Random Summer Pics

Since there isn't much going on during the high heat of summer, I've taken several random photos over the past few weeks.  I finally downloaded them from my camera to post.  I'm looking forward to cooler weather and more wildlife to photograph!

This lizard seemed to be quite irritated that I wanted to photograph him in this state!

The Osprey in the following pics had landed in a tree across the street from our house.  He appeared to be drying off from a dip in the water.

This female Anhinga decided to take a rest on the empty Osprey nest perch.  She didn't stay around long after she saw me, though.  Look at her webbed feet.

The very large Lubber Grasshopper below was almost as big as my hand!  Yikes!

It's time for the Night Blooming Cactus to show these beautiful blooms to us.  They wilt by early morning, so I have to catch them early.  The bees and ants go crazy over them since they are filled with tons of sweet nectar!  If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see yellow balls of the nectar on their feet.

In the next photo, you can easily see the tracks of the very large turtle that came out of the Gulf to lay her eggs, cover them up, and then return to the water.  In the foreground, you can see where the bottom of her shell was dragging on the ground as she made her way onto the beach.  

While this next photo is not wildlife, it definitely takes care of the nasty mosquito wildlife on the island.  We welcome them flying over!  Someone once said to me, "Wow, you live where you have to fight mosquitoes with a helicopter?"