Great Horned Owl at Flagler College

I was in St. Augustine near the fountain in front of the Lightner Museum (former Alcazar Hotel) when I spotted this great horned owl across the street at Flagler College. The bird flew to several of the windows on the upper floors of the school where he would stop and peer inside for a while before moving on to another window. He eventually made it up to a chimney where he sat for a while before flying off.

It was a very unique sight, and was a bit Harry Potter-like with an owl flying around a castle-like school in broad daylight. Maybe the owl was delivering a letter to a student...

Miniature Train @ the Central Florida Zoo

The Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, FL has a miniature train that loops around the wooded area surrounding the parking lot. It's a cramped ride for adults, but I always enjoy taking the ride around anyway. Here are some pictures from my last visit to the zoo in 2006:

Lake Mary Blvd Farms...

These are a few farms along Lake Mary Blvd in Sanford, FL. Given the rate of growth in the area, they probably won't be around much longer since Lake Mary Blvd was extended through this area. Seeing melons growing or goats wandering around on these farms is a whole lot nicer to look at than housing developments...

Loggerhead Shrike Chicks

While biking along the Seminole Wekiva Trail along International Parkway in Lake Mary, Florida, I came across two young birds that must have fell out of a nest. They couldn't fly, and just sat chirping in the middle of the pavement. On the way back, I found another pair that were in the grass just off of the trail. From the look of these birds, my initial thought was that they could be baby Chickadees. After looking through some more bird books, and having corrections emailed and left as comments, these birds are actually baby Loggerhead Shrikes.

The mother wasn't around, and I didn't see any nest. I wasn't quite sure what to do with these birds. I ended up leaving them alone after I took pictures. Hopefully the birds survive, although it's probably quite unlikely.

















Youtube Video:

Black Bear In the Ocala National Forest

Black Bear In the Ocala National Forest...

Mole Cricket

Mole Crickets are insects that burrow under perfectly manicured lawns and chew on the grass roots, therefore destroying the perfect lawn.

I came across this mole cricket one night, and then allowed it to go free and wreck havoc on perfect lawns. I always could have cooked the mole cricket for a snack instead...

Osprey Thunderbird?

Identify this bird! It looks like an osprey to me, only it is way too big! The picture was taken on from the temporary Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine, Florida. The bird was no more than ten feet away and stood at least three feet tall. Any clues?



Could large birds like this be the source of the thunderbird legends?