"The wildcat does not make enemies by rash action. He is observant, quiet, and tactful, and he always gains his ends."
-Pawnee proverb.-
-Pawnee proverb.-
Bits and Bites from the Harbor.
The Circle of Life...
The week before Christmas I had a tour through Gasparilla Sound and had the distinct opportunity to witness Mother Nature engaged in the creation of life. (Sort of appropriate this holiday season.) This is a Lightning Whelk in the act of laying an egg sac. This tube or sac will be about 1 foot long, and each section or disc has segments filled with albumin to feed the young snails as they begin to create a protective shell. When they are ready, they will eat through the paper-like casing and fall to the ocean floor a full 4mm (millimeter) in size, to begin a courageous journey toward adulthood. The female Whelk will lay close to 200-300 eggs within that casing, and the chances of survival are slim as you can imagine. I'll keep my fingers crossed, and hope for the best.
(photo provided by Sandra and James Harrison) |
The New Boss Lady...
(Shhhh, Don't tell my wife...) We have a new edition to the Phoenix Rising family this week. Her name in Morgan, she is 11 weeks old, and she has a playful personality which just seems to fit right in with the fun we have here at the office. She put her foot down right away to ensure I get the proper amount of "tug of war" time throughout the day, and of course periodic "nap time" to keep me fresh through the afternoon. All in all, she will be a great addition to the PR KAYAK family. Right now she is still a greenhorn, and she'll have to learn how to drive the truck, and back a trailer, before I can let her lead a tour by herself, but I think she'll fit right in as a fine office manager to start.
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The weather is so fine...........
I had the pleasure of taking out one of the winners of the Bit Of Hope Ranch's raffle to help "waffle" the injured Belgian Draft Horse in her fight with MRSA. George and his friend Kim joined me for a eco-tour through the deep recesses of the "Woolverton Trails," Catfish Creek, and Gasparilla Sound on a spectacular Sunday Morning. October has brought with it some cooler evenings with less humidity, which made for a delightful 8:30AM launch. The tides were low and outgoing and that means feeding time in the preserve! As we floated in literally inches of water, we could see the tips of turtle grass barely above the surface of the water, and every movement of the fish below as their tails left ripples on the surface until SLAM! an unsuspecting minnow became lunch. Herons, Egrets, and Ibis waded, and Kingfisher, Pelicans, and Osprey soared looking for prey. A Manatee even wagged its' fuke at us upon our return. Nothing short of ANOTHER perfect day in PARADISE...
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The Magnificent Frigatebird
 Photo courtesy of wikipedia
These birds are found mostly offshore as they are pelagic feeders, but on one of our recent Woolverton Trail tours we caught a rare glimpse of a male resting at the mouth of Catfish Creek. It was a well deserved rest as these guys can remain airborne for over a week! They have a wingspan of about 2.3 meters, and come inland only to roost, and mate. This male is inflating his gular pouch to attract a female. She also has a pouch, although it is white.
Our guy resting at Catfish Creek, (courtesy of Phoenix Rising Kayak Tours.)
Photo courtesy of wikipedia
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