While an adult turtle’s shell is hard and seemingly impenetrable, an unborn turtle’s eggshell is nowhere near as tough. In fact, turtle eggs are a swamp delicacy! From the number of scavenged nests I found on my May 2020 Okefenokee paddling trip, it seems everything eats turtle eggs. Bears, raccoons, skunks, opossums, crows, bobcats andContinue reading “Okefenokee Turtle Egg Predation”
Tag Archives: William Wise Photography
Okefenokee – Dark, Dangerous and Foreboding
“The artist can find in this Swamp scenes for masterpieces – from the beautiful to the somber – for a while there are scenes of unsurpassed beauty, there are others dark, dangerous and foreboding.” Excerpt from the 1926 History Of Okefenokee Swamp by A S McQueen And Hamp Mizell iNaturalist observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/29933513
Okefenokee Swamp Melanistic Pileated Woodpecker
Going through some older Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge posts, I found this unique observation from April 12, 2010 by iNaturalist member Marv Elliott: a melanistic Pileated Woodpecker (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/538467). Contacting Marv about his observation, he replied: “My wife (Susan) and I are birders and Naturalists. We were driving the main road, saw the pileated and knew itContinue reading “Okefenokee Swamp Melanistic Pileated Woodpecker”
Focus Stacking an Okefenokee Gator Stack
While paddling through the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, I came upon an awesome scene. Multiple juvenile alligators were stacked upon logs and lily pads in a small cove on Minnie’s Lake. My eyes took in the whole scene and I was overwhelmed with delight and wonder. But my joy was replaced with a bit ofContinue reading “Focus Stacking an Okefenokee Gator Stack”
Okefenokee Alligator Armor
“I have always understood,” said Bilbo the Hobbit in a frightened squeak, “that dragons were softer underneath…” The dragon Smaug stopped short in his boasting. “Your information is antiquated,” he snapped. “I am armoured above and below with iron scales and hard gems. No blade can pierce me… My armour is like tenfold shields, myContinue reading “Okefenokee Alligator Armor”
Thank an Okefenokee NWR Ranger!
Okefenokee Swamp paddlers owe much to the federal Okefenokee NWR and Stephen C Foster state park employees that keep the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge’s canoe and kayak trails clear, maintained and well-marked. When one visits today, direction signs label and point to Billy’s Lake, Minnie’s Lake, Big Water, Canal Run and more. Since cell phoneContinue reading “Thank an Okefenokee NWR Ranger!”
Okefenokee Alligator Battles
During our 2019, paddling trip through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, we came across a unique alligator. This big gator was missing the end of its upper snout. I suppose it could have been born with a deformity, but I guess it was injured in a fight with another gator. Its nostrils were missing andContinue reading “Okefenokee Alligator Battles”
Athletic_Gurl’s Okefenokee Video Adventure 2020
My daughter’s video from our 2020 Okefenokee National Wildife Refuge paddling trip. She was excited to bring along a friend who had never experienced the swamp before! Needless to say she was amazed (and slightly terrified) by the number of huge alligators we saw.
A Cautious Eye in the Okefenokee
A great start to our 2020 Okefenokee paddling trek! As we pushed off from the Stephen C Foster State Park boat launch and into the blackwaters of the Okefenokee Swamp, I kept an eye on things. Although the giant reptiles weren’t immediately visible, there certainly could be alligators to the left and the right ofContinue reading “A Cautious Eye in the Okefenokee”
Okefenokee on iNaturalist
Another great way to explore the majestic Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia is through the app iNaturalist. The Okefenokee has its own project page where you can see all the “citizen scientist” and naturalists posts in one place. Sign up for Okefenokee NWR on the subscriptions and help fellow Okefenokee Adventurers ID theirContinue reading “Okefenokee on iNaturalist”
