From atop this tree
my vision clears
I finally see
the panorama
No longer lost
in a maze
with emotions tossed
in confusion
Where noise
batters my ears
while broken toys
surround me
Pieces of life
lost loves
twisted strife
burdens too heavy
But up here
in fields of blue
God feels near
my fog lifts
Pure and kind
words of truth
cleanse my mind
and I am new
It isn’t every day that you get to watch an expert in action, but on a recent trip to the Everglades I did just that. A Double-crested Cormorant sat on a walkway railing enjoying the morning sun.
Blue Eyes Looking at Me
One by one, other cormorants flew in to join in pond gazing. At some predetermined time, known only to these large waterbirds, it became open season on the neighborhood fish and they all jumped into the water.
Cruising
Sensing the potential drama of the moment, I followed this cormorant with my lens. I’m not too pleased with these images, but they do serve to tell a story. The bird stuck its head under water, dove, and soon came up with a plump fish.
Gotcha!
The cormorant then proceeded to flip this rather large fish…
Fish Flipping
…into a streamlined, vertical, head-down-the-gullet position.
Down the Hatch
Note that a fish swallowed head first has all of its fins smoothly laid against its body. Also note that huge mouth!
Gulp!
Don’t try this at home! You are not a cormorant. Besides, your mother taught you to chew your food.
Within minutes this cormorant resumed fishing and came up with a catfish which it deftly removed of its spines before sending it to join its predecessor. If you ever have the opportunity to watch the Double-crested Cormorants fishing along the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park, don’t miss it. Watching someone else eat has never been more entertaining.
Dashing
Call me industrious
as you watch my voracious flitting
here and there to seize savory insects.
Call me nimble
darting through brush mazes
too quick to see.
Call me an acrobat
when I punctuate my aerial loops
with sky-high love calls.
Call me a virtuoso
while I warble a melodious
whitchery-whitchery wit.
Call me clever
after I sneak food to my young
eluding even the predator’s gaze.
Call me dashing
in my ebony mask with sunflower
yellow breast down.
Call me what you wish,
but P L E A S E
don’t call me Common.
Everglades Hunter
Common (shh!) YELLOWTHROAT
Last weekend, our photography club took a field trip to the Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm Station in Everglades National Park. As we approached the trail, the sun peeked above the horizon and greeted a fog kissed sawgrass prairie.
Eager to get on the trail we gathered our equipment and set out. Within minutes the trail and surrounding Everglades greeted us, silhouetted against a peach sky.
Anhinga Trail
The paved trail has been raised above its watery surroundings to provide visitors with an intimate look at this unique wilderness. At first, it’s a long paved walkway. Resident birds, and of course alligators, went about their daily routine within easy viewing distance. First, we watched a Great Egret prepare for the day.
Wing-feather Arranging
Then we found a Great Blue Heron spying out his territory from a hillock in the borrow canal.
Majesty
The trail soon became a boardwalk leading out into the watery expanse of the Everglades. Tucked under the shade of the walkway we found this Green Heron intent on seizing an aquatic breakfast.
Serious Fishing
You might wonder where the Anhinga Trail got its name. All along the trail, perched on available branches, we found the Anhinga. Also known as Snakebird, the Anhinga dives for its fish, spearing it with its sharp beak only to upend it head first before swallowing. Lacking oil glands, the Anhinga must then hang its wings out to dry before another dive. Aren’t those red eyes surrounded by blue eyeshadow beautiful?
Sundried
If you think the Everglades is just a swamp, look again. The variety of colorful plants and wildlife is stunning. Here is one of my favorites, a Tricolored Heron. It looks much like a Blue Heron, but its white bottom gives it away.
On the Prowl
By the time the sun rose to an unacceptable height for photography, we had spotted an amazing array of Everglades birds. I’ll be sharing some of those feathered beauties on future posts. One you must see, though, is the Purple Gallinule. This tropical wetland bird has long toes that enable it to walk on lily pads. On this morning, it decided rather to swim for its breakfast of flowers and tiny invertebrates. Just look at those colors!
Checking out the Pad
We left the park refreshed and hushed by a sense of wonder. Stopping at the visitor center on the way out we discovered a breathtaking photography exhibit of butterflies found in the park. What a delightful morning! We can’t wait to go back.
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