Aurora in Healy, March 2023

Me & C

Roaming: Shenandoah River to the Alaska Range

Wonder

Reddish Egret Chasing Fish through Shallow Water

I have always been fascinated by the natural world. Far from becoming jaded as I get older, nature is even more compelling. We returned from a month of traveling, and I realized most of my photos are wildlife.

Mother Manatee Providing Day Care for Four Youngsters at Blue Spring State Park in Florida

We had a family gathering in Florida, with lots of board games and chatting, plus attending a rodeo. Then C and I flew to Saint Martin (SXM) for 10 days. We had 3 goals – fishing for tarpon (C), birding (M), and snorkeling/beach (both).

With significant effort, C caught 3 small tarpon. He managed to hook a couple of the large ones he was seeking, but they either got off or broke the line.

While in SXM I added 17 birds to my life list! One evening C couldn’t stop fishing, and I was having an incredible time with birds. That evening gave me the unexpected pleasure of identifing and photographing both Caribbean Night Herons.

One morning we went fishing in Simpson Bay. C had met a local who took us out in his tiny motor boat (his co-worker asked if we knew how to swim, lol). C caught 7 little barracuda which F kept for his lunch. But no tarpon that morning, not even a bite.

We went snorkeling from the shore at least every other day, seeing hundreds of fish and usually a sea turtle. One day we also saw our first squid!

We stopped at Parotte Ville. I enjoyed seeing a variety of birds up close, and C was a great sport. Another evening the owner of our guesthouse took us to Mardi Grand Case. It seemed half of the French side population was in the enthusiastic band.

When we flew back to Florida, we meandered for several days (love this aspect of retirement!). C tried for tarpon and snook. The dolphins at Parrish Park were hunting so close to the dock! I was going to crop the photo of the dolphin below until I realized it shows C’s foot.

Two highlights of our trip were public lands with birding hotspots. On our trip south we went an hour out of our way for Bear Island Wildlife Managment Area where I finally, definitively, saw Tundra Swans. https://ebird.org/checklist/S302032064

On our drive north we visited the wonderful Merritt Island NWR. A delightful first was the Reddish Egrets who were actively hunting. The lively birds attracted groups of photographers.