SWF: Longleaf Pines at Tibet-Butler

While waiting out the time between the scrubbed STS-127 launches in mid-June, we spent a couple of days around Kissimmee, Florida. One morning we visited Tibet-Butler Preserve in Orlando, a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail.

Before we were chased out by the man-eating mosquitoes, we followed a bit of the Pine Circle Trail, where we were dwarfed by a forest of Longleaf Pine.

Longleaf

We were interested to read that seedlings of this tree have a so-called “grass stage” where they are easily mistaken for clumps of grass. Is that what we saw on the path, or are these simply fallen needles from the tall trees that surrounded us?

BabyLongleaf

Our lone bird on the short walk was this Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Pecker

We also glimpsed the greenest lizard I’ve ever seen (my guess – Green Anole [Anolis carolinensis]).

Lizard

No photos of the mosquitoes but trust me, they were there. Have a great weekend and a safe Independence Day to my fellow Americans, wherever you are. Be sure to check out the other posts submitted for Skywatch Friday this week.

Share the birds, share the love!
This entry was posted in Florida, Skywatch Friday. Bookmark the permalink.

11 Responses to SWF: Longleaf Pines at Tibet-Butler

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *