Ok, now for the fun stuff! This is just random things I took pictures of. Plants, animals, and some scenic stuff.
To start off, Mom and I saw an exceedingly rare species on I-75. A freaking Delorean! Look at the license plate! I glanced over but the guy didn't look like Marty McFly.
Our first stop.
I had seen this plant before and didn't know what it was so I asked the guide. Lyreleaf Sage!
Alligator, because Florida.
And then we found a freaking alligator nursery! Even our guide said that was a lot of little gators in one area.
A lot of the trees died due to flooding this year. But birds like dead trees so they still serve a purpose.
More scenery.
Tillandsias! Those are bromeliads, also known as air plants. Spanish Moss is a type of Tillandsia. They are not parasitic, they just use trees as anchors.
We were looking nearby because there was a known Jingle Bell Orchid in the area. We didn't find it, but if there's water and Tillandsias nearby, you're likely to find Encyclia tampensis, the Florida Butterfly Orchid! They bloom around Mar - Apr.
I found more Tillandsias!
This is my enemy. The lubber grasshopper. I spotted it and the guide was like, "In January? They're usually dead by October." And you know what I said? "El Nino."
I think this was one of the outtake areas. The water is forced by gravity through the cells and moves downward fifteen feet as it's filtered.
The guide ladies seemed really excited to see this Shoestring Fern growing on the side of a palm tree. It's the stuff that looks like tufts of grass on the right side of the tree.
This is a Cypress dome. The older trees are in the middle which gives it a dome-like shape. You can see these throughout Florida. This is where the Roseate Spoonbills were spotted, FYI.
More scenic shots.
So we got off the tram, and went to the car to get more drinks (and money to buy a t-shirt). A couple in the parking lot were looking at something but I couldn't see it through a truck. It was another gator.
They have a pavilion filled with animal skulls, shells, and a few mounted birds. I had to shoot through plastic, but I think you can see it pretty well.
Peninsular Cooter
White-Tailed Deer
Juvenile White Ibis
Gadwall Duck
Male Wood Duck
Three-Lined Mud Turtle
Turtle Shells
Here's a nice Purple Gallinule that held still for me!
Dad and I agreed that Coots look bigger when they're out of the water.
Sedge Wren
Blue-Winged Teal (Drake)
Green Heron
Now, because you've read this far, you get to see me and Mom. Here's Mom first.
And this is me! I don't post many photos of me on the internet, so this is a rare occurrence. I don't even have pictures of me on Facebook!
And as we left, there was an emoticon in the sky that looked as happy as we were!
