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Posted by Paul-the-other on 15:32:17 01/20/08
Three days in the Everglades did not produce much in the way of bird sightings.
The Anhinga Trail had one (1) nesting anhinga, two black and white warblers, the old familiar phoebe, and a very interesting stick. The stick became the focal point. If you waited long enough some bird would land on it. In this case the Great Egret.
Water level is down to no motion. The water pools are killing fields for alligators, one stork, three Great Blues, one otter and a smattering of other smaller egrets and herons. However, in an unusual viewing 7 large gators were pushing into the grass along the trail edge and turn sideways to grab things. At first they had the comical view of pulling weeds...then came the reality. They were snatching baby alligatos from hiding places and eating them. The gators did not fight each other. They just methodically search out and ate tiny baby alligators.
Mrazek pond was devoid of any birds.
Flamingo Eco-pond was hot languid and empty.
The hotel is being taken apart now and the cabins are gong. Nothing left but the pads.
The osprey nests are fewer than last year.
The tent campground is 60% full and the large trailer campground is about 40% full. No owls were sighted. As a matetr of fact
there were few birds at all. Warblers were no where. The heat was 85 degrees and high humidity. It was just plain unpleasant.
Saturday was about the same and the rain came early Sunday bringing an acceptable end to a somewhat wasted trip. Even Lucky Hammock was unlucky as the crews were picking vegetables and soon thereafter plowed the field and sprayed it.
The highlight of the three days was one water mocassin, about 10 inches in length in the Royal Palm parking lot.
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