On The Other Side Of The Fence...

Lately the days of winter have been dismal, gray and cold, not shoveling snow cold but cold for us birds that grew up in tropical climates.

Photo above...taken through the window of our house, this snowy egret wades in the water of our neighbor's pond in search of fresh fish.

Photo below...I think he may have spotted something...and then again maybe not as he flew off shortly after the shutter snapped.

Birds On The Bay

As some of you are aware, Wednesday's post was about a trip out to our local Longboat Key and to Moore's Stone Crab Restaurant where I had the pleasure and a rare opportunity to photograph a most willing bird model. The lovely Snowy Egret has definitely left a lasting impression upon me.

However there were other birds and other sights to see in the nearby vicinity and one of those sights includes the charming southern architecture of cracker style homes. For those unfamiliar a Cracker refers to a local Floridian, one who was born in this south Dixie peninsula. The term Cracker dates back to the days when Florida cowboys used long whips to herd cattle. The whips were frequently snapped making a loud noise much like a"crack" that split the air and commanded the attention of any stray. Hence the cowboys were called "Crackers" and now that terminology is used to mean someone born and raised in the state of Florida.

Most of Wednesday had been a gray, overcast day with spurts of showers, but occasionally the sun would break through and make a brief appearance.

Photo above...The view from Moore's Stone Crab Restaurant's small outdoor garden area overlooks the dock and the bay with its scattering of small islands. You may recall yesterday's blog about my Snowy Egret friend who was undecided as to if he wished to sit out here or elsewhere, he finally decided upon dockside dining.

Photo below...another view of this inviting area. Can imagine it would be quite lovely at night bathed in the warm glow of the strands of small lights and Tiki torches.

Photos below...Moore's dock area allows boaters to moor their vessels and come in for a bite of lunch or dinner. Guess it is also very popular with the sea birds, as there were a number of pelicans and gulls loitering around the docks.

Photo below...ahhh, a nice stretch !

Photos below...Rare encounter! A large osprey perched atop a dead native palm tree. He looks a bit disheveled but the wind was blowing pretty good and ruffled his feathers.

My camera memory card also holds photos of some of the islands peacock population but I think those will have to wait for another day. For the most part Wednesday was a marvelous day for being a bird watcher. NOTE: many of my photos can be click on to view in larger mode in my Picasa web-albums, once there you can also click the magnify icon to enlarge the photo further. To return to this blog, just click your Go Back/Return Button on your browser toolbar.

A Jaunt To The Keys For Stone Crabs

For the last week my hubby has had a craving for stone crab, which is a seasonal delicacy available only from Nov to the first of May, and the best place around to savor these sweet, juicy gifts of the ocean is Moore's Stone Crab Restaurant.

So today found us out on the keys just off shore of Sarasota and Manatee county. Moore's, a bayside establishment of long standing, has a laid back tropical atmosphere and the quaint charm of a seaside shanty, it is located at the far northern end of Longboat Key just before you cross over to Anna Maria Island...or just after, depending on the direction you are traveling.

When we arrived at our destination the time was a tad early and the restaurant was not yet open for business. This afforded me an opportunity to snap a few photos.

Photo below...I believe this large Snowy Egret is a regular here at Moore's, as are many of the local sea birds.

Photo below...Not sure if he wants to go in for a bite of lunch or just have a cold drink out in the garden area?

Photo below..."Well, what do you recommend ? Indoors or out ?"

Photo below...Believe it or not this little fellow came up the stairs to the wrap around veranda of Moore's restaurant and then stood patiently next to this sign. How could I not take his photo?

Photo below...Think he has decided upon dockside dining and maybe a minnow or two.