Terry & Diana's
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Florida and the Southeast 2016

Diana and I went east again. The trip for me was mostly to get some species of dragonflies and damselflies I have never seen before especially for this time of year. Diana had plans to visit the Florida Keys and some historic sites down there.

March 26 and 27

We left from visiting my brother in the hospital in Waco. Traveled through east Texas and Lousiana without stopping except to eat, get gas, sleep. It rained most of the way through Lousiana and eastern Mississippi. We decided to stop in Wiggins, Mississippi at a Best Western on the night of the 27th..

March 28

A partly cloudy and cool early. We checked out a creek crossing on Melton-Hatten Rd, Stone County north of MS 26. We saw a few odes late morning.

Bluff Creek at Melton-Hatten Rd in Stone County, Mississippi

Phanogomphus exilis (Lancet Clubtail)

Phanogomphus lividus (Ashy Clubtail)

Helocordulia selysii (Selys's Sundragon)

Ladona deplanata (Blue Corporal)

Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog)

Melton-Hatten Rd., Stone County Mississippi

Picture plant bog near Melton-Hatten Rd., Stone County, Mississippi

Picture plant flowers. Sarracenia altata

Our next stop was at the Alabama and Florida border, the Perdido River and Barrineau Park. Baldwin County on Alabama side and Escambia County on the Florida side.

Perdido River

First ones are from the Alabama side.

Anax junius (Common Green Darner)

Celithemis elisa (Calico Pennant)

Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard)

Now on the Florida side of the river.

Argia bipunctulata (Seepage Dancer)

Ophiogomphus australis (Southern Snaketail) This one was a first for me.

Apalone spiniferus (Spiny Softshell Turtle)

Diana and I camped at Blackwater River State Park.

March 29

We have finally got to the main spot for the first half of the trip. Ates Creek, North end of Fish Hatchery, Santa Rosa County

Acris gryllus (Southern Cricket Frog)

Coluber constrictor (Racer)

Argia fumipennis (Variable Dancer)

Cordulegaster sayi (Say's Spiketail) My first and not where I expected to find one.

Didymops transversa (Stream Cruiser) female

Enallagma davisi (Sandhills Bluet) A first

Epiaeschna heros (Swamp Darner)

Erythrodiplax minuscula (Little Blue Dragonlet)

Epitheca costalis (Slender Baskettail)

Epitheca sepia (Sepia Baskettail)

Phanogomphus hodgesi (Hodges's Clubtail) male A first for me.

Phanogomphus hodgesi (Hodges's Clubtail) female

Phanogomphus westfalli (Westfall's Clubtail) female Anothe first for me.

Phanogomphus westfalli (Westfall's Clubtail) male

Ischnura hastata (Citrine Forktail)

Ladona deplanata (Blue Corporal)

Libellula semifasciata (Painted Skimmer)

Lestes vigilax (Swamp Spreadwing) female

Tramea carolina (Carolina Saddlebag)

Little Blue Heron

We camped for the night at Camel Lake, Apalachicola National Forest, Liberty County.

March 30

One of my favorite places to camp in Florida. We used to come here in the early summer and spend days looking for herps.

Camel Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

The camp ground at Camel Lake

We looked around the lake and at Big Gully creek down the road aways.

Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole)

Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard)

Aspidoscelis sexlineatus (Six-lined Racerunner)

Acris gryllus (Southern Cricket Frog)

Rana sphenocephalus (Southern Leopard Frog)

White-eyed Vireo

Robberfly

Argia fumipennis (Variable Dancer)

Enallagma concisum (Cherry Bluet)

Enallagma davisi (Sandhill Bluet)

Enallagma davisi (Sandhill Bluet) male

Erythrodiplax minuscula (Little Blue Dragonlet)

Enallagma sulcatum (Golden Bluet)

Phanogomphus australis (Clearlake Clubtail) very teneral

Phanogomphus cavillaris (Sandhill Clubtail)

Ladona deplanata (Blue Corporal)

Nehalennia integricollis (Southern Sprite)

Calopteryx dimidiata (Sparkling Jewelwing)

March 31

My son Troy had told me about a good site to find Say's Spiketail, Garden of Eden Nature Conversancy site in northern Liberty County. This was mostly open woodland with good grass cover.

Say's Spiketail foraging habitat in Liberty County.

Celithemis ornata (Ornate Pennant)

Cordulegaster sayi (Say's Spiketail)

Epitheca cynorsura (Common Baskettail)

Phanogomphus lividus (Ashy Clubtail)

Tachopteryx thoreyi (Gray Petaltail)

Diana and I then headed for the Ocala National Forest in central Florida. We decided to spend the night at Lake Clearwater Recreation area in Lake County. I found a few odes before dark.

Habitat around the edge of the Lake

Celithemis ornata (Ornate Pennant)

Phanogomphus cavillaris (Sandhill Clubtail)

Nehalennia integricollis (Southern Sprite)

Hemidactylus species at the bathrooms

April 1

We woke to Sandhill Cranes calling below were we camped. There were a pair at a nest site. After it warmed up a little I went back down to the lake to see if I could get some better photos of the clubtails.

Sandhill Cranes on nest

Phanogomphus cavillaris (Sandhill Clubtail)

Farles Prairie Lake Picnic area in the Ocala National Forest was our next stop. This was another site that was recommended for odes.

Arigomphus pallidus (Gray-green Clubtail)

Didymops floridensis (Florida Curiser)

Phanogomphus australis (Clearlake Clubtail)

Phanogomphus cavillaris (Sandhill Clubtail) female

Phanogomphus cavillaris (Sandhill Clubtail)

Ladona deplanata (Blue Corporal)

Tramea carolina (Carolina Saddlebag)

Sandhill Crane

Ophisaurus ventralils (Eastern Grass Lizard)

Next on our places to stop was Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in Okeechobee County in south central Florida. One of my favorite parks in the state. We arrived there at 5:30 pm and then it rained.

Anolis sagrei (Brown Anole)

Hemidactylus mabuya (House Gecko) at the rest rooms

Hyla squirella (Squirrel Treefrog) at the rest rooms

April 2

We stayed at the park all day. It was cloudy most of the day. I did see some odes and herps though.

Nice camp ground in a wooded area.

Kimmissee Prairie

Agkistrodon conanti (Conant's Cottonmouth)

Coluber constrictor (Racer)

Wild Turkey

White Ibis

White-tailed Deer

Arigomphus pallidus (Gray-green Clubtail)

Celithemis eponina (Halloween Pennant)

Coryphaeschna ingens (Regal Darner)

Erythemis simplicicollis (Eastern Pondhawk) eating Blue Dasher

Ischnura posita (Fragile Forktail)

Libellula auripennis (Golden-winged Skimmer)

Libellula axilena (Bar-winged Skimmer)

Libellula needhami (Needham's Skimmer)

Libellula vibrans (Great Blue Skimmer)

Nehalennia pallidula (Everglades Sprite)

April 3

Diana and I headed south for the Everglades National Park. On the way we stopped off in Okeechobee and went to church. After lunch we stopped briefly at DuPius Wildlife Management area to check it out. Looks good for future trips. We got to Long Pine Key camp ground at around 5:00 pm. There were only two or three other campers. We found out why when we got out of the pickup. Mosquitoes where bad, very bad. I did walk around the pond near the camp site and found a few critters.

Pond near the camp ground.

Long Pine Key camp ground.

Anolis sagrei (Brown Anole)

Hemidactylus mabuya (House Gecko)

Celithemis eponina (Halloween Pennant)

Erythrodiplax umbrata (Band-winged Dragonlet)

Erythemis simplicicollis (Eastern Pondhawk)

Ischnura ramburii (Rambur's Forktail)

Libellula needhami (Needham's Skimmer)

April 4

We left Long Pine Key early to head down to Key West to check out Fort Zachery Taylor Historical Park.

Read the information on the sign.

Inside the walls.

The mote around the outside walls.

One of the large canons used during the Civil War.

The canon balls.

A curise ship docked.

Boat and jet ski along the shore.

Are they having fun??

I checked out the edges of the mote for odes.

Erythrodiplax berenice (Seaside Dragonlet)

Erythrodiplax umbrata (Band-winged Dragonlet)

Ischnura ramburi (Rambur's Forktail)

Macrodiplax balteata (Marl Pennant)

Pantala hymenaea (Spot-winged Glider)

Gray Kingbird

Palm Warbler

We out of the traffic getting out of the fort. Stopped at Big Pine Key and the Blue Hole. Clouds were starting to roll in, so we didn't stay long.

Green Heron

Green Heron on nest

Idiataphe cubensis (Metallic Pennant) I know this is bad photo, but this is all I could get before the rains came.

It was raining all over the keys, so we headed north. We stopped at Midway Camp Ground, Collier County on the edge Big Cypress National Reserve.

April 5

Nice and cool night. Odes were slow coming out around the pond. Things started moving as it warmed up.

Crow

Gray Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

Oligoria maculata

Asbolis capucinus

Anolis sagrei (Brown Anole)

Brachymesia gravida (Four-spotted Pennant)

Erythemis simplicicollis (Eastern Pondhawk)

Erythrodiplax umbrata (Band-winged Dragonlet)

Ischnura hastata (Citrine Forktail)

Libellula needhami (Needham's Skimmer)

Macrodiplax baltrata (Marl Pennant)

Pachydiplax longipennis (Blue Dasher)

Sagittaria latifolia

Tillandsia fasciculata

Troy had told me that there could be chance of getting a Lucifer Damsel on one of the trails in Collier-Seminole State Park, but we were there too late in the year. We spent a couple of hours there anyway.