We made a leisure walk on the Dees Trail after Lauren installed the TV. Several Kingbirds were perched along the trail.
We saw a cool Crab Spider on a Pitcher Plant. The spider took advantage of the pretty plant with a sweet nectar to lure his prey and had his dinner inside the trumpet.
We saw a really pretty, immature Orchid Oreole. He was yellow instead of the red color of the adults.
We got a picture of the elusive Bachman's Sparrow, or at least Lauren did.
A Spicebush Butterfly made us work to get his picture.
We did some more armchair birding at Camp Crane when we got back from our walk. The birding activity has picked up. We had our usual visitors plus some. We have 3 male Rose Breasted Grosbeaks and 1 female Rose Breasted Grosbeaks competing for the suet feed.
Monday, Lauren walked the Dees Trail while I lazed around camp this morning. He found our first blooms of Traceys Sundews for the year.
After two trips to check on the chicks, we found all 3 are alive and well. It was amazing to see Dougie, Mom and chick in the tall grass. All the sudden Dougie and chick sat down in the grass and were no where to be seen.
Dougie's chick is always looking up to him. As Melissa said, it looks like the chick is saying, Dad when I grow up I want to dance just like you!! All those Dougie, aka Fred Astaire, moves have paid off.
We went to Fountainebleu and walked the fire lane. We saw something we hadn't seen for a while. A water puddle.
There were lots of birds, blooms, and critters to keep us entertained.
On our way to Graveline Beach, we moved an Eastern Mud Turtle out of the road.
Tuesday, we made our mile walk in under 15 minutes. Dikkop, Auk, and the geese were eating at the feeder this morning.
We walked the Dees Trail and saw a few birds and such and several boats in the bayou. The boating traffic sure has picked up with this Covid 19 stuff. People don't have to go to work, gas is cheap, so why not go boating.
We sat on the picnic tables under the Oaks in front of the VC watching the birds flicker around waiting for our Walmart pickup time.
Wednesday, 337 and NV 11 are back together at the VC feeder. This means that their nest has failed. They were back to their usual routine of bullying Dikkop and Auk.
We had our first Peregrine Falcon sighting at the refuge. He was perched in a dead tree in the savanna.
Angie and the interns were at the Tadpole tanks when we were walking around at the fire center. They pulled 6 tadpoles from different tanks and were 6 for 6 Dusky Gopher Tadpoles. Way to go Dusky Gopher Frog rescue team!!
We enjoyed seeing the geese and their 4 goslings at the fire center pond.
Ferny and the squirrel were at again late afternoon at Camp Crane.
We have our first sightings of Indigo Buntings today.
Thursday, the Indigo Buntings were outside our window this morning then along the Dees Trail. Such pretty birds.
The geese and goslings from the Fire Center decided to come visit today. They got it in high gear when startled by the barking of our camper neighbor's dog.
Auk, Dikkop, NV11, 337, and the geese made another appearance at the VC.
We found our first Yellow Meadow beauty and Tuberous Grass Pink blooms of the year. This blooming season is slow compared to the last couple of years. Dry weather is not a blooms best friend.
Right before the rain, Dikkop, Auk, NV11, and 337 were hanging out at the back porch of the VC.
We had a couple hours of very light rain then the sun came out. We had another beautiful evening at Camp Crane doing our arm chair bird watching.
Friday, we were greeted by a Rough Green Snake hanging on a limb near the road this morning.
We saw plenty of pretty blooms, birds, and such on our 5 mile hike.
The afternoon was spent resting, enjoying the armchair birding at Camp Crane. We finally succeeded at getting a decent picture of the male Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
We heard a commotion going on at the VC. We found NV11, 337, a couple of cattle egrets, and a couple of geese near the feeder.
Saturday, we lazed around this morning then walked the Dees Trail We sat around Camp Crane arm chair birding then hiked up Crane Lane.
We got our chick fix, then went for our Walmart pickup which again was easy peasy.
The afternoon was some more arm chair birding at camp Crane. We are missing our Rose Breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings. They must have moved on.
We have seen at least 2 male and several female Hummingbirds feeding at the feeder.
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