Morningjoy's Weblog

Anhinga Trail in the Morning

One of my favorite activities is to arrive in the Everglades before dawn and watch the day unfold. The Anhinga Trail is a good place to be at sunrise. Here are a few photos from my last trip.

Anhinga Trail at Dawn

The trail’s only visitor appeared to be a lone double-crested cormorant. Before long the hush of great wings brought another guest.

Great Blue Blur

I am just beginning to experiment with intentional blurs. This is one of my most recent. I like it because it shows the contrast of warm and cool tones from sawgrass and sedges as well as the rich blues of the great blue heron.

Two Heads are Better Than One

These double-crested cormorants sat on the banks of the waterway that accompanies the trail. They scanned all around but seemed to have agreed to always look in opposite directions. Eventually, both dove into the water to fish for breakfast.

Farther down the trail fishing was already underway.

Little Blue Heron Wading and Watching

This little blue heron was quite successful catching one small fish after another. Not a muscle moved as it waited for a fish to swim close, then its beak darter forward to grab the snack. I wondered how many of those little fish it needed to eat during the day.

Other eyes plied the cool Everglades waters.

Floating Gator

One of many alligators that roam the clear waters of Anhinga Trail, this gator seemed lost in a dream world of floating clouds and lily pads. The scene appeared deceptively bucolic except for two alert amber eyes.

Even this scavenger kept a watchful eye out for a morning offering.

Attentive Black Vulture

This black vulture was one of many gathered on the roof of a wayside shelter. A seeming nuisance, this vulture is a vital part of the Everglades ecosystem.

One of the last creatures seen from the Trail was this colorful plant eater. Just look at those long toes; perfectly made for walking on lily pads.

Rainbow Bird--The Purple Gallinule

This duck-like marsh bird, a purple gallinule, was intent on seizing the spatterdock seed pod floating in in front of its left foot. After much stretching it was able to pick it from the water, whereupon it walked back into the bushes to dine on nutritious seeds.

What an enjoyable morning! As the sun rose higher in the sky, I left the Anhinga Trail invigorated by the wonders of this special place.

The Anhinga Trail's Namesake

Tags: alligator, Anhinga Trail, birds, Everglades National Park, Florida, Photography, Travel, wildlife

Stalking

In the Kingdom,

Filling the void within

Is an art form.

It takes skill

To move with controlled

Stealth.

To catch the object

Of your desire

Unaware.

In silence you wait

Inching forward

Unnoticed.

Muscles tense

Waiting for the precise

Instant to attack.

Just a moment

Of struggle

Then silence.

Another conquest

to repel hunger

For a time…

American Alligator and Great Egret–two predators each with their own survival agenda; both born with the innate skill to ward off starvation by stalking and seizing their prey.

Tags: American Alligator, birds, Everglades National Park, Florida, Great Egret, Life, Nature, Photography, poetry

November 3, 2010
birds, Everglades National Park, Life, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Reptiles
6 Comments

Back to the Glades

Finally, the long, hot and stifling, mosquito ridden summer is over. November is right around the corner and for South Florida wildlife aficionados that means back to the Everglades. Cooler temperatures and lower water levels invite boardwalk strolls on the Anhinga Trail and sightseeing from National Park roads and paths. As winter approaches birds from northern climes will adorn trees and pond boundaries, but even now year-round avian residents and early visitors provide for viewing pleasure.

Here are a few photos that I captured in recent weeks while visiting Everglades National Park.

There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth; remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them. Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Perching birds:

Palm Warbler

Summer Tanger

Eastern Phoebe

Water loving birds:

Tricolored Heron

Great Blue Heron, sunbathing (thermoregulation behavior)

Anhinga, wing drying

I thoroughly enjoy watching wildlife in their natural habitats. I will admit that park benches and rails are not totally natural, but I doubt that the birds know that.

Tags: birds, Everglades National Park, Florida, Nature, Photography, wildlife