A red beetle to brighten up our day.
This cool (and rainy) January made for pleasant walks through Earl Johnson Park, a.k.a., the St. Augustine Road Fish Management Area. The usual coots and gallinules were there and last week, we saw one of my favorites, a Wood Stork! We see them in other ponds in the area but rarely around these lakes.
My favorite bird, the Wood Stork
There is always a heron at the second, smaller pond. It never lets us anywhere near and I’m sure those protesting sounds it makes as it flies away are curses:
A funnel-building spider, hanging out just beyond its hole:
This is such a pretty plant with its shiny leaves and bright berries – I was disappointed to learn that Ardisia crenulata is a non-native plant.
We close with a tiny Orchard Spider:
