Just back from a 10 day trip down the Keys and through the Everglades. Such lovely tropical plants everywhere, tons of birds, and of course alligators.



I found quite a difference in the oceans as well - the Atlantic is much more salty, no surf to speak of, gorgeous turquoise color, open gentle shoreline, and of course much more populated. Bobbing in the Atlantic was warm and therapeutic to my joints. I highly recommend a visit if one has the time.

Pacific v. Atlantic:

Nice birds!!! Never been to the east coast, the water is such a glorious color. So glad you had fun.

Great photos BH!! Love that black and white stork/crane

so happy you and yours enjoyed the trip and welcome home

I have a rather fun app on my Nook put out by Audubon which allows one to ID birds and save them back to folders. I now have a backyard folder and a Florida folder. My sister and I had a fun time snapping bird pics and then using our evening wine time to figure out what exactly we had been looking at. I hope to do the same for future trips. Better than gin-rummy...

That does sound like a fun app!! Glad you had a good time there Deb!

Per Audobon, the striped bird is an anhinga. It was great fun ID-ing birds, most of which are likely very common to Floridians but exotic to me. We did see one bright red cardinal but didn't get a photo. Lots of ibis, pelicans, cormorants, kites, and various types of herons and storks. Vultures (ugly). Again no pic, but we did see three spoonbills in flight, which are really pretty pale pink birds. No flamingos, dang.

Deb,
Any chance you will post more pictures? Birds or plants, like you said common place in Florida but exotic for my Washington eyes. .

yes please!

Here's some more birds, plants, and gators. I don't know what any of the plants are, but most of the birds are labeled to the best of my knowledge. If anyone can correct the birds or ID the plants, please chime in.

Brown pelican ---- sandwich tern ---- cormorant


Pretty plants


Laughing gull ---- red bellied woodpecker ---- bald cypress (will leaf out later in the spring apparently)


Ibis -- red shouldered hawk -- strangle vine (seedlings form at canopy then work their roots down to the ground)


Baby ospry ---- wood stork ---- green heron


pretty flower ---- gator ---- lizard


blue heron ---- nurse shark (caught on line by one of our cottage friends) --- sunrise over the Atlantic

Wonderful pictures Deb!!! Seems so many birds around the sea. The pink flower is interesting, I have no knowledge of tropical flora either, like a foreign planet. Your blue heron picture is fantastic! Thanks for posting more really enjoyed this.

The stuff in the second plant picture looks like Spanish moss.

The pink flower looks like a type of bougainvillea - very pretty! I love all the bird photos really good!! That sunrise WOW~!!