Kites in the sky

Posted on September 18, 2019 by dkorte

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Swallow-tailed kites have left the skies over Florida, sailing for the tropics. I look forward to their return in the spring.

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Sandhill crane

Posted on September 8, 2019 by dkorte

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Sandhill crane, Grus canadensis, on the edge of a citrus grove. The hollow, rattling call is pleasant reminder that the Florida backcountry is brimming with life.

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birds in flight

Posted on September 7, 2019 by dkorte

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Wood storks, White ibis, and Roseate spoonbills on the wing above a wet marsh in the Corkscrew backcountry.

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Corkscrew boardwalk

Posted on September 5, 2019 by dkorte

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Clearing fog reveals a quiet morning along the boardwalk.

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Dahoon holly

Posted on September 5, 2019 by dkorte

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Crimson-red berries nestled among waxy green leaves sparkle on a Dahoon holly, growing plentiful among the ferns and cypresses of Corkscrew swamp.

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fog on the boardwalk

Posted on September 5, 2019 by dkorte

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Early morning along the boardwalk, birdsong in the canopy, leaves catching the fog, creating little rainfalls that patter down to cool a waking swamp.

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Scarlet hibiscus

Posted on September 5, 2019 by dkorte

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Scarlet hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) grows in wet soil to 6-8 feet in height. Deep glossy-red flowers can be eight to twelve inches across. A beautiful accent among all the lush green of Florida’s wetlands.

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Red-shouldered hawk

Posted on September 5, 2019 by dkorte

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I think Red-shouldered hawks have lost their fear of me here at Corkscrew, waiting patiently for my walking to disturb some lizard, or frog, or snake, at which they will swoop past to snatch in an instant. They watch with that piercing gaze, and cry if I stop to appreciate their beauty. So I keep moving.

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Pine flatwoods in SW Florida

Posted on August 17, 2019 by dkorte

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Not all of Corkscrew is a swamp. Pine flatwoods in Corkscrew Sanctuary consist of palmettos, palms and pines. The habitat supports deer, bear, hogs, bobcats and panthers. Periodic fires keep this habitat healthy, burning excess underbrush and returning nutrients to the soil. The tall slash-pines have developed a resistance to the fast-burning fires.

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Pileated woodpecker

Posted on August 10, 2019 by dkorte

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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. A Pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus, on full alert along the Corkscrew boardwalk.

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