There are two things that tell me that winter has arrived here in Key West, first it starts cooling down a bit, but more important is the arrival of the winter birds. The Pelicans are the first to arrive, sliding along in the ground effect just off of the water. This is always the thing that amazes me how they can glide along just inches above the water.
The next is the Turkey Vultures and their magnificent ability to soar on the winds as the circle high above the marina. These are a freak of nature, absolutely beautiful to watch in the air, but the read and wrinkled head like that of a turkey lacks something.
There are several of the wading birds that have made their way down here in the pas week or so also. Egrets and several large and small members of the heron family are starting to arrive for their annual winter visit.
This is how we see the change of season here in the Keys. Up North it is the leaves turning colors, then falling off that signals the onset of winter, down here it is the return of the "snowbirds" and the arrival of the migrating flocks that head south for the winter also.
It is a different set of things that tell us when it is winter, but it is still relatively warm down here and I don't have to think about the snow arriving. ;o)
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