Nirvana!

There is a place near Orlando, Florida that is truly a natural paradise.  I found it totally by accident, surfing the internet, looking for places to go birding.  The information was sketchy at best, a brief and somewhat negative mention in a Florida birders photography blog.  Paraphrased it said that the blogger had very little success seeing any birds.  He'd been there three times and only had minor success once.
Regardless of this review, I decided to make my way to the "Circle B Bar Reserve" in Lakeland, Florida.

The weatherman stated that it was going to be a hot day, a VERY hot day.  The temperature was slated to be around 92 degrees and it would feel like 107 degrees!  This didn't make the decision to drive over fifty miles one way any easier, especially with the less than positive review.  I left for the reserve at 9:30am.  I had all my gear, my hat and my sunscreen and was ready for whatever the day threw at me!

I arrived, without incident at 10:20am, making very good time and seeing very little traffic.  As I drove slowly through the winding road just inside the gate of the reserve, I was reminded of what I imagined northern Florida looked like in the early 1950's.  The oak trees were very large and laden with Spanish Moss.  I expected at any moment to round a curve and see a Southern mansion in the distance.  There were many small parking lots in which to park, but I chose the furthest one from the gate, for no particular reason.  Note:  This would become a very bad decision later in the day.

The reserve was huge; 1200 plus acres.  The winding driveway was approximately 1.5 miles from the entrance gate, maybe further.   I gathered what equipment I thought I would need, slathered myself with sunscreen, (God Bless the person that invented SPF 150), and started off on my journey.

Just to the right of where I parked there was a trail.  Looking to the left I saw the end.  I decided to head to the right, (I'm great with context clues).  I had walked about 20 yards when I saw a huge Butterfly Bush bush.  On and around it were, I could only estimate, about 3000 Zebra butterflies!  I stopped, took a few pictures, which was an easy enough task, and then started on down the trail.

I hadn't walked very far when I came upon a woman carrying a Nikon camera, walking towards me.  I stopped her and asked her "Anything interesting down there", pointing down the path?  She said that it was a very bad day to be there.  In fact, she indicated that it was the worst day she'd ever had at the reserve.  She said she saw a hawk, (she showed me a picture, clearly a Red Tailed and clearly out of focus), and little else.  She said she'd heard a few, of what she thought were "Limpkins" and some alligators, but nothing else she could identify.  I thanked her for her information and continued on down the trail.

Taking my wife's advice, I walked slow.  Very slow.  There were few bird sounds to hear, but there were lots of dragonflies and grasshoppers of all shapes, sizes and colors.  I took a few pictures of various insects and then continued on.

It was hot.  Really hot!  I think the birds knew this too.  There weren't many to be seen.  I heard an Osprey in the distance, along with an occasional cry from a Piliated Woodpecker.  I stopped at the first body of water I found to take some shots of a Great Blue Heron standing in pretty deep water, with only his head showing.  He certainly wasn't as hot as I.

I walked for what seemed like an hour.  The road was gravel and it looked like it had only been traveled by vehicle.  There was an occasional shoe print, but it looked as though they were not from today.  The first sign of good birding was a water retention pond with a drainage overflow pipe running under the road.  I actually heard the water before I saw it.  There were lots of shrubs, (more like scrubs), just off the side of the road, so seeing it was out of the question from my vantage point.  After I cleared the scrubs numerous water birds took to the air.  I saw a Little Blue Heron, a Snowy Egret and a few American Coots take to the air, flying back into the marsh to what they thought was safety.

I walked and walked.  The view didn't change, nor did the heat, (save getting hotter)!  There was another overflow from one side of the road to the other about what I would consider a half a mile or so from the first one.  As I stood on the inflow pipe on the right side of the road, I saw no bird life.  There was a very small alligator hiding in the grass, so I took his/her picture.  Suddenly there was a noise from within the pipe directly below my feet!  At that same moment, out floated what I think was an immature Greater Scaup.  I think it was as surprised as I!  It paddled away as fast as it could, but my shutter was faster.  I got some good shots of it!

The day progressed pretty much as described above for the next two and a half hours.  I think the highlight of the day was seeing a Red Shouldered Hawk, (I wondered if it was the same bird that the lady saw earlier in the day and misidentified
)?

All in all, it was an awesome day of birding and shooting.  Most of my photographs were of butterflies and dragonflies, but there were also many good bird shots as well.  I'm heading back there as soon as physically possible!  I can't wait until the weather cools!  Walking all those roads in 70 degree weather would please both myself and the wildlife!!

Note:  Anyone that wants to visit the Circle B Bar Reserve, the address is as follows:
4399 Winter Lake Road, Lakeland, Florida 33803.