The Wandering Disciple

Jerry “Jive” Kirby salutes the crowd after an amazing performance during the 2016 MacDill AirFest. Jive usually performs in his customized Vans RV, however he went with something a little more warbird in the T-28 Trojan. The T-28 Trojan is a piston engine aircraft used by the Navy and Air Force in the Vietnam era. (Photo: March 19, 2016)

A brown pelican flies high along the coast at South Brohard Beach in Venice. The pelicans fly the coast tracking schools of fish before diving down for the attack. (Photo: March 14, 2016)

A great blue heron takes a stroll along the beach at South Brohard Park. Not typically a beach bum, the great blue heron is usually found along the shores of lakes and streams, not the gulf. But they don’t discriminate, they will migrate anywhere there is a steady supply of food. (Photo: March 6, 2016)

Fort Myers, Florida: This week was very limited in plane watching time, but I did managed to get a few new aircraft added to the database. Here is a look at what I saw this week: N17ES – Beechcraft Baron  N511TH – Cessna Citation V  N517A – Piper Cherokee  N560A – Piper Cherokee  N592K – Piper Cherokee  N611DA – Cirrus SR-20  N770MM – Cirrus SR-22  N800KP – Cirrus SR-20  N917EA – Beechcraft Beechjet  N1729H – Cessna Skyhawk  N4931B – Cessna 152  Click on the photo above to view these and the rest of the Page Field photo gallery .

If the walls of Hillsborough High School could talk, oh the stories it could tell from its rich history. Located in the heart of the Seminole Heights district of Tampa, Hillsborough High is the county’s oldest high school and one of the oldest schools in the South. The school was instituted in 1882 but the current high school was built in 1928. (Photo: February 22, 2020)

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, is both a favorite friend of ground troops in the US armed forces and fear foe to enemy combatants. Also known as the Warthog, the A-10 is a close-air support used to destroy enemy ground troops, tanks and armored vehicles. Designed by Fairchild Republic, the A-10 entered service in 1977 and has seen action in multiple theaters of war in the middle east. Over 700 A-10's were manufactured by Fairchild Republic exclusively for the US Air Force and almost 300 of them remain in service. The A-10 pictured here is from the 163d Fighter Squadron of the Indiana Air National Guard. (Photo: February 19, 2020)

A honeybee is hard at work gathering pollen from a colorful plant at ZooTampa. Honeybees were once only found in Eurasia but have spread across the globe thanks to human influence. There are seven species of honeybees with over 44 subspecies. The common one in the United States is the western bee also known as the European bee and is the most domesticated of the bee species. (Photo: February 22, 2020)

A Cuban iguana peaks its head up as its inches closer to the heat lamp on a cool day. Found along the rocky coasts of Cuba, the iguana is known for its red eyes and thick tail. It is one of the largest species of iguana in the Caribbean but is also one of the most endangered. (Photo: February 22, 2020)

While he’s not quite a baby anymore, the young colobus monkey forages for food with its mother at ZooTampa. This little guy was born at the zoo in March of 2018. (Photo: February 22, 2020)

Fort Myers, Florida: This week saw me out at Page Field quite a bit and a little of lunch time plane watching. Spending time at a general aviation airport is always an adventure, you never quite know what you will find. Mixed in the sea of flight school Cessna, I was able to photograph my first HondaJet and finally get a photo of an airborne Vision Jet. Here is a look at what I saw this week: 6046 – HH-60 Jayhawk (US Coast Guard)  N10XN – HondaJet N57GX – Mooney M-20  N88AJ – Cessna Citation Bravo  N91PF – Cessna Skyhawk  N155SG – Cirrus Vision Jet  N237GR – Gulfstream IV  N480RL – Cessna Citation V  N515BC – Beechcraft King Air 90  N525ME – Cessna Citation II  N563PU – Piper Cherokee  N582ND – Piper Seminole  N612HP – Cessna Skyhawk  N680SA – Cessna Citation Sovereign   N714WA – Cessna Citation Excel  N798SR – Cirrus SR-22  N800KP – Cirrus SR-20  N3521Q – Cessna Skyhawk  N602...

Fort Myers, Florida: It was a fun week this week at Southwest Florida International Airport. The flight schedules continue to grow as do the aircraft. This week Air Canada snuck in a pair of mainline A-321’s in the new livery in place of the typical Air Canada Rouge birds. Even the Air Canada Rouge birds remained the beefed up wide-body Boeing 767. JetBlue continues to cycle A321neo’s through RSW as well. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the week came when a squadron of A-10 Thunderbolts snuck in from Fort Wayne Indiana, while I only got a pic of 2 of the 4, it was still an amazing sight. Here is a look at what I saw this week:  79-0170 – A10 Thunderbolt II (Indiana Air National Guard)   79-0219 – A-10 Thunderbolt II (Indiana Air National Guard)  168848 – P-8 Poseidon (US Navy)  C-FIYA – Boeing 767-300 (Air Canada Rouge)  C-FMWP – Boeing 757-300 (Air Canada Rouge)  C-GHLK – Boeing 767-300 (Air Canada Rouge)  C-GIUE – Airbus A321 ...

The beacon shines bright on this Caribbean Airways Boeing 737 as it departs from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. FLL is one of three airports in the Miami metropolitan area and is the 18th busiest airport in the nation serving over 36 million passengers last year. (Photo: February 15, 2020)

A wood duck takes a walk along the pathway inside the free flight aviary at Flamingo Gardens. The 25,000 square foot aviary is home to many species of birds including ducks, wading birds, shore birds and much more. (Photo: February 15, 2020)

Join Fast Eddie, Patches, Spanky and Bella as they swim and play in their new habitat at the Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary at Flamingo Gardens. Opened in 2016, the habitat has plenty of fun things for the otters to do while provided amazing views for visitors to get an up-close look at the playful otters. The otter program is one of the most successful in the country with over 34 otters born in the sanctuary. The otters born here have either been released back into the wild or transferred to other sanctuaries to continue the breeding program. (Photo: February 15, 2020)

A peacock struts and shows of his colorful feathers in the hope of attracting a mate. Only the male peacock has the long colorful feathers and uses them as part of a courtship ritual. Peacock feathers are also a sign of good luck and immortality in some cultures. Flamingo Gardens is home to free roaming peacocks and they can be found in almost every area of the gardens. (Photo: February 15, 2020)

A colorful orchid in full bloom lights up the walking path at Flamingo Gardens.  The gardens features acres of colorful plants and towering trees.  Once the estate of Floyd and Jane Wray, the botanical gardens are now public attraction featured distinct gardens situated on a vast estate.  Some of the gardens include the croton garden, wildflower garden, butterfly and hummingbird garden, tropical rain forest and much more.  You can stroll through the luscious gardens on take a tram tour for a highlights and narration.  (Photo: February 15, 2020)

Meet Elvis the Third, a large American Alligator that calls Flamingo Gardens homes. Elvis and his habitat mate Priscilla are just some of the native wildlife that call the gardens home. The original Elvis was popularly know as member of the Miami Vice cast, serving as Sonny Crockett's pet alligator. While that gator has since passed, the name lives on with Elvis the third. (Photo: February 15, 2020)

Fort Lauderdale, Florida: On a recent soggy trip to Fort Lauderdale, we decided to make a stop by Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for a little rainy day plane spotting. Runway 10 was active and to keep dry, we grabbed a spot on the west side of the seventh floor of the Hibiscus Garage. It was far from an ideal day for spotting, but couldn’t be right by FLL and not get a few pics in. While I wanted to stay longer, weather had other ideas and we left after a little over an hour due to heavy rain and reduce lighting. Here is a look at what we saw in a little over an hour of spotting. 9Y-ANU – Boeing 737-800 (Caribbean Airlines)  A6-EWG – Boeing 777-200 (Emirates Airlines)  C-GBHN – Airbus A319 (Air Canada Jetz)  C-GJLS – Boeing 737-800 (WestJet)  C6-BFR – ATR 72-600 (Bahamasair)  HP-1377 CMP – Boeing 737-700 (Copa Airlines)  N22BR – Beechcraft 18  N194UW – Airbus A321 (American Airlines)  N200NV – Boeing 737-800 (Ameri...

Even in South Florida, the taste of New England seafood is never far away.  Kelly's Landing in Fort Lauderdale brings all your New England favorites to the sunshine state.  Lobster rolls, Ipswich clams, clam chowder and Fenway dogs are just some of the favorites on the menu at this popular dining spot. Pictured here is the lobster bites appetizer.  (Photo: February 15, 2020)

When the Orioles open camp this spring in Sarasota, it will be the tenth year they have called Ed Smith Stadium their Birdland South. The Orioles relocated to Sarasota from Fort Lauderdale in 2000. Prior to that, Ed Smith Stadium was home to the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox. The stadium was built in 1989 but underwent a major renovation in 2011. While players have begun to report to camp, the spring opener at Ed Smith will be on February 23 against the Boston Red Sox. (Photo: March 1, 2016)

Station One, the big house of the Orlando Fire Department, lies in the heart of downtown protecting the residents and business of Orlando 24/7/365. The Big House is responsible for protecting some of the oldest and largest buildings in the city. The history of Station 1 dates back to 1885 and the crews that worked these quarters have fought some of the biggest fires in the department's history. The station was located at three different locations before finding its current home on West Central Boulevard. (Photo: July 3, 2016)

When you think of recognizable trees most people think of icons like the tall redwoods and the expansive banyan, but the cypress tree is just as majestic. The centerpiece of the cypress swamp, the cypress tree towers from the the water and provides a canopy over the swamp. One place to see these trees in all their glory is the Cypress Swamp Trail at Highland Hammocks State Park outside of Sebring. The twenty minute walk takes you through the heart of a cypress swamp. (Photo: February 28, 2016)

Spring is in the air and the boys of summer are back out on the field. The crack of the bat fills the air as major league clubs open up spring training in Florida and Arizona. For the next month, players will use the spring sunshine to help tune their skills in advance of the 2020 regular season as each team pushes for the postseason. (Photo: February 27, 2016)

Known for his crazy hair and crazier stunts, Bello Nock performs during the 2016 installment of Circus Sarasota. The Sarasota native has spent his life entertaining across the world performing death-defying stunts like hanging from a helicopter by one foot and setting a Guinness Book of World Records for a high wire act over a cruise ship. Since leaving the Ringling Circus, Bello has performed as a headline act in his hometown of Sarasota, returned to the Big Apple and appeared in America's Got Talent. (Photo: February 24, 2016)

Taking a stroll along the wooden boardwalk at Calusa Nature Center transports you into the heart of a Cypress Swamp. The Cypress Swamp is a wetland ecosystem characterized by the bald cypress tree and slow moving waterways. The swamp provides a home for alligators, snakes, wading birds and much more. (Photo: February 21, 2016)

Getting up close and personal with an Airbus A320 as it taxis to the active runway. The Airbus A320 is one of three aircraft that make up the fleet for JetBlue Airways. Launched by Airbus in 1984 and entering service in 1988, the A320 is a narrow body aircraft features six across seating making it a popular option for airlines. With over 9,200 aircraft delivered to more than 330 operators, the Airbus A320 surpassed the Boeing 737 as the most popular airlines. (Photo: February 3, 2020)

Fort Myers, Florida: It is beginning to look like the US Navy loves Southwest Florida as this week they visited RSW a few times. They even had three aircraft in the pattern on one day, all from different squadrons. This week also featured the first daytime visit of Bear Force One, the JetBlue aircraft painted in Boston Bruins colors. The high winds towards the end of the week made for some interesting approaches to the runway. Here is a look at the aircraft photographed this week: 168433 – P-8 Poseidon (US Navy)  168435 – P-8 Poseidon (US Navy)  168860 – P-8 Poseidon (US Navy)  169549 – P-8 Poseidon (US Navy)  C-FWSV – Boeing 737-700 (WestJet)  N178JB – Embraer 190 (JetBlue Airways)  N179JB – Embraer 190 (JetBlue Airways)  N236JB – Embraer 190 (JetBlue Airways)  N240JQ – Embraer 175 (Republic Airways/Delta Connection)  N343NW – Airbus A320 (Delta Air Lines)  N480RL – Cessna Citation V   N523JB – Airbus A32...

An alert hawk stands guard over a field looking for movement and its next meal. Hawks will find high ground to watch over the ground looking for movement then swoop down to strike a rodent or snake to eat. (Photo: January 26, 2016)

Drive safe and arrive alive. The mission of the Florida Highway Patrol is to ensure all Floridian motorists arrive alive. The FHP protects the state's interstate system and enforces traffic laws throughout the Sunshine State. Annually the department patrols over 31 million miles and investigated over 210,000 crashes. There are almost 2,000 troopers and over 500 civilians supporting the FHP mission. (Photo: July 3, 2016)

Fort Myers, Florida:  The weather this week was not the best for general aviation flying.  While I spent a few days out at Page Field, it was relatively quiet day as traffic was slow due to the high winds.  Despite being quiet, there were a few interesting movements at KFMY.  Here is a look at what I saw this week at Page Field: N97EJ – Learjet 40  N155CG – Cessna Citation I  N163TC – Cessna Citation Mustang  N328MC – Cirrus SR-22  N397ME – Cessna Skylane  N398J – Pilatus PC-12  N609SM – Cessna Citation II  N639QS – Cessna Citation Latitude  N680AT – Cessna Citation Sovereign   N704RB – Cessna Skyhawk  N734PK – Cessna Skyhawk  N924KA – Piper Cherokee  N3113G – Beechcraft Bonanza  N5632K – Mooney M-20  N6013J – Cessna Skyhawk  N6952C – Piper Cherokee Arrow  N8570Q – Cessna Stationair  N9334W - Aérospatiale Gazelle  N15222 – Cessna Skyhawk Click on th...

Saving lives and protecting proprty is the mission of fire departments across the country including the Englewood Fire Department pictured here. The EFD is a fire department in Southwest Florida that protects 83 square miles spanning across Sarasota and Charlotte counties. The department operates six station protecting a population of over 50,000 people. (Photo: July 4, 2016)

A toddler gator tries to blend in with its surroundings along the Hillsborough River. Although gators are the top predator of the river, they are highly vulnerable when they are little. Mama gator does her best to protect her babies but they also use camouflage to help keep themselves safe. (Photo: January 1, 2016)

Sometimes the best way to experience the natural beauty of Florida is to step off the beaten path. While the hiking trails of Hillsborough River State Park are a great way to see the spender of the river, one of the best ways to see the river and life around the river is on it. A leisurely paddle down the river puts you right in the middle of the wildlife as the animals or pioneer settlers experienced. One way to experience the river is by taking a kayak tour via Canoe Escape. They offer several options that allow you to get off the beaten path. (Photo: January 1, 2016)

Hop aboard the floating pontoon of Logan’s River Tour and see a side of the wild and scenic Myakka River that most people don’t see. When you think of the Myakka River, you instantly think of the Myakka River State Park. And while that portion of the park is pristine, there are still miles of unspoiled river to explore. Launching from the boat ramp near Snook Haven, the tour will take you through the southern portion of the river as it begins to transition for a tight freshwater river into a brackish estuary before it meets the saltwater of Charlotte Harbor. (Photo: December 23, 2015)

Water, it is the lifeline of the forest. Whether it be a stream, lake, river or ocean; any body of water is essential to a healthy ecosystem. From the water to drink to the fish to eat, there is so much benefit to the forest watering hole. Take bank of the Myakka River here at Myakka River State Park. A short hike to the historic weir will lead to a riverbank loaded with action and tons of wildlife to observe. (Photo: December 27, 2015)