Nichter Photography PLUS

I actually complained about growing too much parsley a month or so ago. My complaint stemmed from a conversation with fellow naturalist volunteers about butterflies. They grow wonderful native plant gardens in their back yards, some also recognized as native habitats, and regularly discuss the plants, insects, birds, and butterflies visiting various plants. I manage with a very small area, a few native plants in the sparse soil but mostly herbs in pots. I planted extra parsley this year because in years past the one plant always grew lush and verdant one day, and a couple of days later showed just spindly stems, the result of the larva of the Black Swallowtail, nicknamed the Parsley Caterpillar. Then I stopped growing any plants at all for two years, just too busy. Missing the fresh herbs for cooking and salads I restarted this year, and also this year I grew extra for the caterpillars.

They didn’t come. Until two weeks ago. And the extra naturally turned out not to be enough extra. We returned from a RV trip and I noticed the lush, almost overgrown parsley plants seemed sparse. Thinking they needed water, I filled the can from the rain barrel and started watering. Then I noticed the tiny black and white creatures. Just before we left for the trip, I saw one lone Black Swallowtail, somewhat the worse for wear based on the faded colors and the condition of her wings, stop briefly at the parsley plant, extend her abdomen for maybe a second, and take off. I hoped, but forgot about the brief sighting until I saw her offspring.

I watched as they grew, and the plants carried less and less foliage. I went out with a camera one day as the oldest, or at least largest, munched away contentedly on an outer leaf. Yesterday I saw the larger ones wandering around the other plants in the garden, hoping for another plant. A few younger siblings, still tiny and black and white, looked for leftovers in the original pot. I looked for cocoons, but found none.

I plan to replant that parsley, and maybe another large pot at the other end of the small potted herb garden. There is nothing like fresh salsa verde, tabbouleh made the traditional way with more parsley than bulgur, and the hope of more butterflies.

On our boat trip in the Okefenokee I noticed a Snowy Egret sitting on the stump in the photography next to the tree on the left. I took a few shots, and then the bird took off, dipping feet into the water. I noticed how the reflections warped and skewed with the slight ripples, and kept shooting.

Looking at it online, I might try a crop at the land and into the water, so only the twisted cypress show…

We saw these swallowtail butterflies clustered like this while on our boat tour of the Okefenokee Swamp. I’ve never seen this before. The ranger said they had seen it, and speculated that the area contained some sort of food or nutrition that drew all of them to the one area.

 

 

Take the ranger guided boat ride when you visit Stephen Foster State Park, GA. We took the tour six years ago on our first visit here, and just recently we returned. The rangers know their stuff. Though the day started hot and still, the boat ride was comfortable and thankfully the mosquitoes and other biting bugs took the day off. Both Karl and I took a lot of photographs. I’ll start with three of Karl’s, and post more over the next week or two.

As in previous years, postings will be less frequent for the next two months. While most of the northern hemisphere gets outside and active in the summer weather before the cold of their winters return, here in central Florida we get outside but lazy or indoors in air conditioning doing all the inside stuff neglected during the nice weather and wait for the beautiful warm weather of Fall and Winter replace the blast furnace of summer.

I grew up near the Great Lakes. Beaches and larger bodies of water drew me even then. Unlike my friends, I did not tan well nor did I burn a lot. I protected my skin in the days when everyone else applied baby oil (really) before a day at the beach.

I always loved the beach though I drove most of my friends crazy in those days. While they lay on towels looking good and working on their tans, and, let’s face it, checking out the guys, I went for walks, swims, read, and generally kept active (and checked out the guys).

I live near several beaches now, and walking on the beach (usually with my camera, but not always) still ranks among my favorite relaxing activities. We love walking the beach and then sitting and having a cup of coffee on those cold, blustery days that keep the tourists away. Karl will bring a chair, and read or relax while I maintain my same activities as all those years ago as a teenager and young twenty something. Except checking out the guys of course. At my age they would find that scary!

This Black-crowned Night Heron is a frequent sighting from the boardwalk at Brooker Creek Preserve. I watched him drinking water and looking for food for several minutes. As this occurred around the same time of so many high school and college graduations, I couldn’t help but notice how the head feather resembled the tassel of the graduation cap.

 

Turning off SR 65 on to FR 129, we drove nearly 2.5 miles on graded dirt road (that is official speak for “feels like driving over a washboard and watch for the potholes”) to the Fort Gadsden Historic Site. This fort hosted a Spanish settlement, British Fort, US Fort. Standing on the remaining earthworks, the reason becomes obvious. The river flows by, a primary and in some cases only mode of transportation in Florida for a long time. Not surprising, a good deal of Florida’s history involves water. Not just the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, but all of the rivers and springs that run through the peninsula.

We visited the kiosk first, and then walked around the earth works. Several articles recommended visiting during spring when the bugs were less. Apparently they didn’t count deer flies, or yellow flies, or giant flying monsters that really hurt when they bite, whatever name you prefer. We wore long pants and I wore a long sleeve hike shirt. A couple walking back to the parking lot said that they were pretty sure all the flies had followed them, and that they had bites to prove it. Both wore shorts and t-shirts. The flies buzzed, but we escaped without any bites. Maybe they liked our attire? The entire way to the Fort and back on the dirt road the flies swarmed our car to a point we considered not getting out. We passed beautiful pine flatwoods full of flowers, and I wouldn’t even open a window for a photograph because of all the flies sitting on it look in!

The drive through the Apalachicola National Forest and Tate’s Hell National Forest along SR 65 is beautiful and peaceful. Fort Gadsden is well worth the visit, if only to read the history and gaze at the unspoiled section of the Apalachicola River.

We arrived in the city a bit early, on purpose. To enjoy a cup of good coffee while sitting at an outdoor table looking out at the rest of the world feels just a little decadent. We took our time; sipping from the cup, chatting occasionally, and watching the world go by. We visit here at least once or twice a year, so the newness of place has given way to a comfortable, familiar enjoyment. This visit we sought out the new, and also planned to revisit some of the familiar.

Like many towns and cities in Florida, Apalachicola relies on tourism for a good part of its economy. Unlike so many, in Florida and so many other places we visit, they offer more than the one after another “antique” and other shops, interspersed with various restaurants. Recently someone referred to these other places as “nothing to see but a lot of the same useless stuff to buy”. I find that a bit harsh, but I’ve felt the same way.

Two state parks reside in the city, one Orman House Museum and the other John Gorrie Museum. Apalachicola Maritime Museum contains maritime heritage exhibits and is a must see. Several galleries dot the downtown area, but we found most closed on Mondays. We peeked in the windows, and moved on.

One thing we never pass by is an independent bookshop. Apalachicola has two, and we visited both and of course couldn’t leave without a book. The book may be cheaper on line, but the experience of browsing and checking out carefully chosen titles, exploring eye-catching covers, chatting with the staff, and being greeted by the store cat makes the in person purchase more valuable. Plus, I find lately that the local books, the ones that bring the area to life, usually can’t be found on-line. Most independent bookstores are closing, and as Karl said one time, we simply don’t have the money to keep them all in business by ourselves. That said, whenever we visit a place we seek out bookstores and if we find them, they do get some business from us.

We arrived at St. George Island State Park on a blustery day. The yellow flags flapped and snapped in the wind from each flag pole along the straight, narrow road through the park. The island changed significantly since we started visiting almost ten years ago. Houses sprang up everywhere on the sand dunes along the narrow main road. Most appear to be rental property. Once past the ranger station to the park, the island reverts to its natural state. Dunes and scrub line the road, with occasional well-placed parking lots for beach access.

We walked along the beach mid-afternoon, enjoying the very stiff breeze which dispelled much of the hot and humid of the air. Several people swam in the water, or sat in their beach chairs under canopies and umbrellas. Others showed all the signs of spending the day there in spite of the wind, surrounded by coolers and beach bags crammed with towels and packaged snacks almost spilling out of the top. They staked out their bit of paradise for this Sunday.

The next morning we noticed the red flags, telling us the marine conditions had turned from a warning to dangerous. We once again walked along the boardwalk and on to the sand. No people dotted the beach this morning, a cloudy Monday morning with rain predicted most of the day. No sun showed between the clouds this day, and with the lack of sunshine and people, the beach took on a different tone. One lone shorebird ran along the waterline, hoping to find something in the sand.

We took a short walk. I spent a lot of time looking at, then photographing the red flags straight out in the wind. I took a lot of practice shots, playing with various settings. One I liked, most were deleted before they ever even made it to the computer!

We enjoyed our last photography hike of the season on May 26, 2018 at Brooker Creek Preserve. An enthusiastic group of photographers joined us for a surprisingly biting fly and mosquito free walk. We remembered last year’s hike at the end of May, and the rather quick march along the boardwalk through the swamp area, followed by hungry mosquitoes every step of the way!

Subtropical Storm Alberto made its way toward our area Saturday morning, and we arrived to clouds and rain. The forecast called for showers, so Karl prepared our classroom/roundtable session just in case. When rain or weather cancels one of our hikes, we move inside and do a classroom/roundtable with any photographers brave enough to chance the weather and arrive. It cleared enough that we hiked, and luckily the rain stayed away.

Next season we plan five programs: four hikes and one classroom session. The hikes coincide with the changes around Fall and the Fall wildflowers and take place the last Saturday of September and October, and the same for Spring in March and April. The classroom session, still in development, takes place the last Saturday in January. Please plan on joining us for some of all of these programs!