Early morning in the Ocala National Forest.  The deer are having a breakfast of acorns.

Florida Scrub Jay

Mt favorite place to photograph the Florida Scrub Jay is an area of the Ocala National Forest known as The Big Scrub.  It is a distinctive habitat with sandy soil, sand pines and is thick and difficult to traverse.  I have never seen a Scrub Jay wearing a leg band which is all the better for photography.  I've seen these birds in other areas of Florida and they all seem to be wearing an inordinate amount of jewelry.  The Big Scrub is home to a significant population of Gopher Tortoises and a variety of snakes to include the Pygmy and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes.  I do advise people to stay out of the ONF during hunting seasons or make sure and visit the web site to determine exactly where the hunters will be.  The biting flies will soon be out in force so be prepared for them and take some repellant.

Gopher Tortoise

This gopher tortoise was making his way through some pretty heavy growth in the Ocala National Forest.  Parts of the ONF have a higher density of these animals than any place I've ever been.  I always look for burrows because they can be homes to various snakes, including the eastern diamondback, and other small animals.

Gopher Tortoise

These slow moving animals are a real treat to watch.  Every spring my wife and I find ourselves stopping by the roadside to rescue these guys from the highway.  The thanks we get is usually some loudhissing and scrambling.   I've even had to rescue one that got stuck in the farm fence around my property.  I'm always looking for their burrows in the Ocala National Forest because there are a number of snakes, including the eastern diamondback that will share the premises.  I found this one wandering down the side of one of the clay roads in the ONF.  I followed him on foot for a while until he made a quick, well not that quick, left turn and disappeared into the scrub.

Anhinga

This anhinga was drying it's wings after a fishing expedition in one of the shallow grassy lakes in the Ocala National Forest.  I'm always hesitant to disturb any animal just for the purpose of photographing it but I'm especially careful with these.  After they soak their feathers (no protective oils) they either can't fly or have a very difficult time doing so until they dry their wings in the sun.  Some people call these birds ugly but I think they are gorgeous, expecially the black, grey and white feather pattern on the back of their wings.  These birds go by other names such as the snakebird or water turkey.  They are a common sight in central Florida but I never tire of them.