Florida Ecosystems Class Trip - Day 2 AM, Tall Timbers Research Station

With the time change last night, we found ourselves up an hour earlier than we had planned.  We were dressed and ready to go two hours before the sun.  Our plan was to get out a look for a few birds prior to getting a wagon tour of Tall Timbers.  As we headed out in the darkness, I put my 50mm 1.8 lens on my camera and put my new 80-200 2.8 in my backpack.  It only took a couple hundred yards to realize just how beefy my new-to-me but old style 80-200 really is.

Dr. Cox pointing out a wood duck in the bird guide.

Montana Cox double checking his dad's wood duck identification on Tall Timbers.

Dr. Jeff Larkin and students look on through a bird window at tall timbers.

Burning is a key management tool for pine ecosystems.  Many species of pine tolerate, and even require fire.  

Dr. Cox, Jim, and Hillary investigate Spanish moss on Tall timbers.