May 31st, 2024

It's time for another Photo Safari Report!  This one I'm calling the Magical Woodpeckers Hike. You will find out why.

We are right on the heels of summer which means the temperatures and the humidity are rising.  And that, in turn, means that our hikes start earlier and are shorter so that we can continue to enjoy them rather than just endure them.  We hit the trails ahead of the birds this time but once they finally showed up, it was worth the wait.

We wandered down one path and up another trail, enjoying the walk'n'talk that we do, but taking very few photos for what seemed like a long time.  Some hikes are just like that.  Lots of walking and very little snapping.  We assumed that would be the case once again.  Until we turned down one particular trail and Joy suddenly came to an abrupt stop. So naturally I stopped.  She pointed and I saw it, a cute little woodpecker right in front of us.  Awwwww.  We both stood unmoving while taking a couple of pictures.  

We were absolutely silent as we always are in those times and perhaps it was the combination of the quiet and our stillness that got things started, but suddenly we began to see more woodpeckers and then more and then still more until we realized that they were literally everywhere.  Some on the trunks of trees, some on branches, even more in the air, flying, swooping, zooming around us!  There were so many that there were multiple woodpeckers on each tree, sharing branches, flitting through the leaves, fronds and sprills and again, zipping past us as if we too were part of the forest.  There were so many woodpeckers that they filled the air. It was almost as if the sky were raining woodpeckers.  I have never experienced anything like it before and let me assure you, it was Magical!  Wow!  

Obviously, therefore, I have woodpecker photos.  I will try (try) to keep them to a minimum.  Here we go:

We did see and hear a few other birds including one that had a song neither of us recognized.  It is never a shock when it's something in nature that is new to me, but Joy (as a former Ranger) usually is familiar but this time even she had never heard it before.  We spent quite some time trying to find the source of the song. She eventually was able to get a photo of the adorable little dickens, I did not. Ratz!  I don't remember the name although it started with the letter V if that helps any birders out there.  It was a surprisingly small bird for such a Big song (I saw Joy's photo) so it was another really nice surprise!

Here's a small handful of the other birdies:
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Only a few botanicals for you today, one in black and white:

This is a strange time of year.  The temperatures feel like summer, which is our usual rainy season, but it's drydrydry like winter which is always our dry season. Which means the rivers and creeks have very low water levels.  Therefore, water birds are struggling, and the green growing stuff is droopy and crispy and certainly not thriving which means non-water birds are struggling.   We didn't even see any butterflies or bees yesterday!  Which definitely tells you that something ain't right!

Rain is predicted for this afternoon (hope that's true!) and on and off for the next week so perhaps, finally, the rainy season is truly on its way.  I know, I know, according to the calendar summer doesn't begin until June 20th and this being the last day of May, we have weeks until summer. Right?  Nope, not here in Florida.  It's is hothothot like summer right now and has been for a few weeks.  It's a little ahead of schedule, true, but Mother Nature has her own calendar, and she doesn't consult us.   Nor is she required to.  This is her world, we just live in it.

Hope you enjoyed this Photo Safari Report of the Magical Woodpecker Hike because I'm not absolutely certain when the next one will be.  Meanwhile, hugs all 'round!  Have a great weekend!