The Wandering Disciple

Busch Gardens is getting into the Christmas spirit as the Tampa park transforms in to a Christmas wonderland. From now though Christmas Busch Gardens becomes Christmas Town, a magical place filled with color displays, dazzling lights, entertaining shows and much more. The annual holiday display is ranked one of the best displays in the country, check it out for yourself daily though January 6. (Photo: November 24, 2019)

An osprey flies high over the Myakka River on a sunny Saturday morning at Myakka River State Park. The osprey is one of the many raptors that can be found at the park. They soar over the river waiting to dive down and grab a fish to eat. In flight, the osprey has a distinct kink in their wings resulting in an "M" shape while flying. (Photo: November 23, 2019)

Sarasota, Florida: After taking a position with the fire department at neighboring Southwest Florida International Airport, I have not been back to my home airport Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in quite some time. This weekend I found myself in Sarasota and made a stop by SRQ. Runway 14 was active and I went to my usual spot near the approach end of 14 and spent about an hour photographing movements. Here is a look at what I saw today: N107PF – Cessna Skylane  N166SA – Beechcraft Super King Air 300   N167TV – Gulfstream IV  N188RW – Piper Malibu Mirage  N324DX – Airbus A321 (Delta Air Lines)  N374NW – Airbus A320 (Delta Air Lines)  N384SH – Cessna Citation Excel  N395ZA – L-39 Albatros   N407YX – Embraer 175 (Republic Airways/American Eagle)  N424FX – Embraer Legacy 450  N424TP – Piper Saratoga  N643RW – Embraer 170 (Republic Airways/United Express)  N663AW – Airbus A320 (American Air...

Sarasota, Florida: Today we took advantage of the cooler weather by taking a trip to Myakka River State Park. Cooler weather usually makes the wildlife more active and today did not disappoint. On a trip through the park, we saw quite a bit of wildlife. Here is a look at what we saw today: American Alligator  Common Raccoon  Black Necked Stilt  Eastern Gray Squirrel  Great Blue Heron  Great Egret  Least Sandpiper  Limpkin  Little Blue Heron  Osprey  Red Shouldered Hawk  Tricolored Heron  White Ibis  White Pelican  White Tailed Deer  Wild Boar  Wild Turkey  Myakka River State Park is located at 13208 State Road 72 in eastern Sarasota County. The park is open daily from 8am to sunset. Admission to the park is $6 per car. Click on the photo above to see photos from today’s visit as well as the entire Myakka River State Park photo gallery .

A group of birds retire for the night on the rookery island at the Venice Audubon Rookery. Each night as the sun begins to set, hundreds of birds from various species fly into the rookery to get a good nights sleep. The island provides a safe oasis for birds to roost for the night free from predators. (Photo: January 31, 2015)

A double-crested cormorant stands still as a statue along the banks of a lake. The cormorant is a wading bird that when not in the water can be found along the edge either standing still awaiting its next meal or drying its wings after a swim. Unlike ducks and other water birds, once in the water a cormorant can not fly immediately so it needs to dry its wings before flight. (Photo: January 25, 2015)

Waves break along the beach at South Brohard Beach in Venice. While the Gulf of Mexico is typically calm, winter cold fronts like this or summer tropical weather can stir the Gulf up and produce some wave action like the relaxing waves seen here. (Photo: January 25, 2015)