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Location: Orlando, Florida from 9:00am-10:00am    Weather: Sunny and Slightly Breezy, 69°F – High: 76°F  Low: 55°F

Catch up on The Nature Walk Project: Month 1: October, Month 2: November, Month 3: December

I step onto the lake path and see that a light drizzle has left everything dewey and glistening. There’s a slight breeze blowing, creating small swells across the lake’s surface. I can hear the constant chirping and tweeting of birds, as they sit invisible, among the branches and leaves of trees on the island in the lake.

As our mild Florida winter eases into January, I look back at my records and see the temperatures haven’t changed much since October. Then a strong wind gust reminds me that a cold front from Canada is making it’s way down the country, bringing colder temperatures and what will be our first freeze in over a year. I hope all of delicate new growth and flowers that I see will make it through the cold blast.

It’s quiet on the bridge that crosses the lake. The wind is strong up here and the biting cold hurts my ears as it blows by. There is a flock of Anhingas today and they start to flap and  call as I approach.  One even leaves its perch, high above the trees, and glides down to the rocks in front of the bridge. Upon landing, it spreads its wings and points his head toward the sky as though he is posing just for me.

As I make my way further around the lake I’m met with a final gust of cold air, followed by a parting in the clouds that reveals a stream of sunlight, which provides a brief reprieve from the bitter cold.  As I stand in this tug of war between sunlight and wind, I am reminded of the traveler from Aesop’s Fable, The North Wind and the Sun. Then I think to myself…this is January.

Location: Orlando, Florida from 1:00pm-2:00pm    Weather: Sunny, 79°F – High: 79°F  Low: 62°F

It’s December in Florida, which means I’m sitting on my bench (see the October post for more about “my bench”) in shorts and a t-shirt. I’m out later than usual and the light is certainly different, very bright and directly overhead. This time of day is quieter than the morning, only a few birds chirp in a nearby tree. A gentle breeze blows through, rustling the leaves of the trees on the island and the grasses that grow along the edge of the lake.

There haven’t been any drastic changes to the landscape since last month. The Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) has lost its brilliant mauve colored ends, which are now a light tan color. The browning Cypress Trees (Taxodium distichum) continue to lose needles but if you think that means autumn has set in, just look through their thinning branches where you’ll see lush trees surrounded by green grasses.

It’s during the month of November, and into December, the Florida Coontie plants (Zamia floridana, Z. integrifolia, Z. umbrosia) develop cones and set their seed. The seeds are a brilliant yellowish-orange color that slowly darkens to a deep reddish-orange color.  Coontie plants are prevalent in Florida and are very slow growing. I find these plants fascinating because they are part of an order of plants called, Cycadales or Cycads.  Many of these plants have been in existence since dinosaurs walked the earth over 200 million years ago. These are the direct descendants of plants that the herbivorous dinosaurs ate. How cool is that?  If you live in Florida, you probably have one of these prehistoric plants growing in your backyard right now. So, next time you pass one, take just a second to marvel at the Jurassic leftover that’s slowly and steadily growing through yet another century.

On this nature walk I was lucky enough to spot an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga …seriously) warming itself on the rocks that line the small pool under the bridge.  These birds are common in Florida and are also known as Water Turkeys, Darters or Snake Birds because of their long, bending, snake-like necks.  They often swim through the water with only their head out, then dive below the surface to fish.  They can often be seen, as I saw, sunning themselves along the water’s edge with their wings outstretched to be dried and warmed. This day, as the Anhinga finished drying himself, he slipped into the water where he swam unseen, only to reemerge with a flopping fish in his beak. The little fish did its best to get away and I could see it wriggling furiously all the way down the bird’s throat, which I suspect is an odd feeling for both bird and fish.

I’m so glad that I get to welcome another month in this beautiful location, surrounded by such a wide variety of animals and plants.  After just 3 months of nature walks I feel like I have been able to see some pretty unique things and this month has been no exception. I’ll leave you with more pictures of the Coontie plants and the Water Turkey’s fishing expedition.  Until next month…this is December.

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Location: Orlando, Florida from 11:00am-12:00pm

Weather: Sunny, 69°F – High: 74°F  Low: 65°F

It’s already been a month since my first Nature Walk! During October the temperatures crept up to the high 80’s and even the low 90’s, but now they’ve dipped back down into the 70’s. I suspect this won’t last long and we’ll get few more weeks of warmer weather before the real winter weather settles in.

As I step onto the shell path, there are scattered Fall leaves and down by the water’s edge there are fresh green plants with delicate white flowers.  There is a near constant breeze today and it creates a pretty rustling noise among the trees on the nearby island.  I sit on the wooden bench that overlooks the lake and the cool breeze gently swirls my hair, while the brightly shining sun warms my back.  The branches on a nearby Cypress Tree (Taxodium distichum) bounce in the wind and I notice a small, abandoned wasp nest.  After many attempts, I finally manage to catch a clear photo of it.

As I continue down the path, I can’t help but notice that the Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris), that lines the path and circles around the entire lake, has started to bloom.  It fills the water’s edge with bursts of feathery, mauve colored mounds.  I run my fingers along them as I step onto the wooden bridge. I can see that the water is clear today and peering over the railing, I can see straight to bottom of the small pool above the falls. Lily pads are blooming and the flowers bob back and forth as fish swim beneath them.  The near constant wind is stronger on the bridge and it carries the light scent of lake water, reminding me of all the other lakes that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting over the years.

I let the gentle sound of the falls calm me as I watch the fish darting to and fro among the reeds.  Occasionally I can hear bird calls in the background and overhead. Fully restored by the serenity of this spot I continue on my way, circling around the lake, all the while snapping pictures of the micro bits of nature tucked here and there.  A gentle breeze and the warm sun accompany me. This is November.

Learn more about the Nature Walk Project here: The Nature Walk Project