Whitetail deer grazing in meadow....Unusual to see grazing deer, all with the heads down. One is always watching. Photo taken by the remote wildlife camera. The new green grass sprouts are very attractive.

Back-lit Night Blooming Cereus....Had this plant for 40 + years, about 5 ft. tall and I trim about 4 ft. off per year. A native of the Sonoran desert in North America. The bud starts to open about dusk, the photo taken at 10:45 pm,by 9:00am the next morning its wilted. Bloom is approx. 10 inches in dia. Note the moth attracted by the sweet smell. Smell is produced in bursts,very sweet.

Sandhill Cranes near Tavares,Florida. These sandhills were feeding in the pasture of a large cattle ranch. This the 3rd year I have photographed them, after doing some research, it seems they might not be migrating bird but a sub-species called Florida Sandhills. The article indicates the population is around 5000 and threatened by "habitat destruction" thus listed as ESA Endangered (protected by State & Federal laws). Florida Sandhills do not migrate.

Whitetail Deer winter well......

Usually the deer in our area are very thin in the spring,however this year they look good. Even though we live in a developed area ,there are large pockets of natural terrain.

Wild Turkeys in the Meadow ....... Photographed these 12 hens and 3 gobblers this morning,have not seen this many at one time ,this mating season. Weather was cool (37 F) with a 15 mph wind.

Common Morpho (left ) and Owl Butterfly (right) eating on fermented fruit. Both native of central and south america. Photographed these at Butterfly World in South-Eastern Florida

Snowy Egret watches Gator........Visited Shark Valley, Everglades, was photographing the gator and the egret was working the waterway searching for food, had to move between me and the gator,about a 10 feet passage. Egret did take the chance of becoming food and flew.

Micrograph of Florida sea shell.......Took sand samples from Fort Myers beach, washed and sieved them to obtain small shells . This one looked like a spiral , but under the digital microscope look different. Photomicrograph approx. 15x

CRANE MIGRATION:
Was outside this afternoon, catching up on late winter chores and I heard a sound like a raspy woodpecker. Looked up and saw a long thin line of migrating birds. they were cranes, estimated about 100 to 150 of them, ran inside and found my camera, got one picture as they fly fast. Assume them to be Sandhills heading for their winter home in Texas. they were flying south-west. Some research indicates , they have an anatomical peculiarity, the windpipe is long (about 5 ft.) and is coiled within the hollowed keel of the breast bone somewhat like a french horn. Thus allowing for the loud long distant calls. Note the broad view and the closeup view, cranes fly with neck outstretched.

T.C.Steele State Historic Site (Indiana).......Took a day trip to Nashville ,IN yesterday and visited this historic site. A true pleasure!!!. Steele bought this 211 acres in 1907, to be used as his homesite as well as his artist studio. Steele a leading Indiana painter ,both portait and Impressionist ,made many visits to the Indiana University campus. Photos .... View of yard in front of home .. Autumn Wisteria bloom on an arbor