Western Jays

Steller's jay in Yosemite, a very impressive bird, photos courtesy of my former bossAnd here is the Western scrub-jay, not threatend like his Florida cousin

Pine Park

Our group had one park ranger guide, who is an avid and very knowledgable birder, two park ranger observers, and four residents of Lake County. Upright cypress is a very pretty wildflower, obviously a flower and not a tree.

Pine Park

Pine Park is located off CR 44 on the way to Deland. It is a 5 acre park saved from development. Part of it was cleared for sports fields that were not built after all, but the scrub has returned. The scrub jays, however, fled to the property  from all the bulldozers to the property across the street  and haven't yet returned. Adult scrub jays do not move, only the youngsters fly off in search of mates and new territory. The park is managed for scrub jays in the hope that they will return. It is located between two successfully managed scrub jay areas and would therfore build a bridge that allows genetic flow. Deer mossGolden rod and liriopeDotted horesemintA road racer or striped anole

Scrub-jay Trail in Clermont

Way to trail, myrtle oak (scrubby), sand live oak (taller)How to plant a scrub oak, don't disturb the roots, plant slightly deeper than soil, form moat around trunk to catch waterA variety of scrub oaks, plant densely  for scrub-jaysThe cracker cabin came from a movie set, gopher  tortoise burrowThe irrigation system