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05 November 2008

Please pass the orange sauce

It's been quite a while since I visited the refuge. Birds seem to be very scarce around here these days, but I figured I'd take a chance, anyhow. Just past the visitors' center, I almost missed a young doe standing on the side of the road. I backed up and she just stood there looking at me. The second I raised the camera, though, I knew she was about to bolt. So I snapped off one quick shot and she made tracks. I pulled over to eat the pizza slice I had picked up on the way and glanced up just in time to see a huge black pig trotting across the road. Another missed photo op. *sigh* I kept hoping the sow would smell the sausage and stick her schnoz in the shot, but she slipped silently into the sylva.

A bit further down the road, I stopped for a few minutes to check out Stoney Bayou Pool #1. Not much there besides a couple with their unleashed dog. (Do I look amused?) I counted one sparrow and a palm warbler before moving along. I heard a Great Blue Heron croaking and saw what I thought was a lone duck floating in the pool. I needed to get a closer look to ID it, so I drove a few yards and pulled over. Grabbed the bins and... a gator? I mistook a gator head for a duck? Hang on.. what's that sticking out of his mouth? Aha! I'm not as rusty as I thought. I flipped the switch to movie and caught a few seconds before he went under. Then 6 more seconds and it was over. I'll only share the shorter one, since it took me over an hour to upload it. If the other one turns out to be remarkable in any way, I'll try to upload it tomorrow. Now, if blooger will cooperate... don't blink. 8-}



PS - WOOHOO! I finally got it to work here. If you have problems with it, or if you want a larger view, try clicking here.
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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's enough to keep me out of the water! Cool shots.

Susan Humeston said...

Wow!! Poor duck. What a way to go - ew. I love nature when it is serene, but when it's MEAN, I'm not so happy with it.

On that note, our migrating hawk is back and must have had a feast yesterday, since there were two large piles of feathers in my back yard yesterday. And I live in what could be described as a city!!

Aunty Belle said...

Eeek!

Whar' is this Stoney Bayou?

How've ya been Sweet Thang?

Unknown said...

I've never seen that either. Video can be a drag to work with ... It's not yet as easy as it should be. Good film work to catch that.

Sayre said...

I don't know if you remember George - he used to live in Lake Ella. People used to feed him all the time, so when he ran out of baby ducks, he thought it was perfectly okay to come after kids. George was removed after the first time...

Your video reminded me of him - and his munching on the ducks in Lake Ella.

I haven't been to the refuge in a long time. I should go soon - fall is always so nice down there.

SophieMae said...

Cathy, that was just a little gator. He wouldn't do much more than nibble a foot. (^;*)

Suze, we often see a hawk in downtow Tally. He's welcome to all the pigeons he can eat.

Aint B, Stoney Bayou is in St Marks Nat'l Wildllife Refuge. I's keepin' busy, which is making me negelct commenting, but I's still readin'. Thanks fer noticin' me. 8-}

Robert, that's why I've never tried posting a video before. But I just had to share this one.

Sayre, I'd forgotten all about ol' George. It's a shame people don't have better sense than to feed gators. And too bad they had to remove him, coz there are WAY too many muscovies in there.

The refuge is pretty nice right now, but the sand gnats ate me alive! Must remember the Burt's Bees next time.

Meems said...

How nice to get out in this beautiful weather with your camera. Lots of gators around these days.

I see you found your flag to fly it at half-mast!

SophieMae said...

Meems, the weather really has been beautiful, hasn't it? Now if the bugs would just disappear.

Yes, I figgered nobody would see a real flag in my yard out here in the boonies. 8-]