Sharing some eerie scenery and creepy creatures from here in the swampland with SCENIC WEEKENDS and CAMERA CRITTERS.
Cypress knees look like strange little swamp people .
Gotta have an alligator or two....hey, it's Florida!
Cormorants in the swamp have startled me more often than alligators have ...the noise they make when they flap those wings can make you jump, since you hear it before you see the birds.
We ran across a herd of feral hogs at Six Mile Cypress Swamp. They're an invasive species and are found on farm lands in this area as well. A ranger said that they will be "relocated" because the rampaging animals tear up and destroy habitat that is needed by native species.
What big eyes you have, gator!
Wow! I understand those wild boars are very mean also.
Thanks for sharing these...
Posted by: pat | March 26, 2013 at 10:16 PM
I may be a little freak-ish if I saw those reptiles. hahahah... but a little adventure is fun though.
Posted by: Prem | March 26, 2013 at 12:47 PM
That must have been quite an adventure. Love your photo's
Posted by: Riet | March 25, 2013 at 11:33 AM
Those cypress knees look about how mine have been feeling lately!
Wonderful, wonderful photos Sallie. I'm especially impressed by the cormorant. How magnificent he is and it looks as if he snatched up some lunch.
Posted by: Penny | March 25, 2013 at 08:34 AM
Great swamp creature captures Sallie. At first glance i thought the hog was a bear cub :>).
Happy day to you.
Posted by: Pam :) | March 25, 2013 at 03:55 AM
"All the better to eat you with!" the gator replied!
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Posted by: Stewart M | March 25, 2013 at 03:23 AM
Never heard of cypress knees, very unusual name.
Posted by: Ebie | March 25, 2013 at 12:16 AM
Oh my I feel like in a Hitchcock movie, lol ! Fantastic pictures !
BTW to replace Google Reader, "Feedly" works also on Chrome I have been told in a comment ! Just try it out ! I hate changements too, lol !
Posted by: Gattina | March 24, 2013 at 11:53 PM
I love the little swamp people. They remind me of Middle Earth inhabitants. :)
I know you aren't as close as that last alligator shot looks. It looks like you are standing right over it. Gave me shivers!!!
Posted by: Carletta | March 24, 2013 at 09:31 PM
What a wonderful post Sallie... I once visited Miami and had a trip to the Everglades to see "gators" back in the early 1980's. I didn't appreciate what I was seeing at the time and really would love to do it all again.
Hugs Drew xx
Posted by: Andrew | March 24, 2013 at 03:26 PM
gorgeous shot of the swamp and it´s "little people". The cormorant seem to have a very long neck. Don´t think I have seen any like that before.
Posted by: NatureFootstep Photo | March 24, 2013 at 02:46 PM
What unusual birds! Outside of the bugs, I do think the swamps are beautiful. I admire those hardy souls that live in and around the swamp and know how to make a good living off of it!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Posted by: Linda | March 24, 2013 at 01:37 PM
Wonderful habitat for that wildlife...Michelle
Posted by: RamblingWoods | March 24, 2013 at 11:05 AM
I love cypress knees! My dad is often asked to hunt wild hogs and boar on various properties around Mississippi. They are very destructive creatures. He sometimes hunts them with a spear, having more success that way. Enjoyed your post, Sallie! Have a great day.
Posted by: Gail | March 24, 2013 at 08:54 AM
I think I'll take the snow and cold. :<)
Posted by: Nan | March 24, 2013 at 08:16 AM
LOVE the first shot
straight out of a wonderful scary movie :)
Posted by: dianne7777 | March 24, 2013 at 07:29 AM
I have bad dreams about falling into that kind of water. LOL!
Great shots!!!
Posted by: Suzanne | March 24, 2013 at 06:29 AM
Dearest Sallie,
Wow, marvelous pictres of the creatures of the swamp. They are really rare for me; especially I've never heard of or seen cormorant before♡♡♡ I loved your caption "What big eyes you have, gator!" Thank you very much for the gorgeous shots.
PS> I was so glad to read your sweet comments and I DO appreciate kindnesses♬♬♬
Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan to my dear friend, xoxo Miyako*
Posted by: Yamda Miyako (orchid) | March 24, 2013 at 12:05 AM
Great photos, Sallie, but quite mysterious deep in the swamp,(not being familiar with that kind of country) Love what you have done to the alligator photo, and the cormorant picture is stunning.
Posted by: Hildred | March 23, 2013 at 10:58 PM
Ooh, I dunno, Sallie. Gators and feral hogs would scare me more than cormorants.
Fantastic photos! I really enjoyed them.
K
Posted by: Kay L. Davies | March 23, 2013 at 10:26 PM
Feral hogs (pigs) are a menace. They cause immeasurable damage to the environment. I hope
the Florida rangers or whoever can get rid of them. Preferably to "feral hog" hell, no way can feral
hogs have a heaven. It is the natural habitat for alligators, but I suspect having a quick dip in that mire
would not be advisable. Great nature photos, well done.
Colin (Brisbane. Australia)
Posted by: Colin Huggins | March 23, 2013 at 08:06 PM
Wow! These are definitely things I'm not used to seeing here in western New York! Great photos. ☺
Posted by: Dana | March 23, 2013 at 05:04 PM
I was watching a cormorant bathing this morning in the fog....they're a bit odd looking, but still a natural beauty. Yes, they do make a lot of noise...especially so in the dense swamp growth. Love the alligator image that is last in your post.
Posted by: Anni @ I'd Rather B Birdin' | March 23, 2013 at 01:31 PM
I can handle the cormorant, but not the others. though, those swamp people are kinda cute, in their own way :)
Posted by: VioletSky | March 23, 2013 at 01:02 PM
great shots....I was totally delighted by the 'little swamp people'! and the other wildlife - were you very close to those pigs, or the gator....I don't think either are predators of humans, but still......
Posted by: joannemo@comcast.net | March 23, 2013 at 12:56 PM
I love the Alligators, but I would want to do with a large lens. Beautiful images Sallie.
Posted by: Bob Bushell | March 23, 2013 at 12:49 PM
da möchte ich nicht ins Wasser fallen..
total tolle Serie
LG vom katerchen
Posted by: katerchen | March 23, 2013 at 11:16 AM
It's amazing to me that your swampland and my desert can both exist in the same country!
Posted by: Clair Z. | March 23, 2013 at 11:08 AM
You sure have an amazing variety of wildlife around you in Florida!
Posted by: HAZEL | March 23, 2013 at 10:59 AM
I’ve enjoyed reading some of your past travel adventures! I love the London trip. I can see my husband and myself doing this someday. Three months would be nice to stay in a foreign country. Great swamp pics! Hope you are enjoying the weekend.
~Emily
The French Hutch
Posted by: Emily | March 23, 2013 at 10:58 AM
What an amazing place, there is a prehistoric feel to the scene...
Posted by: craftygreenpoet | March 23, 2013 at 10:55 AM
Not sure I fancy getting close to alligators but great shots
Posted by: gerald | March 23, 2013 at 10:50 AM
Great shots of the wildlife. I think I'll keep my distance from the alligator.
Posted by: Carver | March 23, 2013 at 10:40 AM
Wow Sallie what an adventure! Cool knee people!
Posted by: Karen | March 23, 2013 at 09:48 AM
Awesome shots! Love the last shot of the gator.
Posted by: Gunilla | March 23, 2013 at 09:22 AM
What a great series!!!
Posted by: Kerri | March 23, 2013 at 08:54 AM
Wow! Those gators are something. Great captures.
Posted by: Skye | March 23, 2013 at 08:46 AM
A fascinating post and I enjoyed all these interesting critters.
Posted by: Denise | March 23, 2013 at 08:42 AM
You seem very close to the gator in the last shot!
Mollyxxx
Posted by: Molly | March 23, 2013 at 08:17 AM
So beautiful shots, Sallie !
Your shot with the cormorant looks like a a Douanier Rousseau's painting. I don't know at all what feral hogs can be ! I'll search immediatly !
Posted by: Annie | March 23, 2013 at 08:04 AM
Wow - interesting creatures in the swamp. Great photos.
Posted by: JoAnnn Bayne | March 23, 2013 at 06:34 AM
You got really close to the wild life! That startled cormorant is amazing!
Posted by: ladyfi | March 22, 2013 at 10:37 PM
My question is the same as the previous comment - were you walking in there? or boating?? How aggressive are those alligators? I love the cormorant taking flight.
Posted by: Mick | March 22, 2013 at 10:26 PM
eeeks... you are walking in the swamp where there are alligators!?
Posted by: eastcoastlife | March 22, 2013 at 09:44 PM
Love these shots, those swamp people are really eery. Great shots too. Have a lovely weekend Sallie.
Posted by: Karen | March 22, 2013 at 09:29 PM
We are always watched by all the critters around us.
Though we used to think the other way around.
Posted by: Rainfield | March 22, 2013 at 07:32 PM
the gators are just amazing! love the 'swamp people' knees! can see their little faces and beards! :)
Posted by: TexWisGirl | March 22, 2013 at 06:59 PM
Wow! These scenes are how I imagine dinosaur land! Everything thing is big and impressive! Even your cormorants seem so much bigger than ours! Fascinating photos!
Posted by: Gemma Wiseman | March 22, 2013 at 06:55 PM
Your swamp 'people' are adorable! Love all your swamp shots, especially the wild hog.
Posted by: bettyl | March 22, 2013 at 05:52 PM
Sallie, love the swamp shots. The Cypress Knee People are cool. And the Cormorant is a great shot. The Hog is a surprise, cool sight. I am glad they are being moved! The last shot of the gator is my favorite! Happy Weekend!
Posted by: Eileen | March 22, 2013 at 05:33 PM