One February 20th we walked the raied boardwalk trail at the Kirby Storter roadside park on the Tamiami Trail in Bog Cypress National Preserve. There in the large cypress trees and swamp we got up close views of Wood Stork. They kicked the muck and thrust out a wing to create shade which attracts fish.
Along the walk we admired the big cypress and beautiful blooming air plants.
A male Anhinga preened on a nearby branch.
Great Egret, Red-shouldered Hawk, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher also enjoyed the cypress swamp.
A Prairie Warbler made an appearance in the foliage too!
To us it was a magical place in beauty and in getting great views of birds.
The next day, February 21st we drive into Everglades National Park. At the Royal Palm Trail the parking lot had Black Vultures waiting for something.
We found out that they eat the rubber from cars. The park provided blue tarps to put over your vehicle to keep this from happening.
On the trail we saw a Purple Gallinule pecking at Spatterdock flowers.
The park has wonderful diverse places to explore with only a short boardwalk from the main road that leads down to Flamingo. One path had cypress nit yet bearing needles.
Another path had an observation tower over the "river of grass' and cypress stands.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers flitted in the branches.
Down the road the Mahogany Hammock Trail, a boardwalk in a jungle like "hammock" with old mahogany trees, gumbo-limbo, strangler fig, and so much vegetation.
Barred Owls called back and forth through the dense tropical hammock. One such bird sat at eye level just feet from the boardwalk.
Another bird we saw in profusion was the Palm Warbler.
On our way from the Everglades to Route one we stopped at a very large and famous fruit Stand: Robert Is Here. They make a special claim. However we saw House Sparrows and not martins in these houses.
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