Gorgonians
SEA RODS- shrub-like, with segments rounded in cross-section, NOT pinnately branched
SEA PLUMES- segments rounded in cross-section, pinnately branched
SEA WHIP- shrub-like, with flattened segments
SEA FAN- net-like, flattened branches
SEA RODS- shrub-like, with segments rounded in cross-section, NOT pinnately branched
SEA PLUMES- segments rounded in cross-section, pinnately branched
SEA WHIP- shrub-like, with flattened segments
SEA FAN- net-like, flattened branches
Kankakee National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area, Kolar Savanna Unit
A quick stop here while traveling north from Sugar Creek Campground, Indiana to Chicago. It's managed as a savanna but it seems to lack the proper features. Too many trees and too little grass. I'm assuming that the ancestral state of this land was a savanna and they are trying to restore it. It was strange to see Pin Oak (a lowland species) growing side-by-side with Quercus velutina which generally grows in drier soil. I found what appeared to be a hybrid, Quercus x vaga.
The Guánica State Forest, popularly known as the Guánica Dry Forest is a subtropical dry forest located in southwest Puerto Rico. The area was designated as a forest reserve in 1919 and a United Nations Biosphere Reserve in 1981.
Amazing nature location!! Many butterflies species, plenty of bird action and countless plants I've never seen. Mosquitoes were out, but not too bad. Ironically we saw no mosquitoes in the cloud forest but many here in the dry forest.
Camino las Cobanas is actually a hiking trail and not a road. It shows up as a road on google maps.
Where is Puerto Rico?
part of the West Indies-> Antilles-> Greater Antilles-> Puerto Rico
The West Indies is a subregion of North America and consists entirely of islands, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, that includes the Antilles (Greater and Lesser) + the Bahamas
A beautiful beach with both sandy and rocky shoreline to explore. Volcanic rock (basaltic) overlaid by sedimentary rock are visible.
Tropical Dry Forest, Mangrove Forest, Seagrass Beds
geologic history of Puerto Rico: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1502/background/geology/welcome.html#:~:text=The%20island%20began%20life%20as,of%20the%20Peru%2DEcuador%20border.
A beautiful trail through the mixed palm cloud forest to the elfin cloud forest. The trail starts at a slightly lower elevation than the two previous trails we took in El Yunque. We encountered unique orgasms that we hadn't seen before. In fact, each trail we've hiked in the park has provided novel experiences.
El Yunque trails open at 8AM and a $2 permit is required. We made reservations by phone via their website. Permits are issued exactly 24 hours in advance and due to high demand, it's vital to login a few minutes ahead of time to be prepared. A minute late and you won't get a reservation.
Mixed Palm and Elfin Cloud Forest
no mosquitoes
well-maintained trail, great views, plenty of palms
Arrived at the parking area off PR-186 at 6:50 AM. We hiked 2.2 miles to El Toro Peak. Much of the trail was muddy due to ochre and red clay deposits, with some serious erosion damage in areas. The trail was rugged and not well-maintained. It took us five hours to reach the peak. We searched for birds and admired the plants on the ascent. Going back, I focused on plant photography, taking nearly 800 pictures. Returned to car at 5:50 PM. Adele and I hiked for 11 hours!
Air temp was mid 70's, with a cool breeze at times. No mosquitoes, scattered rain showers. Elfin woods at the peak, with rain forest below that. Whole area is called cloud forest?
road to reach the parking area was narrow and curvy, with many reckless drivers. A beautiful drive through the country. Good birding. Many great plants, but views along the trail are few and far between. The highlights of this hike are the plants, birds and peak. The Trade Winds trail is much prettier. We are very pleased with today's adventure but we won't return in the future.
El Toro Trailhead= 2132 feet
El Toro Peak= 3533 feet
small parking area, no fee
Piptocarpha tetrantha
Casearia arborea
Lisianthius laxiflorus - endemic
Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park, Orange County, Florida
White Trail to Yellow Trail
Species seen May 13, 2023, and other past dates
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=137603&user_id=j-stauffer&verifiable=any
**Most of the preserve consists of Longleaf Pine with Saw Palmetto understory
We arrived at 7AM with the hope of hearing some early morning birds calling. We were not disappointed. A few Brown Thrashers were calling along the white trail, within a 5-10 minute walk of the parking lot. Perhaps my favorite US thrasher because of its cinnamon brown coloration, it's a beautiful bird. Perched atop a Southern Live Oak, the one we saw was wary of our presence. I was able to get a couple of shots from a distance but once it saw us it took flight. Are most brown thrashers this scared? Not sure. I recall seeing a thrasher at Briggs Nature Center in Collier County that allowed a close approach.
Gulf Fritillary- fresh individual with brilliant silvery metallic spots on underside of hindwings
Palmetto Skipper- bright ochre wings, mantle and top of head- larvae feed exclusively on saw palmetto, despite the abundance of the host plant, the butterfly is quite scarce
Sabatia flowers- protandrous, with anthers opening first, while stigma branches remain closed. Anthers fall off and then stigma branches open. Very cool to see!
Endangered species seen today:
Vulnerable species seen today:
We had a wonderful visit to the Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. It is one of the largest tracts of West Indian tropical hardwood hammock in the United States. It made me incredibly happy to see tropical hardwood hammock preserved and accessible to the public. Plenty of wild Gumbo Limbo made me feel elated. It had rained before we arrived so the ground was moist. We found Florida Tree Snails crawling on the trail as we walked along. Plenty of deet was useful in keeping the mosquitoes at bay.