Alligators and humans

I do have some great pictures of alligators taken with a long lens. This post, however is about CBS Early Show. I just watched a segment done by their weatherman in Baton Rouge, LA. It appeared to be broadcast from some type of tourist trap where they feed captive alligators chicken to amuse the visitors. Little natural history education was taking place...instead they showed this loud fellow throwing chicken pieces into the open mouths of the gators. I felt this was a terrible example to set for viewers, so I wrote to WINK-TV management and asked them to contact the key executives and producers by forwarding my email with my thoughts about how outrageously irresponsible the network was in showing this segment. I suggested they send along all the news story footage in recent years about alligator attacks (which include multiple human deaths.) Feeding alligators is not only illegal in Florida, it can be life threatening. It puts other humans at risk as well as the alligator and further disrupts nature.

The entire segment made feeding these animals seem like a "fun" thing to do.

I can only hope CBS and the Early Show get the message.

Butterfly orchid rescue

We are blessed or should I say were blessed with a Florida native orchid called a butterfly orchid in our yard. I discovered the plant one day when outside waiting for the dog to get on with the morning ritual. Every June it bloomed and I would photograph it. I had to use a ladder to get close. Hurricane Wilma did beat the orchid up a lot, so I wasn't surprised that it didn't bloom this June. However, a week ago, during my almost daily check of the plant I noticed it was GONE!
Fortunately it wasn't really gone but it was in dire straits. I rescued it yesterday and hope to save it and put it back onto a pond cypress tree.
Here is the rescued orchid atop a section of a pine tree that crashed down from a previous storm It fell on top of the native and endangered bromeliads almost crushing them. You can see some of these plants as well.

What happened to March and April?

Time flies and this fellow is looking for some...flies that is.

His image was captured in a while back. I am just now getting to some of my nature images. Been super busy with painting. Check out my website which I just finished updating. You will find this cute little frog there also. I don't know what species this guy is, but I found him hiding in our lamp post by our driveway when we installed a new light fixture.
http://www.trudybentleyrech.com

Dot com status

Please visit my new website:http://www.trudybentleyrech.com/
I am looking forward to growing more professionally. I hope you will check out this new site often. I will be updating it at least weekly. For now, it may be daily in the fashion of Blogs!

Big Cypress Fox Squirrel

This critter is a threatened species in south Florida. He visited earlier this week and graced one of our pond cypress trees with his presence. I have shared this image with the Florida Master Naturalist Program for their educational use. I retain all rights to this picture in all other circumstances. To learn more about the Master Naturalist program, visit this great website linked below. I have shared other nature photos with other naturalists via this page in the past.
http://www.masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm
The scientific name for this large rare fellow is Sciurus niger avicennia. Google this name and learn more about this treatened mammal. You can click on the image to enlarge it and then hit the back button to come back to this page.

This drawing represents the interest I have in nature around me. It is a drawing of a fallen sabal palmetto frond. The sabal palm is Florida's state tree.

The Natural History of Florida is of great interest to me. I love living in an area where I have native plants and some critters in my own yard.
There is at least one gopher tortoise burrow in our front yard. The animal can be seen infrequently in the yard and neighborhood. It is a joy to watch him.
I am a Florida Master Naturalist. Check out this link on the program to view more information about the program. Several of my photos were chosen for the featured species and appear currently in the picture archives.
http://www.masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm

Decide to expand the blog into another area of interest which fuels a lot of my imagery. This area is about the REAL Florida.