Cayo Costa cabin

After hiking around the beach for a couple of hours, I went looking for shade. There are 12 very rustic cabins on the island. I don't think they have electricity either. I sat at a partly shaded picnic table and sketched this cabin. It was closed because of the eagles nest just off to the left. Florida is great about wildlife protection. If a sea turtle lays eggs on the beach, it's roped off, the same as with eagle's nests and burrowing ground owls.

leeward side, Cayo Costa, Florida

Cayo Costa island is 8 miles long and about a mile wide. The leeward side is accessable by boat from the Intercoastal Waterway. It is one of a string of barrier islands owned and protected by the state of Florida.

windward side, Kayo Costa

This is the Gulf of Mexico side of the barrier island. On the horizon is Gasparilla Island.

eagles' nest

Two fledglings and an adult eagle. The nest is in a dead tree which is roped off for protection against us humans.

urban nature

"Manicured" nature in Florida. Over the weekend I visited Kayo Costa State Park, a barrier island off the southwest coast of Florida. Nature is allowed to do its own thing on this island. Off the paths, it's hardly passable on foot, but there is alot more wildlife. Kayo Costa is accessable by boat only.

coconut tree

While sketching, it was very windy. It was a bit disconcerting sitting under the tree.

urban nature

Southwest Florida flora and fauna. Plants include ginger, fern, bromeliad, Thai plant, banana plant, orange tree, bird-of-paradise, and hibiscus. I have no idea what the tree with the dangling potato things could be. While sketching, the squirrel climbed down a palm tree to relieve himself. He was very friendly.

Gasparilla Marina

Boca Grande, Florida. This was sketched on-location. It took several days of studying water to create this sketch.

Florida coffeeshop

The past week I have been in Florida for the annual visit with my parents. This is a subjective interpretation of my iced coffee at the Cafe Rouelle in Punta Gorda, Florida.