The Daily Bucket is a regular series from the Backyard Science group. Here we talk about Mother Nature in all her glory, especially the parts that live nearby. So let us know (as close as you are comfortable) where you are and what's going on around you. What's the weather like? Seen any interesting plants, bugs or critters? Are there birds at your feeders? Deer, foxes or snakies in your yard? Seen any cool rocks or geological features? Post your observations and notes here. And photos. We like photos. :)
One of my favorite places to take a nice long walk, I visit this place several times a month. Always lots of birdies and bugs to see here.
Our rainy season looks like it is over—the regular afternoon thunderstorms have stopped. Temps are becoming more winterlike, with overnights in the low 70s and daytime highs in the mid-80s. That’s a wee bit chilly by Florida standards, and a few mornings ago it was even cool enough to entice me to break my winter sweatpants out of storage for a few hours till it warmed up. I haven’t seen many winter migrants here yet, though it looks like a couple of Wood Storks have arrived at their restaurant hangout.
Some photos from Largo Preserve:
The boardwalk runs around the lake
This walking path is paved with crushed shells. The rain washes them away and they get replaced every so often, and I see a couple of people take advantage of that to look here for shark’s teeth.
The nice people leave the interesting shells on a rock or fence post so others can see. The not-nice people take them home (which is technically illegal since this is a nature preserve and everything is legally protected).
The city sprays the invasive Water Lettuce every so often, but it looks like this one survived
Lantana
Orchard Spider
Turtle keeping an eye on me
White Ibis foraging
And a Limpkin nearby
A pair of Moorhens amongst the Water Hyacinth
And now it is your turn: where have you been taking a walk lately?
We are always looking for new people to produce Daily Buckets, where we practice "backyard science" by reporting and recording what we have seen in the natural world around us (and no matter where you are--even in the middle of the city--there is nature around you). You don't need any science degrees or training or in-depth experience to be a backyard scientist, and you don't need any expensive camera equipment or photo-editing software to do Daily Buckets. All you need is a pair of eyes and ears, a phone with a camera, and a lot of curiosity and enthusiasm.
