Pictures are Back Sort Of!

January 29, 2024                                                        Most Recent Posts:
Myakka River State Park                Bringing in the New Year – January 2024
Sarasota Florida                                               Days at Alafia River State Park

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!   

Nelson Kodama, who is a great  programmer, has written a JAVA script that when included in my Blogger layout as a “gadget” has fixed the pictures problem.   I thought  I’d lost all the pictures for On My Own and for the 9 years of In The Direction of Our Dreams that I did with David.  These are my memories.  I am just overjoyed.  Can never thank Nelson enough.   BUT, it appears that is only on my laptop.  Neither of my android phones using chrome will bring them up.

PLEASE do let me know if you can or cannot view these pictures and what device (phone etc) you are using and what  browser.

Back to Myakka.

That last post was on my hike along the river just past the kayak put in bridge.  It also talked about the morning coffees at the pavilion.   This post is about the hike that starts at the pavilion by the outside picnic tables and goes along a different section of the Myakka River.   A later post will show both of these hikes water fronts from the water.

It’s much less concerning to see this guy on the opposite shore from where you are hiking, especially when he slides quietly into the water as you watch.   Although, one year, and I’m sure I blogged about it,  I was coming back on this hike and a fellow just like this and about this size was on my side of the river and laying across the trail.

It can be quite surprising if you are in a kayak to see them silently slip on but not as much as when they leap from the banks which they did on both my trips down the river this year.

The trail runs along the river, but through the woods so there are only some viewpoints especially as you get further along and the woods gets more dense.

I hear bird names are being reconsidered and changed.  I wonder what they will do to these two.  The Little Blue certainly does not look like a smaller version of the Great Blue.   What do you and Eric think about this Laurel?

Beautiful Live Oak Trees early on.

Well I’m not at all sure about this and need some birding help.  Pretty sure he’s a Great Blue but with black feathers??    This was not my canon.  This is what I saw.  Has anyone else ever seen this before?

I’m always amazed that birds don’t seem to be worried.

I could hear him coming from his calling as he flew in.  He landed, took a look around and

off he went.

I have seen Roseate Spoonbills here at Myakka before but always at the old Weir near the Outpost.  I was surprised to see them here across the river.

Here it is again, even closer.

There is no doubt that gator could wheel around and have the Egret for lunch.

Looks like this is the only shot I took of the denser section of the trail which is an out and back.

Myakka River State Park has a number of hiking  trails throughout the park but these two are my favorites along with the much longer one that goes to the Deep Hole.