Cedar Key

Kim and I needed a break from doctors, insurance companies, and waiting for the bank appraisal that would seal the deal for the sale of our Michigan home. So we took a day trip to one of our favorite Florida towns, Cedar Key, known for fishing and clam farming, also for birds and tourists.

We found birds.

American Oysters, catching oysters

Catching oysters is fun!

Clapper Rails are difficult to see and photograph, but we saw and photographed them. Their call sounds a lot like clapping hands, and sometimes they will respond to applause. 

They hide in marsh grass and enjoy the mud.

Great Egret

 We also found crabs.

Hermit crabs live in salvaged seashells.

They carry their seashell homes with them, like retirees living in Airstreams.

Male Fiddler Crabs have one large claw; in females, both claws are the same size.

How this relates to human men and women is not clear.

In Florida in March some butterflies are starting to appear.

Gulf Fritillary

We welcome any help identifying the flower below.

One of the Cedar Key landmarks is the "Honeymoon Cottage." Built in 1959 with a wooden walkway to shore, it has succumbed to a series of hurricanes. Over the years we have watched it picturesquely decay.