Sweetwater Wetlands – Another of the Florida Water purification properties. A birder friend of mine warned me not to miss it. I am glad that I did not skip it. I arrived early and which I had been there earlier – it got hot fast. In retrospect I wish I had not taken the boardwalks into Cell #1 and just taken the trail where I could have looked into all the Cells. I missed a number of ducks that hang out in Cell #3. I did however have a quintessential Gator experience – I watched (and photographed) a photographer who was crouching to photograph a gator realize that he was in the gator’s path and the gator wasn’t changing his trajectory. The photog moved fast to get out of the way – another much bigger gator followed a minute later. I had been just about to turn back to the car and ended up birding for longer and seeing a (Rare in Florida this time of year) Yellow Warbler. When I got back to the car – was so sweaty, had to change all of the clothes. It was the hottest I had been all trip.
Limpkin
Photographer gets a little close
The second one was twice the size...
and it decided it needed a nap...
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park – Just did a drive, so I didn’t get up in the tower to look over the prairie. Still it was a good productive drive when down to the tower trail and the Puggy road boat ramp. My last official bird in Florida that yielded another Florida bird (Grasshopper Sparrow) and a Life bird (Barn Owl). This is another large park, you could probably spend a few days here.
Sandhill Crane
Red-shouldered Hawk
And so it ends - till next time!
Comments