Orlando, Florida (2019)

On a hot and humid day we all decided it was a good idea to go for a walk in the nearby state park. Lots of nature in the form of flowers, butterflies and trees. We especially loved this view over Dixie Lake in the Lake Louisa State Park near the town of Clermont in Florida, USA.

It took a while, but I was happy to be able to capture this Zebra Longwing butterfly in the Lake Louisa State Park near the town of Clermont in Florida, USA.

The Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) is a strikingly beautiful tropical butterfly famous for its elongated wings and bold, zebra-like yellow-and-black stripes. Designated as the official state butterfly of Florida, it is highly celebrated for its unique behaviors, advanced intelligence, and unusual dietary habits.

Butterflies are dramatically difficult to photograph as they never seem to sit still. However, after some waiting I was able to capture this Gulf fritillari butterfly in the Lake Louisa State Park near the town of Clermont in Florida, USA.

The Gulf fritillary butterfly is a striking, bright orange pollinator famous for its dependency on passionflower vines.

I have always been a fan of flowers. So I was happy to see many on our walk. Loved this passion flower in the Lake Louisa State Park near the town of Clermont in Florida, USA.

Cypress trees are a diverse group of evergreen conifers known for their towering height, longevity, and dense, scale-like foliage. We loved this magnificent cypress tree at Lake Panasoffkee in Florida, USA.

Alligators are definitely not my favourite animals. They lurk in the water and an accidental meeting with one of them could be fatal. However, loved seeing this lake lined with cypress trees which is without a doubt alligator territory. Can definitely recommend visiting Lake Panasoffkee in Florida, USA.

We were not really expecting snakes to be a part of our walk, but this one surprised and even scared us. It was also very fast. After we calmed down a bit we loved seeing this Southern black racer up close in the Oakland Nature Preserve near the city of Oakland in Florida, USA.

The Southern black racer is a highly active, non-venomous colubrid snake native to the Southeastern United States and is known for its incredible speed.

I am not really a fan of lizards, but they can look really beautiful. As such, I loved this brown anole lizard flashing its dewlap in the Oakland Nature Preserve near the city of Oakland in Florida, USA. Over the past century, it has become a highly successful invasive species across the southeastern United States.

They give me the creeps but it was beautiful to see an Eastern Lubber grasshopper on a fence in the Oakland Nature Preserve near the city of Oakland in Florida, USA.

The Eastern Lubber grasshopper (Romalea microptera) is a large, flightless, and highly toxic insect native to the southeastern US. It can grow up to 8 centimetres long.

I can't say that I like alligators that much, but I do find them fascinating. We spotted this small alligator on a tree trunk in the Oakland Nature Preserve near the city of Oakland in,Florida, USA. I had never actually seen one on a tree trunk like this.

We had to laugh when we saw these little turtles in the Oakland Nature Preserve near the city of Oakland in Florida, USA. Looked like a turtle family gathering.

Turtles sit on tree branches to regulate their body temperature, as they are cold-blooded (ectothermic) and rely on the sun for energy. Basking in the sun also provides vital UVB rays for vitamin D and helps them eliminate shell parasites.

We were all on the lookout for alligators as they are very hard to spot. We had heard there were little ones but it took quite some time before we spotted this baby alligator in hiding in the Oakland Nature Preserve near the city of Oakland in Florida, USA.

Overlooking a lake full of water plants we spotted this little egret in the water in the Oakland Nature Preserve near the city of Oakland in Florida, USA. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures.

I find it's always hard to photograph a dragonfly as they are usually moving far too much to get a decent focus. But on this day I was lucky to see this male Eastern pondhawk dragonfly in the Oakland Nature Preserve near the city of Oakland in Florida, USA.