I've posted the photos from my Florida trip. Here are a couple of the highlights, or lowlights depending on your point of view. There are so many osprey in Honeymoon Island State Park that they have to perch on top of each other. Or something.

Next, have you ever done something for someone only to have them dump on you? Literally? Consider this gator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. The egrets nest there because the gators keep away the raccoons and other predators. As a reward for standing guard, this gator caught one right on the snout, and a few other places as well.

Wildfires have been raging in various parts of Florida. Last Friday I had to drive through a cloud of smoke to get out of the Tampa area. And after a winter in the northeast, I was not accustomed to the warmth and humidity. Maybe I'm rationalizing because I'm moving soon from one cold locale to an even colder one, but I felt a longing for fresh-fallen snow and a crisp, clear winter day.

Phone text posts from this trip:

May 10 - Honeymoon Island again, osprey, great horned owl, same raccoon. Hot, windy.

May 9 (evening) - Honeymoon Island near Tampa. Osprey, armadillo, and a very blase raccoon. More tomorrow.

May 9 (morning) - Arrived Florida yesterday. Smoky, windy. Few birds at Venice rookery. Honeymoon Island osprey next two days.