Category Archives: Nature

When you’ve got an itch…Part 3

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Ron Haines

Had a nice paddle yesterday with a bunch of friends from a Meetup Group at Round Island Park up in Indian River County.  A tough, unpredicted wind kicked up, but fortunately there are sheltered places in which to paddle.  Saw … Continue reading →

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Hiding in plain sight

Posted on December 19, 2015 by Ron Haines

You’d think a big blue heron in a patch of green water plants would stick out like a sore thumb, but the pattern of light and shadow among the leaves nearly hides this guy.  Taken on Lake Osborne.  (Photo by … Continue reading →

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Florida baptism

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Ron Haines

I took my new-fangled, ultralight canoe for its maiden Florida saltwater ride this past week. An earlier paddle since coming south, in freshwater, was a couple weeks ago at nearby John Prince Park. I have been wanting to take it … Continue reading →

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Hitchhiking butterfly

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Ron Haines

This iridescent blue fellow latched onto me at the Butterfly Rainforest in Gainesville, FL, this week and stayed there long enough for brother Roger to whip out his phone and take a picture. If you’re up that way, this is … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Offbeat, Road trip | 2 Comments

Where the birding is easy

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Ron Haines

One thing that struck me when I moved to Florida from Iowa back in the 1970’s was how easy it is down here to be a birder (at least the casual one that I am). The birds are big! No … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Paddling, Photos mostly | 2 Comments

They eat cars, don’t they?

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Ron Haines

Northerners have snow, Californians have earthquakes, Floridians have vultures that eat cars. OK, they don’t actually eat them, they just nibble on them, particularly the rubber and vinyl bits, like the windshield wipers and weather stripping around doors and sunroofs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Offbeat, Road trip | 2 Comments

It’s no fun being a plastic duck…

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Ron Haines

…Other birds just walk all over you. Anchored in place to mark the presence of an irrigation pipe, this plastic duck makes a good perch for his living counterparts on Lake Osborne near Lantana Road.

Posted in Nature, Offbeat, Photos mostly | 1 Comment

Lunch anyone?

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Ron Haines

This Osprey was kind enough to pose for me today near Munyon Island at MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach, FL. Apparently this is a pretty common osprey ‘pose,’ as evidenced by the photo below, taken in my … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Photos mostly | 3 Comments

They’re back!

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Ron Haines

The south Florida population of iguanas is rebounding robustly from a major Mother Nature push back at the turn of the decade. Cold spells in 2008 and 2010 killed off a lot of them and for several years I hardly … Continue reading →

Posted in Iguanas, Nature, Offbeat | 2 Comments

When you’ve got an itch…Part 2

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Ron Haines

A limpkin on my dock satisfies the urge. See here for Part 1 in the series.

Posted in Nature, Photos mostly | 1 Comment