The Birds of Florida

Our winter stay in Florida is drawing to a close. Following a flurry of summer and autumn travel, these past four months staying put, visiting with friends, playing golf, and exploring the area have been pleasant and restorative. As usual, we didn't get to everywhere we planned to get, or see everything we wanted to see. But I always feel best when I leave a place with the feeling I could have done more, rather than feeling like I've worn it out. One of the most delightful things about Florida, for me, is the birds. They are plentiful (we got pictures of over 16 species without even trying), and varied, with each type of bird having unique personalities and characteristics. We saw shore birds, birds of prey, nesting birds, water birds, and colorful birds. We saw them in the trees outside our window, on the fence behind our 5th Wheel, on the golf courses, on the beach, along the bike trail, in State Parks, and in the wetlands. It took some detective work to figure out the species for some that were unfamiliar to us, but I think we were able to finally identify them all. In the pictures below (not necessarily in order) you will see the American Oyster Catcher, Anhinga, Cormorant, Dove, Hawk, Egret, Blue Heron (both Great and Little), Ibis, Ladder Back Woodpecker, Osprey, Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill, Sandhill Crane, Sandpiper, and a Wood Stork.

New Port Richey, Florida

The suburban area of Pasco County where we are staying is called Port Richey, but often it is difficult to tell where Port Richey and New Port Richey (and previously Old Port Richey) begin and end, as in reality they seem to be one and the same. In the early 1900's a "new" part of Port Richey built up around Orange Lake, and residents began to refer to this neighborhood as New Port Richey. Eventually this designation became official with the establishment of a Post Office, and over time, New Port Richey surpassed Port Richey in both geographical size and population. The downtown area of New Port Richey wraps around Orange Lake, which is surrounded by parks and neighborhoods of pretty lake houses, but what Dan and I found most interesting were the murals painted on several of the buildings. One afternoon we took the time to walk through the heart of the city and take pictures of the historically themed murals, as well as enjoy the surrounding area. Here are pictures of our visit.