We are Never Home

The other day we took an early morning walk on Fort Myers beach and saw both the sunrise and the setting of the full moon over Bowditch Point. One of the resident Osprey was also waiting for the sun to come up.

The butterfly garden was beautiful in the bright moonlight but we didn't see any of the Gopher Tortoises that call this home.

The tide was very low as we walked around the Point. Right at the end we saw a dolphin playing in the surf not far from shore - but he had other things to do and places to go so he didn't stay long enough for me to even try and take a picture. I just enjoyed seeing him swimming in the water.

On the other side facing west, just as the sun was starting to come up in the east, this beautiful Great Blue Heron was hunting for breakfast in the light of the full moon.

Success!!

Now to try and swallow it!

He almost looks like a Pelican as he swallows the fish whole.

Yum - that was good!

We enjoyed our walk on the beach and left just as the rest of the island was waking up.

I wanted to take one last trip to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary before we head back to Colorado at the end of the month. The air plants are starting to bloom and they are gorgeous!

Very exotic.

This is an immature Little Blue Heron - which is apparently easily confused with an young Snowy. After seeing this bird and having him identified by a guide, I wonder if I am mixing up some of the smaller white birds.

The Yellow-crowned Night Herons can't be confused with any other herons or egrets.

This is a rare sight! I always thought Armadillos, like Opossums, were born dead on the side of the road - since that's the only place I've ever seen them. It was hard to get a good picture of his head because he kept digging in the dirt looking for insects.

Tomorrow I am going on an all-day field trip to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge with the Caloosa Bird Club and on Tuesday we will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day by going to the Naples Zoo followed by a traditional Irish corn beef and cabbage dinner at Mike and Mel's.