We had perfect weather for our last nature walk of the “season”.  It was cool, partly sunny and enough of a breeze to assure a mostly bug free walk for Kit Lane, Debbie Dye and Donna Thalacker.  This new Refuge trail is a beauty!  It passes through many habitats, including a small freshwater swamp, mixed deciduous woods, sandhill pine and through a canopied live oak section where the oaks are big enough to canopy the walk but small enough to see birds foraging in the trees.  We saw and heard many, many birds, including several woodpeckers, a Red-shouldered Hawk, Great-crested Flycatcher,Rufus-sided Towhee, Yellow-throated Vireo, Northern Parula Warbler, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Pine Warbler, Carolina Wren, White-eyed Vireo and many more.  Some of the pawpaws are still blooming, as are the Rose Pogonia orchid plants.  My thanks to Frank Morgan for his picture of the Great-crested Flycatcher!
 I hope to see you again in November, when we will resume the nature walks out in the Lower Suwannee NWR,  Shell Mound, the Cedar Key Scrub and new next year, the Cedar Keys NWR!!
Have a great summer!