Some Corm love

Double-crested Cormorants are commonplace this time of year on the Anhinga trail in Everglades National park.

 

 

Many hangout on the boardwalk railing or the stone wall as you enter the boardwalk

They tolerate us people…

 

Its extremely nice to be able to get some close up photos with my little point and shoot camera..

 

My only camera these days unless I am using my iPod.

Look at the gem of an eye!

 

Check out its awesome shoe..

 

Our friends Mariel and Angel said we needed this Obligatory Anhinga trail photo with the Corms…

So here it is..

Fun in the Glades!

Our home~ Long Pine Key Campground

Our yard for a few weeks..

Long Pine Key Campground’'

Everglades NP

 

Most of the campsites here are too small for our 40 foot Homey..

The first day we found a campsite and we didn’t quite fit.

This is our new campsite…a better fit and we face a wooded area..

Great for armchair bird watching.

 

In the morning we like to go for an early bird walk in the campground.

Both mornings we have been here we wake up to fog…

Which makes the spider webs look jeweled..

 

 

 

This morning we walked to the campground pond..

 

A lovely soft fog…

Do you see what I see lower left?

 

They are everywhere..

Late morning we decided to take a 14 mile bike ride from the park to a small pond and back.

It was freaking HOT!

Low 80s and sunny…

Needless to say I didn’t take the time to take many photos..

 

 

What a relief to get to the pond..

Jeff and I talked about whether we would rather be in the heat or the cold..

We both decided we would rather be hot....

So we endured..

 

The pond looked so refreshing so I decided to put my feet in to cool myself off.

I didn’t see any alligator….don’t worry Mom!

 

So…in went my feet..where I soon found myself receiving a fish pedicure..

It tickled..

We knew we had a seven mile back to the campground…it was getting warmer.

I took no more photos..

Thank goodness it has been cooling off at night.

I plan on sending some of this heat up north soon if you all send a bit of cool down here.

Our first walk in the Glades…

We arrived late morning to Lone Pine Key campground in Everglades National Park.

It took us a while to find a spot we felt would be big enough for our 40 foot Homey.

We did find a spot and wasn’t too pleased with it so we found another spot to move

to the following morning.

It was a very hot day in the 80s..sweat poured from my face and

all the normal places where sweat pours from..and everywhere else.

Its hard to imagine that we are here sweating while my family and many of you are up north in a deep freeze with so much snow and ice.

Luckily it cooled off with some rain showers and in the later afternoon.

We took our raincoats and headed to

Anhinga Trail..

Oh dear…

 

Some people tarped their cars..

Our car is old and tired and we weren't concerned about it so we left it as it was.

 

The rain had stopped an the cloud cover made the walk cooler..

We still had shorts and tee shirts on.

No mosquitos..

 

This is why they call this Anhinga trail

If I had a longer lens I would be able to get some great shots of the babies.

Lots of photographers were out tonight taking getting close ups.

 

 

Cormorant on the railing…

we were able to get quite close.

 

Corm yoga..

 

One of the many Great Blue Heron on the trail..

 

The first alligator sighting..

There would be more!

Palm Warbler..

Anhinga drying its wings..

 

We saw many Green Heron on the trail…

 

The trail follows a boardwalk thru the swamp..

 

At the end of one of the boardwalks was this scene….

Alligator lounge…

Jeff counted 30

Safe viewing distance and on the boardwalk..

Though…there really is nothing to be afraid of…

Don’t bother them and they wont bother you.

We followed the boardwalk loop

Another Green Heron

Flowering air plant..

Do you see what I see?

 

Corms and Anhinga's..

An island tree colony of Corms

Another Green Heron..

We saw over six on this trail

Most of them were out in the open fishing..

 

There is a large wet field we looked into for birds..

Great Egrets and some Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Preening

There were about five Purple Gallinule..

Such a beautiful bird…

Alligator everywhere…

 

Anyone know what these are?

There were hundreds of them on the railing heading out of the boardwalk area..

 

It was getting dark and Jeff had a long day of driving so we headed back to the Campground.

 

Alligator Eyes….

We plan on being in the Everglades for at least two weeks.

Surprisingly we have internet…it is very spotty.

Our phone reception is not as good as the internet.

I hope to show you more critters we come across in the Glades.

See you soon!