David July

Atamasco lily (Zephyranthes atamasca) at the shore of the Hillsborough River along the Baynard Trail at Hillsborough River State Park.

Baynard Trail, Hillsborough River State Park, Thonotosassa, Florida: 20 March 2016

part of the Hillsborough River State Park album

Hiking nature trails is one of my favorite things about camping. I enjoy the peace of being in the woods and the wildlife sightings that invariably occur. Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotosassa, about thirty minutes northeast of Tampa, Florida, has five trails, three of which I hiked during a visit in March 2016.

I did not come across any white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on the trails, but I did find several lovely specimen of Atamasco lily (Zephyranthes atamasca) that I could not resist photoing. The two pictured in this article are nice, but I am most proud of the one that I posted yesterday.

David July

In the lizard department, I managed to capture a great close-up of a brown anole (Anolis sagrei) in May 2015 at Highlands Hammock State Park. As pleased as I was with that shot, I had never managed to get a clean, in focus picture of a male's dewlap.

Luckily enough, I happened upon a brown anole along the Florida Trail, not far from the path to the primitive camping area, that provided me with my best opportunity yet. Aspects of the results are a little disappointing, but I am happy with the clarity and back lighting of the dewlap. It is the better of five frames shot, three of which caught the dewlap extended.

David July