last trail walk for the spring

Though I'm back in Pennsylvania, and 'summer' is not quite here yet, I'm sure it's summer at Sanlan!

Before leaving for the summer, I got to take one last trail walk, and it turned out to be great...

I started out when there was still a morning haze, and it created quite pretty views of the woods and trails. I found that several more benches have been situated at really nice spots, and stopped to photograph a few. The view at the lake was especially pretty.

But one of the biggest thrills was on the sanctuary loop - I just happened to stop and look down across the center area when a bobcat walked out of the brush across the way, and stopped on one of the new trails! I watched for a few seconds, and a 'half-size' kitten walked out to join her! What a sight. I managed to get my camera up when she looked away, and got a few pictures, but couldn't get one of the two of them - that's how it goes! So that, along with other birds and wildlife I saw on my 2 hour walk, was a great finish to my season at Sanlan.

Before I left Florida, I got to make a birding trip to Fort DeSoto, at the Tampa coast. One neat thing we saw was a Great Horned Owl with a chick. It reminded me of the one that I found nesting at Sanlan two years ago. That owl hasn't been back to the same spot, and though I haven't heard any 'calling', I have hopes that we will have one or more in the park again soon! Enjoy the photo of this little one, and mom, that I got at Ft. DeSoto........

And Enjoy your Summer!

- Randi Denham