This little patch of Purple Iris has been hosting a variety of insects, most notably theĀ Mating Damselflies I’ve featured.

Seen from a bit further along the pond.

One of the reasons I’m reluctant to sit on the ground for long:

This little patch of Purple Iris has been hosting a variety of insects, most notably theĀ Mating Damselflies I’ve featured.
Seen from a bit further along the pond.
One of the reasons I’m reluctant to sit on the ground for long:
A fellow photographer motioned to me that there was something down over the bank. That motioning wasn’t at all specific, nor alarmed. I was hoping for a Barred Owl, which we had heard earlier.
No, it was a pretty big Alligator on the move.
I backed up, and more and more Gator came through the underbrush.
With my 100-400MM lens at 100MM I could not get the entire beast in my frame.
As expected the Alligator went straight across the road and dropped into the pond.
I found out later was that this is a mama Alligator and she had been seen moving young hatchlings into the pond.
I spotted these two on a collision course. The Alligator wasn’t making a wake but he was moving.
The Grebe’s buddy popped up and between them theyĀ had more curiosity than the Alligator.
A few minutes later I saw another Alligator drifting along. It was a warm day, in the 60s (15 to 18 C), with more Alligator activity for December than you might expect.
These images were taken in the same tidal inlet as my post All Stacked Up, Alligator Mother and Young.
It is probably the same family as mother Alligators are very territorial.
The tide was in and the juvenile Alligators were having some swim practice.
I didn’t see mamma, but you can be sure she wasn’t far off as the youngsters explored.
This last fellow was working on his “just floating” pose.