Naples - Park Shore and the Preserve

So long since my last post - partly due to a brilliant holiday in Naples Florida.  Not too much in the way of photography, but a lot of sun and fishing!  That said the 5DIII did come with me and continues to meet my expectations.
A change of venue this year to the Park Shore Resort.  In the centre a small lake - the fence meant you couldn't get down to water level and at most I spent about an hour with the camera but there was a bit to see.

Moorhens squabbled with the Muscovy ducks,

various dragonflies used the reeds to rest or watch for territorial invaders

and freshwater turtles cruised around - Florida soft shelled

and the non-native red-eared slider.

I could have spent more time searching the trees and shrubs for birds, but I always feel a bit conspicuous wandering around hotel grounds with a camera!

For the first time we also went to the Naples preserve - a small oasis of  'wild' land lying next to the Tamiami Trail.  We went to see a talk about a blind raccoon - Trouper - a victim of an assault with a golf club when a kit which left it blind with no sense of smell.  He feels his way around, and has learnt to swim. He's been raised by 'Miss Dot' a licensed rehabilitationist (made up word?) who takes him into schools to teach about wildlife.  Kay and Miss Dot  .............. and yes that's a rare view of me at the end!

A wander around afterwards led me to pay an early morning visit hoping to snap a gopher tortoise. 

The woodpeckers looked good in the low sun,

and more dragonflies patrolled,

but I waited in vain at the most obvious burrow for the resident to give the view I wanted (head on).  I did get some views but better were to come later in the holiday.

Americans mostly call tortoises turtles, and I think this last (rubbish) shot is a 'box turtle'.