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Post by breeze on Mar 5, 2016 11:37:36 GMT
Some day! Not a warm one, but sunny, blue skies, and you had most of the family together to celebrate.
Even the fish were celebrating since you left most of them in the water.
You could almost count the feathers on your last photo. And the sheen on those birds!
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Post by htmb on Mar 5, 2016 12:31:25 GMT
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Post by htmb on Mar 5, 2016 20:14:45 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2016 20:16:47 GMT
If you had caught any comestible fish, what would have happened to them? 1. Son keeps and eats them. 2. Mom is expected to scale and prepare them. 3. Fish donated to the first interested person. 4. Other.
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Post by htmb on Mar 5, 2016 20:18:44 GMT
My son would have cleaned and cooked them for us. He's done it many times. In fact, he's going out tomorrow off Cedar Key and is hoping to have fish for Monday's dinner.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 6, 2016 3:57:07 GMT
More wonderful and evocative pictures! Love the wood storks. What are the elegant white birds with the curved golden beaks? Also the pied one on the left of the penultimate photo in #32?
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Post by htmb on Mar 6, 2016 4:02:30 GMT
Those birds are ibis and the pied one is a juvenile.
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Post by htmb on Mar 6, 2016 11:44:49 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 6, 2016 16:48:49 GMT
Yaay ~ there's more!
Are those cormorants? BIG alligator! How close/faraway were you? I didn't know the wood storks had those wonderful black wing tips. Killer photos!
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Post by lugg on Mar 6, 2016 16:56:36 GMT
Belated Happy Birthday Htmb.
Fabulous photos as always. What was the temperature; I know its a mistake to think that Florida is always warm but the skies are so blue it fools me. You all look well wrapped so I guess it was quite cold ?
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Post by htmb on Mar 6, 2016 17:40:17 GMT
Thanks very much, Lugg.
The temperature was just a bit above freezing when we left the house at 8:00. It was warmer by the time we got to the river, but because we were out on the water we had to layer up with warm clothes and windbreakers. At one point while we were fishing in the early afternoon, younger daughter and I were both in short-sleeved t-shirts and yoga pants. We then layered up again for the ride back in.
It really was a beautiful day, but we would have been miserable if we hadn't planned well. My children and I are all fair-skinned and my oldest caught a sunburn on the backs of her hands because she hadn't used any sunscreen. In one picture you can see my son was wearing a stretchy fabric around his neck. He and his fishing buddies were that type of thing all year round to protect them from sun and wind. It will cover up necks and most of the face. Add a hat and they are pretty well protected.
Honestly, I would not want to be out there if the weather was warmer. It would be like being in a frying pan, and I certainly would not want to get into the water to cool off.
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Post by tod2 on Mar 7, 2016 12:25:48 GMT
Being poorly has let me miss this thread until now. I have not felt like sitting in front of my computer for long spells so have a lot to catch up on! Your birthday surprise was wonderful htmb - I can see you had a blast. You have wonderful kids! A belated birthday wish from me to you
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Post by htmb on Mar 7, 2016 14:28:10 GMT
Thanks, Tod!
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Post by htmb on Mar 7, 2016 22:09:25 GMT
If you had caught any comestible fish, what would have happened to them? 1. Son keeps and eats them. 2. Mom is expected to scale and prepare them. 3. Fish donated to the first interested person. 4. Other. Southern Sheeps Head for dinner.
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Post by htmb on Mar 7, 2016 22:13:05 GMT
Yaay ~ there's more! Are those cormorants? BIG alligator! How close/faraway were you? I didn't know the wood storks had those wonderful black wing tips. Killer photos! Sorry, Bixa, just seeing this. Yes, those alligators were quite large. Eight to ten feet long. I was across the water from them, but you'll see later that we had to get closer to some others if we wanted to continue on the path. Some of the birds are cormorants, and others are anhingas.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 7, 2016 22:33:47 GMT
Thanks! Have you ever been seriously frightened by an alligator?
I've never been able to tell cormorants & anhingas apart in the water.
Beautiful fillets -- I want that! It's been ages and ages since I had sheepshead. I remember cooking one once in a bouillabaisse. Nothing like stirring the mixture and having those human-looking chompers float to the top!
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Post by htmb on Mar 8, 2016 1:00:54 GMT
I'll try to post a picture of our meal in the dinner thread. Our fish was delicious.
Bixa, I have never been in a situation where I felt overly frightened of alligators, but that's because I am excessively cautious.
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Post by htmb on Mar 8, 2016 1:23:36 GMT
Aren't those teeth awful! I almost didn't post that picture.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 8, 2016 1:28:56 GMT
Yeah, he could have benefited from some orthodontic care. You prompted me to look it up and it turns out sheepshead have human type teeth for the same reason humans do -- because they're omnivores.
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Post by htmb on Mar 8, 2016 2:50:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2016 5:29:27 GMT
Alligator food!
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Post by htmb on Mar 9, 2016 1:25:18 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 9, 2016 2:16:46 GMT
Wow!
The ducks are wonderful, but your photos of them are even wonderful-er -- such perfectly timed captures. The heron/stork/crane family is certainly well served also. Too many great ones, but that money shot at the end is breathtaking.
Do all of those fowl live there year-round or are they migratory?
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Post by htmb on Mar 9, 2016 3:07:49 GMT
No. Many of the birds are migratory.
This used to be a major wintering area for Sandhill cranes. We didn't see any last week, but I know there have been groups on the prairie this year. The problem is, there aren't as many birds as there used to be in years past. Scientists believe they are not traveling as far south due to our strange weather patterns.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2016 6:09:54 GMT
It's the same everywhere. A lot of birds that used to migrate to Africa for the winter are now staying in France.
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Post by htmb on Mar 9, 2016 21:09:56 GMT
The whole world is going to hell, and we don't seem to be doing much to stop it.
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Post by htmb on Mar 9, 2016 21:17:09 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Mar 10, 2016 5:44:06 GMT
I love bird photos! Wish I knew what those ducks are called. They have very distinctive grey/white faces and are not in my bird book
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Post by htmb on Mar 10, 2016 11:09:42 GMT
I'd like to know, too. I work with the mother of one of the park rangers and I've asked her to try to get more information from her son.
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Post by htmb on Mar 10, 2016 11:37:45 GMT
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