Merritt Island NWR, FL

Salt Marsh Skipper (Life Butterfly)

We found some butterflies on a patch of Lantana while driving across the island to the causeway in Titusville. Two of the skippers were life butterflies for me.

Southern Broken Dash Skipper ( Life Butterfly)

Long-tailed Skipper

Great Southern White Butterfly

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

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Tampa, Florida area ~ Tampa Electric Company's Manatee Viewing Center

Ever since I started birding I have wanted to visit Florida.  On Facebook I have "liked"  Fort DeSoto and several other great birding areas so decided since I had 6 days off from work I would make my dreams a reality.  I flew off to Florida with my friend Bernie at 7:30 AM,  we arrived mid-morning, picked up our rental car and drove south to the Tampa Electric Company's Manatee Viewing Center.  They have built 2 boardwalks through the mangroves.  The first one we walked had great looks at several dozen Manatees. Whereas when we camped as children I might have seen a manatee, I don't remember it. Walking the second boardwalk we saw fiddler crabs scurrying along the ground plus saw a Little Blue Heron and a Great Blue Heron.  Out along the bay we saw our first of over a dozen Osprey flying along with some Brown Pelicans.  When leaving Bernie spotted the first butterflies of the trip. There were two, very worn butterflies that looked like Great Southern Whites but could also be a Florida White. They also have a trail that looked good but was under repairs so we couldn't get on it.

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