Jenny, Jemp, and Ellie

This small gator surprised the turtle that had been sunning itself on the creek.

Saw these two otters this morning after they had found a secluded spot for mating

Is it an Alligator Snapping Turtle or Common Snapping Turtle? You tell me. Photo taken in Red Bug Slough, part of the Phillippi Creek watershed.

I heard a big splash out in the creek, so I headed out to see what it was, and was lucky enough to observe this little guy feeding, and making his way up river. 😊

Diet: mostly fish but sometimes water fowl and small mammals
Habitat: they can adapt to various salinities from freshwater lakes to brackish creeks and bays along the Gulf of Mexico
Behavior: they float a few feet below the surface and wait for prey to swim within reach.
Did you know: the fossil record traces their existence to the early cretaceous over a hundred million years ago!

These owlets were born this summer in our mango tree and stuck around for a few months. We lost part of the tree in Irma – hopefully they still come back next spring! This is our third year having owlets hatch.

Roseate Spoonbills in a Eucalyptus Tree Creekside.