This had to be the biggest southern black widow female (Latrodectus mactans) I've ever seen! I almost grabbed her on accident when reaching down into one of the aquifer monitoring wells I check in the field. I carefully removed her with a small stick and placed her into a safe container to take her with me to my last site of that day that's in a more remote location. Now she won't be in a position to accidentally bite a human or be squished by one and I got some neat pictures, so it's a win all around 😊
This trail at Circle B Bar Reserve never ceases to amaze me. The massive amount of Spanish moss hanging from the cypress, red maples, and other various swamp trees always feels magical to me. With water on both sides of the trail, you really get the feeling of being out in wild Florida. This is by far one of my favorite places to visit. This shot was taken on a very foggy morning. I got there before sunrise to try to photograph it over the lake and then go birding, but the fog was so thick that the sun didn't penetrate through until about an hour after sunrise. Before that however, the fog had lifted off of the ground and was about 30 feet high or so, providing a clear, but dark and damp view of the world below it. I thought the mixture of the brilliant green of the leaves, the faint green of damp Spanish moss, and the reds and oranges of the changing red maple leaves added an extra touch of magic to this already beautiful scene. If you have the opportunity, you should try to see this sight for yourself! I suggest getting there before sunrise to beat the crowds though as this place is a very popular birding and wildlife viewing hotspot. 2018 edit: Unfortunately Hurricane Irma really took a toll on this stretch. The few times I've tried to visit this spot this year, the trail was closed due to the damage. I'm unsure of what it looks like now.
Platalea ajaja
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