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Homosassa Springs 2/28/10

ArpeggioAngel

ArpeggioAngel

Around Here Somewhere....
Spent yesterday afternoon with Nanci and Joe at Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park. This is an all Florida nature park (except for Lucifer the hippo and the mute swans). Lucifer actually has honorary florida resident status since he has been there so long. Weather was cool and sunny, making for some fairly active animals including a few I have never seen out and about on all my previous visits. Took a TON of photos so it is going to take me a few posts to share them all. Please hold comments until the end.... ENJOY!!

Lucifer the hippo - he was a movie star back in the day - starring in Daktari and a few Tarzan movies:
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He also had some company in his enclosure yesterday:
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And Mr. Bird even did some posing for us:
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Just a few of the many gators they have there:
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Reptile house - all native to Florida.
They had a couple of pine snakes in the big front window who were both very active. I only managed to get decent shots on one of them:
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The rest of these were taken with no flash - practicing my manual photography skills (plus the flash on the camera is broken - lol!).
Copperhead:
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Canebrake rattlesnake:
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Cottonmouth "hiding":
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Best shot I could get of the yellow ratsnake - he would not stop moving:
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More reptile house...
Yellow bellied slider:
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Baby gopher tortoises - toooooo cute:
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Baby gators:
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Dusky pygmy rattlesnake:
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This one didn't have a sign - not sure what it was. Nanci guesses some kind of ribbon snake. Very tiny, skinny and awesome blue color:
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They have a beautiful collection of birds. Most were injured and rehabilitated on site and can never be released back into the wild. Since a lot of the water birds are in a very open area (no cages/fences etc) a lot of wild birds also come in for free food and a good place to nest. Being spring - we were able to hear/see both the Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes doing their mating songs and dances which was really cool!
Sandhill Crane:
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Whooping Cranes:
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Pink Flamingo:
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Osprey:
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Bald Eagle:
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Two types of hawks - I think one is a redshouldered (first pic) and the other is a redtail (2nd pic) although I could be mistaken:
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Crested Caracara - one of the strangest birds to see and I am still hoping to photograph one in the wild:
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Barn owl:
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Mute swan:
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I have never seen this guy out and about before - Red fox (they also have a gray fox but he was sleeping under his log):
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Red Wolves (these are a new addition to the park - they have three of them there):
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Another critter I have never seen out and about - my 2nd favorite animal of the day and another one I hope to someday photograph in the wild - the bobcat:
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And my favorite animal of the day, who I have also never seen up and about while at the park. Turns out they now have two but the 2nd one was in a separate cage in back - awake and active as well but too far out of range. I could die happy if I could photograph one of these in the wild.
Florida Panther:
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About 30secs after this last photo he plopped down right in front of us and took a nice roll in the grass. With manual focus to get through the wires - I wasn't quick enough to get the shot - but it was soooo cool to see him so close. He is graying out a little around the muzzle so is obviously a fairly old kitty.
 
And of course the manatees! These guys are so hard to get photos of since they are always submerged and when they do come up all you see out of water is their snout. Such awesome creatures:
Munching romaine under water with the fishes:
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And I got to take this one home with me! My own manatee!
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But before we even got to the parking lot -he got attacked by a giant alligator - OH NOES!!!
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Hope you enjoyed my little photo tour as much as I enjoyed the day out. I bought a season pass since I live so close now so expect to see more photos of this lovely park throughout the year!!
 
Those are some FANTASTIC photos, Katie! The one of Joe in the gator mouth had me :roflmao: IRL. :laugh: I'm definitely going to have to make my way over there one of these days!
 
RobbiesCornField said:
Those are some FANTASTIC photos, Katie! The one of Joe in the gator mouth had me :roflmao: IRL. :laugh: I'm definitely going to have to make my way over there one of these days!
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Now that I have the pass I will be quite content to spend an entire afternoon focused on just one or a few animals practicing up on the photography.
 
Hmmm...I like the Caracara, the copperhead, the flamingo, the bobcat,...and...

I did not know that hippos had "toes"...??? I don't know what I thought they had.
Hmmm...got me googling again.
 
I love all the predators, particularly the snakes & the big cats. Isn't amazing how the big cats resemble our little cats? DYK the FL panther & all the other cougar lines can PURR? They are the biggest cats that purr.
 
wstphal said:
I love all the predators, particularly the snakes & the big cats. Isn't amazing how the big cats resemble our little cats? DYK the FL panther & all the other cougar lines can PURR? They are the biggest cats that purr.
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DYK I actually did know that. I learned it at Big Cat Rescue here in Tampa a few years ago when I took a tour and their big cougar was purring at us. We could hear him from about 20 ft away! Big kitty = big motor!
Anything larger "chuffs" as a sign of affection.

I think I freaked out the lady next to me when I started talking to him and asking him if he wanted to come home with me. I love big cats....
 
Nice pics Katie! You did real good without a flash, btw.

That second to last picture was a rare sighting, I hear Joematee's are not easy to come by! :grin01:
 
ArpeggioAngel said:
Anything larger "chuffs" as a sign of affection.

I think I freaked out the lady next to me when I started talking to him and asking him if he wanted to come home with me. I love big cats....
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Yep to chuffing and yep to owning a big cat if I had the kind of $$ to have the kind of land & enclosure to provide a good home to a big cat that could not be rehabbed into the wild, I would SO do it.

There is or was a former stately home in England that has become a big cat rescue. The tigers apparently chuff at the back door then scratch at it (!) to get someone to come outside & throw the ball into the swimming pool for them to chase! Can you imagine having a cat of that size wanting you to come out and play?!

Edit: my big cat ownership fantasy doesn't necessarily involve lions or tigers, or being able to pet the cat. I'd be delighted to provide a good "home" to a bobcat etc, and would not necessarily expect it to socialize with me (although I have read that some do), just enjoy seeing it on feeding days & know I was giving it a good life.
 
wstphal said:
Yep to chuffing and yep to owning a big cat if I had the kind of $$ to have the kind of land & enclosure to provide a good home to a big cat that could not be rehabbed into the wild, I would SO do it.

There is or was a former stately home in England that has become a big cat rescue. The tigers apparently chuff at the back door then scratch at it (!) to get someone to come outside & throw the ball into the swimming pool for them to chase! Can you imagine having a cat of that size wanting you to come out and play?!

Edit: my big cat ownership fantasy doesn't necessarily involve lions or tigers, or being able to pet the cat. I'd be delighted to provide a good "home" to a bobcat etc, and would not necessarily expect it to socialize with me (although I have read that some do), just enjoy seeing it on feeding days & know I was giving it a good life.
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I would have to agree, although I must admit I would be hard pressed not to socialize with them more than that even though it may not be in my or their best interest! I just am absolutely in love and fascinated with the big cats. I was going to volunteer at Big Cat Rescue here in Tampa, but they have specific hours for volunteers and unfortunately it never fits in with my work schedule.
 
ArpeggioAngel said:
I would have to agree, although I must admit I would be hard pressed not to socialize with them more than that even though it may not be in my or their best interest! I just am absolutely in love and fascinated with the big cats.
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Me too, since Daktari! I would only want to take on a big cat who CAN'T go back to the wild & needs a furever home, then I would let the cat set the limits of the socializing, but I have read of tigers & cougars who will seek out socializing under those curcumstances and FOR SURE I'd be happy to oblige.
 
Elle reminded me, I like the manatees, too. Probably they would be my favorite in fact. They are so shy and intelligent and mind-their-own-businessy...they're just good peoples.
 
Wonderful photographs! And with your season pass, you can treat us to more 'virtual visits'! Thank you for sharing the visit, that does look like the prfect place to go.
 
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