Ghosts in the swamp

Another Ghost sighting

I took a small group of friends out in the swamp yesterday to view some of the Ghost orchids that are in bloom right now. I am sure you are in Ghost Orchid image overload so I won't post many of the orchids.

You can find more information about the wonderful Ghost Orchids at this great site: GhostOrchid.info

More flowers...

Took the first trip out in the wet swamp this year looking for Ghost Orchids...

Success is hard to measure, but we had fun and found 4 flowers. I got a bit lost, but not too bad, also ran into two Cottonmouths, could have done without them. We were in about knee deep water, and navigating was a bit awkward from time to time with all the hidden logs and holes underwater, thankfully no one took a spill.

So here's the photos, also at the bottom check out the link for some more photos that I may have not posted in here.

Cottonmouth #1, #2 was much larger, but left much quicker


Resurrection fern


PJ looks for orchids

Orchid Gallery
Nature Gallery

Work week update June 19th

I thought I would share some of the week's events. We are finally getting some rain so we may soon be able to start doing some prescribed burns on the refuge. Hopefully we get to some of the areas that need to burn before it gets too wet. We have been getting many afternoon thunderstorms, and with the storms we get lightning. We have been spending most mornings traveling the refuge looking for new fires that may have been started by the lightning. So far we have been lucky and no new wildfires have come of the lightning.

On another front it's only a little over a week until I head out to Seattle and the surround Pacific Northwest for the Seattle International Beer Fest I am really looking forward to the trip, and I will be taking lot's of photos and drinking many fine beers. Until then enjoy a few photos from the work week;

Butterfly orchids are in bloom


I am out looking for lightning strikes


We had a Sikorsky visit the helibase this week.


A barred owl out on the refuge

blimps, fire, orchids, and lightning

Another day out on the panther pasture, we were out looking for lightning strikes from the day before when a few new fires popped up out side of the refuge. A short explanation on the lightning tracking is due I am sure, we use an online version of the lightning sensors that are used across the nation, we download the coordinates (lat and long) and then go looking for new fires or lightning struck trees. Yesterday we had around 20 strikes on the refuge so we split up and went looking for either fires or lightning struck trees. Here's some photos from my day...

A blimp


I didn't see anything about Ice Cube being a pimp.


I found a new cigar orchid (also known as cowhorn)


A demised deer...


Using the GPS to find lightning strikes.


Rain to the left, fire to the right.


Looking for orchids and lightning strikes.


Out in the woods, I am happy.


Some sort of alien face you would expect to find on Endor.


The last water holes go to the biggest gators.


Looking up!