I was sitting on a bird count of 978 and I did the math and determined that just another 22 birds and I could hit1000 birds. So along with Ken, we mapped out a plan to several of the Central Florida bird hotspots. For our first day we headed out to Blue Spring, De Leon springs and ended up in Alexander Springs for a night of camping. We got a later start than I had hoped but the plan is fluid and we are flexible. Our first stop was Blue Spring State Park. We hiked the Scrub Jay Trail but it was the middle of the day and we did not see any birds. The Florida Scrub Jay is proving to be very elusive. We took a dip in the springs to cool down and then headed off to De Leon Springs. Here we walded the shaded hiking trails and saw cyprus trees and a bird or two. It was getting later in the day so we did not take a dip and instead headed over to Alexander Springs.
On the road, the back roads that is
Blue Spring here we come
Seen in line for the park entrance
More bear sign
When you see a sign for Florida Scrub Jay Tail, you pull off
Hopes are high for a Scrub Jay
A massive wild fire off in the distance
Watch for these tracks
No tracks to report
the closest we came to seeing a bird, several BLT's, bird like things
Heading down to where the spring meets the St. Johns river
There be gators
A bigger bot on the St. Johns
On the spring branch
The vultures like this water as it is most clean
Only one alligator?
Circles of vines
Big honking gar fish
Crystal clear water
Walking our hot sweatiness to the spring to swim
Manatees in the water
Propeller scars on all of them except the baby
Dragon Fly
Some epiphytes that had fallen from the tree
Cool and refreshing
Great for a cool down
A splendid spring at Blue Spring State Park
Fungus anyone?
Love the jungle like setting
A chance to learn too
De Leon Springs
Great logo
An even bigger spring flowing out into the St Johns River
Ken's canoe is festooned with a LRB sticker designed by none other than myself
A list of the birds seen onsite
Cardinal
Squirrels
Mushrooms
Fancy deck work
On the trail to Old Methuselah
This immense cyprus tree survived the logging mania of the last century
This plack tells us that the tree is over 500 years old
Lots of Cyprus tree knobs
This tree did not fare as well
A Northern Parula
A tufted titmouse
Time to tee up on this mushroom
Someone was most impatient with this closed gate
