The Wandering Disciple

An anhinga shows off his fluffy head feathers along a hiking trail at the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland. While it may look like a bad case of bed head, this messy hair and green coloring around the eyes is actually a breeding plumage for the Anhinga. The anhinga is one of the many birds that you can see at the Circle B, a birding hotspot in Central Florida. (Photo: January 17, 2021)

The scrub habitats of Florida are a critical part of Florida's ecosystems.  Much like the grasslands of Africa, the scrubs of Florida are  home to many species of animals some of which are threatened.  From the bald eagle nests and scrub jays in the trees to the gopher tortoises and burrowing owls in the ground, this distinct ecosystem plays an important role.  But unfortunately the rapid development of Florida has put these ecosystems in danger and efforts are under way to help preserve some of them through nature preserves like Circle B Bar Reserve pictured here.  (Photo: January 26, 2009)

  A snowy egret tries to stay warm along the banks of the lake at Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, Florida.  Despite having snowy in their name, these small egrets are found in the warmer climates of the southern United States, Central and South America.  Once hunted to almost extinction, they have been protected by the Migratory Bird Treat Act and their populations have rebounded to abundant levels.  (Photo: January 4, 2019)

The waters of the Circle B Bar Reserve a filled with freshwater fish, attracting fishing birds like this Osprey enjoying a fresh catch.  Located on the shore of Lake Hancock the Circle B is a former cattle ranch that has been revitalized into a renowned wildlife preserve.  The  1,200 plus acre reserve is now a hot spot to watch wildlife and brings thousands of people into Lakeland to see the animals that call the reserve their home.  (Photo: January 1, 2019)

A young alligator photobombed this photo of a green heron on Sunday afternoon at the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland. On any given day, you can see hundreds of gators along the trails at Circle B. But on this trip, we didn't see a single one due to the colder weather in the Sunshine State. It wasn't until editing photos that I caught this little guy lurking in the background, a good reminder that they are everywhere even if you can't see them. (Photo: January 17, 2021)

Lakeland, Florida: After over a year hiatus, we finally went back to the wildlife mecca of Circle B Bar Reserve. This nature reserve is a wildlife hotspot popular for the variety of animals seen along the trails. On today’s visit we hiked the Heron Hideout, Alligator Alley and Shady Oak trail.   Along the way we saw the following animals:   American Alligator  Anhinga   Black-bellied Whistling Duck   Black-crowned Night Heron   Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher   Brown Pelican  Cattle Egret  Common Gallinule  Common Yellowthroat  Double-crested Cormorant  Eastern Gray Squirrel  Florida Red-bellied Cooter  Glossy Ibis  Great Blue Heron  Green Heron  Little Blue Heron  Nine-banded Armadillo  Northern Cardinal  Osprey  Painted Bunting  Palm Warbler  Pine Warbler  Red-shouldered Hawk  Red-winged Blackbird  Snowy Egret  Tree Swallow...

Lakeland, Florida:  The Circle B Bar Reserve has become one of my favorite places to view wildlife in their natural surroundings.  The easy to walk trails through this restored habitat boast some of the best wildlife viewing in Florida. Even on a slow day, there is still plenty to see and no two trips are alike.  On my most recent trip, I hiked the loop around to the lake and back which included the Heron Hideout, Alligator Alley and Shady Oak trails.  On this walk, I observed the following: American Alligator Bald Eagle Barred Owl Black-crowned Night Heron Blue-wing Teal Common Gallinule  Common Raccoon Eastern Gray Squirrel Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Osprey Palm Warbler Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-winged Blackbird Sandhill Crane Snowy Egret Wild Boar Circle B Bar Reserve is located at 4399 Winter Lake Road in Lakeland Florida.  It is opened daily from sunrise to sunset and admission ...

A barred owl sits perched on a live oak tree at the Circle B Bar Reserve outside of Lakeland.  Barred owls are the most vocal of the Eastern owls with a very distinct call.  While they eat the typical owl diet of small mammals like mice, the barred owls have been known to wade in creeks to catch and eat crayfish.  A diet of crayfish can even cause the belly of the barred owl to turn pink, much like a flamingo eating shrimp.  (Photo: January 26, 2019)

Lakeland, Florida: It's a new year and what does that mean, it means getting lost in nature and exploring a park. New Year, New Hike as been a family tradition for quite a while. Maybe a way to avoid the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of pork and sauerkraut or maybe just a way for me to be me, but the New Year's Day Hike has been going strong for a while now. Today's hike location is the Circle B Bar Reserve just outside of Lakeland.  This place has been on my radar for quite some time.  You may know it, not by name but by photos/videos.  Ever watch the evening news and see a massive dinosaur sized gator crossing a hiking trail, well you can take a good bet that it has occurred here at the Circle B.  And if that alone isn't enough to peak your interest, the Circle B's nature photography is some of the best in the sunshine state, more reason for me to check it out. The Circle B is massive and has miles upon miles of trails.  We began our hike o...