in groups, except during the spring mating seasons.  They lay 30 to 40 eggs which incubate for approximately 60-65 days, and produce hatchlings 8-10 inches long.

The jaws of a gator have over 1,000 pounds of closing pressure!

Each alligator has approximately 80 teeth at any time.  When they wear down or are lost in battle, they are replaced with new teeth.  An alligator can go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.

Gators live approximately 30 to 35 years in the wild, and can live past 50 years in captivity.  

The main diet of a gator consists primarily of fish, but they will also feed on turtles, mammals, snakes and birds.

Often you will see only the alligator's head in the water, not its body.  This allows them to more easily strike their prey, such as fish, without being detected.

Alligators regulate their temperature by moving out of the sun and into the shade, where they rest with their mouths open to release stored heat.  They also cool off by going into the water.

Because of legal protection, alligators are no longer endangered.  They are, however, still classified as threatened to insure their continued protection and that of the endangered American crocodile.

The above information, and more,  came from this site, and though we did not go on an airboat ride, it is on our list for whenever we go back.

They are fascinating to watch and fit into my category of absolutely magnificent, but like any wild animal we must never take them for granted. Don't get too close if you can help it.  I know, I am preaching to the choir but I saw first-hand people within a few feet standing way too close, even with their children, for those photo ops.  

I have heard and looked at photos of unexpected alligators in people's gardens, on the golf course, just about anywhere where there is water.  If you live in alligator country I would be very interested to hear your story of any encounters you have had.

Stay safe, stay healthy and thanks for looking.

ARCHIVES - A STRANGE PLACE TO TAKE A REST.....

would be right next to the tail of an alligator, don't you think?

These are from a trip to Florida January 2014.  We visited the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park.  There were two ways to get to it from the main entrance, a boat or a tram ride.  We took the boat and this is a sight that we were greeted with not five minutes into the ride.  Turtles sharing a log with an alligator.

Since the busy pace of the holidays we have settled into a slower one.  Between colds and company I haven't done a lot of photo taking, and it's snowing today!  

Sounds like it will be our first significant one of 2020.  I hadn't looked at the long range weather forecast and a friend called up this morning and said it was snowing where she was.  She lives out towards the mountains about an hour from here.  No sign of it as I looked out the window.  

I got busy with a few chores and when hubs came home he said that it was snowing.  I looked outside and by this time there were big fluffy flakes coming down.  (I wish we could send it over to our friends in Australia, as I am still thinking about you all out that way).  Will it stick?  I won't have a clue until I look at our local weather and I want to finish this beforehand.  

The only sign of wildlife outside is a squirrel eating the birdseed I put out there.  He is welcome as all the birds have battened down the hatches.  Yesterday I saw a squirrel running across the grass with a mouthful of dead leaves.  We have two squirrel nests up in our tree and no doubt they are being insulated for the snowy weather.  A sign I should pay more attention to and I will from now on, that and looking at the long range weather forecast.  

All this being said I am a homebody and have no intention of going anywhere, at least for today.  I am convinced that if you put me in a small log cabin on the top of a snow-covered mountain in the middle of nowhere I would be happy.  It is a family joke that we have bandied around for years, and hubs always adds yes, as long as they've got electricity and wi-fi!  Maybe!  But that's what candlelight, good old-fashioned books and a log fire is all about isn't it?  What say you?  I can dream can't I? 

And as I get back on track and case in point, I have not been outside to take any photos, so to amuse myself I looked at old vacation photos from way back.  I found these of the alligator and turtles, shared before but maybe it's been so long that you don't remember, or won't mind seeing again.