Swimming With Manatees
February 27, 2012
Article in: Outdoors and Travel
The highlight of our recent trip to Florida was a visit to Crystal River to swim with manatees.
We booked an early morning tour to beat other boats and enjoy the manatees in greater concentrations. We hoped we would see a few manatees, maybe touch a couple, and get some nice underwater photos.
Me ready to get in the water
Little did we know we would be completely surrounded by lovable, friendly manatees numbering well over 20 including babies and a mother who was not too far away from giving birth. She was estimated at around 3,000 pounds!
Continue below for LOTS of photos (more…)
Bird Photography Weekly #183
February 26, 2012
Article in: Bird Photography Weekly
Join in now on the 183rd edition of Bird Photography Weekly!!
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Phriday Photo – Osprey in Florida
February 24, 2012
Article in: Photography
Random Osprey in Florida.
Baby Seahorses at the Mote Aquarium – Sarasota, Florida
February 22, 2012
Article in: Outdoors and Travel
Our trip to Florida brought us to the scientifically-reknowned research center known as the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.
Situated in the beautiful town of Sarasota on 10.5 acres of land, Mote is a fascinating place for anyone with even a reMOTE interest in ocean life.
We wanted to see manatees and sea turtles but were enamored by something much different: seahorse babies!
Other sweet finds were the always-entertaining Cuttlefish,
a preserved Giant Squid,
a starfish,
and a touchable sea cucumber.
Of course, we also found two manatees munching on romaine lettuce.
And even a Loggerhead Sea Turtle.
A visit to Mote should be on everyone’s agenda if you visit west-central Florida.
Backyard Birding: A Guide to Attracting and Identifying Birds
February 20, 2012
Article in: Book Reviews
The following is a review of Backyard Birding: A Guide to Attracting and Identifying Birds
Backyard Birding is a helpful book to guide you from making costly mistakes when planning your bird-friendly yard. In it you will find all sorts of wonderful information on which feed and feeders to use and what birds are attracted to what.
There are whole chapters on utilizing water features to attract birds as well as different nesting boxes, nesting material, and nesting behaviors.
We enjoyed the chapter on building a bird garden with native plants as it showcases various flowers, trees, and shrubs to use to best attract a variety of birds. Each geographical region of the country is covered although we wish a few more plants were included.
Chapters on bird identification as well as top 24 nationwide, top 24 eastern, and top 24 western bird species help give newer backyard birders an idea of what birds to look for and what to look for when trying to identify birds.
The ever popular hummingbirds are awarded their own chapter which includes how to attract them with flowers.
The book finishes with a chapter on uninvited backyard guests and how to deal with them.
Overall, Backyard Birding: A Guide to Attracting and Identifying Birds
We do wish the book had a chapter on creating a bird landscape for a bigger scale for those with overly large backyards or even acres to work with.
Disclaimer: We received this book free from the publisher to review on Birdfreak.com. Links are Amazon Affiliate links.
Bird Photography Weekly #182
February 19, 2012
Article in: Bird Photography Weekly
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Phriday Photo – Black-crowned Night-heron at Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary
February 17, 2012
Article in: Photography
There were many wild Black-crowned Night-herons among the injured birds at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Florida.
Big Cat Rescue – Tampa, Florida
February 15, 2012
Article in: Outdoors and Travel
While on vacation in Florida we stopped at the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa to see and learn about big cats. We were amazed at just how lax the laws are for owning, using, & mistreating these beautiful cats.
Jumanji, Male Leopard
The Big Cat Rescue in Tampa takes in unwanted cats from all over the United States. These cats come from a variety of ways: they are surrendered by owners, they are “retired” by circuses, rescued by fur farms, confiscated by law enforcement, etc.
We were amazed to learn that 20 some states have no real laws to enforce the ownership of big cats and how this leads to demand of these beautiful animals and the decline of wild populations.
Lioness
Lynx
Ocelot
Big Cat Rescue has 14 species of cats including: tigers, lions, leopards, cougars, bobcats, lynx, servals, ocelots, caracals, jungle cats, leopard cats and a Geoffroy cat. The sanctuary has 55 acres of land and the cats are housed in areas that provide safety for visitors and stimulation for the cats.
Shere Khan
From the Big Cat Rescue website:
Big Cat Rescue is the largest accredited sanctuary in the world dedicated entirely to abused and abandoned big cats. We are home to over 100 lions, tigers, bobcats, cougars and other species most of whom have been abandoned, abused, orphaned, saved from being turned into fur coats, or retired from performing acts. Our dual mission is to provide the best home we can for the cats in our care and educate the public about the plight of these majestic animals, both in captivity and in the wild, to end abuse and avoid extinction.
One of the many Big Cat Rescue videos:
Jumanji’s Paws (Leopard)
