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Thursday, April 9, 2020

Bobcat on the Bar Ditch Trail

I have pet names for some of the features of our local Wounded Wetlands preserve. 

Places like the Fake Hammock, the Lantana Patch, the Maple Grove and The Peninsula will not be found on any map. It had been more than four years since I last explored an old farm road which I called the "Bar Ditch Trail" that crosses the wild area west of the Big Levee. 

The trail runs along beside the "borrow" or "bar" ditch that provided the rocks and gravel to raise it slightly higher than the surrounding land which is at the level of the historic Everglades. Unusually high water and overgrowth of exotic vegetation due to a lack of maintenance limited my ability to explore the trail. 

Then, Hurricane Irma dealt a crushing blow by felling many trees which completely blocked entry at the trail head. Only this past month, the tree trunks and branches were cleared away by none other than my nemeses, the Off-Road "Wreckreational" Vehicle crowd. They used chain saws to restore access, which returned to them an old way to wreak havoc in the area. 

My first walks along Bar Ditch Trail have provided me images of, among others...

Northern Cardinal:

Northern Cardinal 01-20200314

Blue-headed Vireo:

Blue-headed Vireo 02-20200313

Orange-crowned Warbler:

  Orange-crowned Warbler 01-20200313 

Northern Waterthrush:

Northern Waterthrush01- 20200313

A pair of Common Ground-Doves:

Common Ground-Doves 20200303

We follow the Big Levee trail for about 0.3 miles (~0.5 km)...

Levee Trailhead 20200316

...to the Bar Ditch trail head:

Bar Ditch Trailhead 06-202000313

Fog lifting at sunrise over the Bar Ditch Trail:

Fog lifting at sunrise over the Bar Ditch trail 02-20200303

The trail runs directly to the west, so my shadow falls directly in front of me on the first day of Spring:

Bar Ditch Trail long shadow 20200320

The bar ditch is on the right (north) of its namesake trail:

Bar Ditch Trail 01-202000313

About 1/3 mile along the trail, a patch of cattails harbored a singing Marsh Wren which was heard but not seen:


Bar Ditch Trail 04-202000313

Just beyond Cattail Patch I had a brief, but  exciting encounter with a Bobcat. It was very early and the rising sun was shining brightly behind me. I was photographing a Gray Catbird...  

Gray Catbird 20200328

...and detected motion in my peripheral field of vision. It was an adult female Bobcat running full tilt down the path, straight towards me! I swung my camera around and captured a burst of over 50 photos.

Crop IMG_4003

Crop IMG_4013

Crop IMG_4015

She was probably blinded by the sunlight and did not see me until she pulled up about 30 feet / 9 meters away:

Crop IMG_4023

IMG_4034

Portrait IMG_4033

Then, acting aloof and nonchalant, she slowly turned and walked away:

IMG_4037

IMG_4040

This slide show video includes the entire sequence of my encounter with the Bobcat:



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Linking to:

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday
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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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34 comments:

  1. Kenneth! Those bobcat photos are just mesmerizing! The way you captured it while looking straight on the camera is just magic! And that trail looks so beautiful leading to the sunrise, just like how we hope that this situation will end into a beautiful morning! Sending hugs from the Philippines!

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  2. Hello, love the Bobcat and bird images. Your sky views and photos are just beautiful. Happy Skywatching! Take care! Wishing you a great day and weekend ahead.

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    1. WOW! What a wonderful post Kenneth. The series of the Bobcat is amazing and beautifully shot by you. The Red Cardinal is a stunning bird and your skies are awesome. Have a great weekend and stay safe

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    2. Sorry Kenneth In case you did not see my reply in Tuesday's post, there were 11 Turnstones in that last image!

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  3. That's an amazing series of photos! Talk about right place at the right time. I'm sure you were right about the bobcat being blinded to your presence by the sun. Thanks for sharing these wonderful captures.

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  4. This is truly a stunning post. Fantastic photos - all of them! That first red bird looks like royalty. The landscape shots are truly gorgeous. And the bobcat photos - just wow! Nicely done.

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  5. WOW!!!!!!! Bobcat. Just amazing. The birds are lovely, too, but...

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  6. Oh my! My heart would have stopped to see that Bobcat coming towards me! I don't know if I could have used my camera like you did! How amazing! That's such a wonderful sighting....the WILD Florida! Thanks for sharing! Take care and stay healthy!

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  7. Hello Ken, I enjoyed all your photos and the slide show of the Bobcat. Well worth a second visit, great shadow shot. The Bobcat images are just amazing. Thank you so much for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, stay well! Enjoy your weekend, Happy Easter! PS, thank you for the visit and comment on my blog.

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  8. Gorgeous photos, really like the cardinal shot. Wow, my heart rate shot up just reading about your bobcat encounter.

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  9. How exciting to have a bobcat come so close! Great photos!

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  10. Hello. Beautiful photos. Thank you.

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  11. The bobcat? Wow. I must confess I probably would've trickled down my leg. But what a beautiful cat! Your birds & sky...beautiful.

    Have a blessed Easter my friend. Thanks for sharing your birds & wildlife with us at I'd Rather B Birdin.

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  12. Fantastic pictures of the Bobcat. What a thrill that must have been for you.

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  13. Such wonderful photos! The Bobcat is of course amazing but love the Cardinal too. What a great sunrise!

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  14. Incredible photo of the Bobcat! WOW! Hope you have a lovely weekend!

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  15. Bobcat heading straight towards you! Wow!These are fantastic photos -- worthy of National Geographic, truly. I've certainly enjoyed your post!

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  16. Great that you had the presence of mind with the bobcat to keep the camera clicking! I love that with animals, that they are masters is doing like you are not there anymore, after they ascertained you're not a threat anymore, and leave like nothing happened before. Many thanks Ken, also for the stunning skies you're sharing with All Seasons- wow- Florida has amazing skies! Jesh

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  17. Great pictures of the bobcat - that would be a real highlight for me.

    I think its funny how quickly we give places names. My wife and I called a field in the UK "Fox Paddock' - even though we only saw a fox there once, but the name just stuck!

    Hope you are well - Stewart M - Melbourne

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    1. Thanks, Stewart. Yes I remember crazy names we gave to neighbors when we first moved into a new home. "The Water People" were always out fiddling with their sprinkler system, "The Biker" sometimes woke us up starting his motorcycle, but he kept that name even after we realized he was a respectable traffic cop!

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  18. I think that bobcat would have been a tad alarming for me! Great shots, though, as always!
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/04/more-from-archives-duke-chapel.html

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  19. Great bobcat shots. We have them in our area, but I've only personally seen cougars. I have names for places on our lake, one is Palm Tree Point for a fir tree that lost it's top and has wide spreading branches. - Margy

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  20. Wow! Your photos are amazing. Not sure I would have been as calm as you with the camera.

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  21. WoW! That is very exciting! They don't attack? You got great shots! The sunrise is spectacular too.

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  22. Niece Bobcat shots!!! Love your vireo!

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  23. These are lovely mementos of you trip. The birds are so colorful but that bobcat is just stunning!! I'm sure you'll remember that trip for a long time :)

    I'm so happy that you joined us over at at 'My Corner of the World' this week!

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  24. What fascinating photos and video of the Bobcat and Birds, but also the landscape. Wonderful natural world!
    Greetings Elke

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