The Little Nuthatch — spring hammock preserve

Here are a few photos from the faeryland that is Spring Hammock Preserve, home to many ancient cypress trees.  

Somehow I returned from my most recent hike with no photos of birds, or flowers, but lots and lots and lots of mushrooms...  

Last year The Senator, a beautiful cypress, and one of the oldest trees in the world at 3500 years, burnt down. Now you can go and see the remains at Big Tree Park. I found it rather sad... But, Lady Liberty still stands tall nearby. 2000 years old and 89 feet tall, she is now the big tree of Big Tree Park! It's her time to shine.

Last week The Senator, a 3,500 year old bald cypress tree at Big Tree Park was found on fire, burned and collapsed, despite the firefighters trying to save it. Florida has very little impressive history, but this tree was one of a kind in that department. Think of all the things this beautiful tree had been here for! How many hurricanes and who knows what else this tree survived!? It was massive at 118 feet tall, 18 feet wide. Luckily the 2,000 year old Lady Liberty also in Big Tree Park is unharmed. The Senator will be missed! Rest in...

This morning I hiked at Spring Hammock Preserve. There is a wide path down to the swamp, and then a boardwalk which ends at Lake Jesup, which is an ENORMOUS lake. I really love the boardwalk area, there is usually a lot of bird life, but sadly none today. At the end of the boardwalk I said "I feel like I'm going to look down at see an alligator"... well then I looked down, and RIGHT THERE was a huge alligator! You could see it's whole body out of the water, and it's head, right there but a foot from...