[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Paul-the-other on 09:08:32 12/28/06
In Reply to: Re: Everglades Park: Trip report 3-4-5 posted by Paul-the-other
On to Eco-pond and the jackpot. We stayed two hours on station photographing mergansers, willets, yellowlegs, rosettes, and watched large formations of white pelicans at several hundred feet height circle on the rising thermals. We also saw what we thought might be an American Black duck. It was very shy and disappeared more frequently than that eared grebe at Green Cay. Eco pond is coming back from the destruction of hurricanes Rita, Katrina and Wilma. It is a happy day. And for photographers, the better news is that all the fences and rules are a little tattered. Trails to water edge showed that many people are already getting better photo positions than ever before. But then, you haven't had a life experience in aggravation until you drag an extended tri-pod through the clinging ground vines around Eco-pond.
We finished the mid-day with photographing a very dark-dark phase red-shouldered hawk near the tent grounds. We weren't sure what the creature was until it called...yep a red shouldered. A kestrel flew in to harass the hawk (cheeky fellows, those kestrel) and flew away after making its point. Which was...?
Tents were springing up all around as we packed to leave and an armada of large trailers was lined up for site reservations. Flamingo is coming alive again. Canoes and kayaks graced the canal and the close in flats. Ospreys are incubating. Old nests are in repair, some fallen down. New nests are in odd places. You can almost play "button button" in ferreting out the location of the nests.
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]