Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Creatures Of The Everglades

Sorry for the delay in posting more Florida pics. It seems returning from our babysitting duties in Colorado we lost a transmission on our new Buick in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, i.e. Western Nebraska. Since it was days for a fix i.e. getting parts from Omaha etc. we opted for a rent a car to get back to Minnesota. Of course, now I'll have to go back! Grrrr.... In the meantime on with the show!

Besides visiting Ding Darling and Corkscrew, we took some hikes in State Parks and boat rides into the Everglades. The abundance of nature was everywhere. Here are a few of the creatures we saw along the way.
Walking a trail along a channel we came up a manatee lying near the bank. It scooted away quickly in spite of it's great size and weight. Grown-up manatees are about 10 feet long and weigh about 1,200 pounds. Florida manatees do not live in the same place all year. When it is warm, they move into the ocean or the Gulf of Mexico to eat sea grasses. In winter, the manatees must move to a spring, a place where warm water (72 degrees) comes up out of the ground and makes a river. The manatees stay there all winter long. Sometimes, the food runs out before winter is over.Florida Manatees are an Endangered Species, numbering only about 2,000 in total. One of their biggest dangers is being hit by careless speedboaters.
Needless to say, alligators didn't appear to be in short supply.

The Florida Red-bellied turtle was found everywhere in fresh water swamps

The brown anole is a highly invasive lizard spreading throughout the southeast. Often on the ground, they are athletic creatures that run fast, and jump many times their length. They can also climb straight up almost any surface at blinding speed. The brown anole gets used to humans and can be studied at close range.
Our boat ride, into the Ten Thousand Islands part of the Everglades National Park, gave us the opportunity to see dolphins and numerous nesting Ospreys.
Since we live in Minnesota's (The Land Of Ten Thousand Lakes) only county without a lake, the opportunity to see shorebirds like the Black Necked Stilt was highly appreciated.
Speaking of unusual creatures in the Everglades, nightime saw several appear at a local hotspot, the Boop sisters, Betty and Barb. A good time was had by all.... :)

10 comments:

  1. I have always wanted to visit the everglades, what an awesome place....and Betty Boop to Boot...LOL

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  2. Did you see my post about the turtles? They are so much fun in Florida and we spent a lot of time watching just them!
    Sorry about your car...

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  3. A Manatee?? WOW!! I would LOVE to see one in the wild TB!!

    SO sorry abut your car problems and hope they get sorted out soon and do not cost an arm and a leg of course!!

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  4. You saw a lot of beautiful sights on your visit to Florida. I am in awe of your wonderful photos.
    We haven't been to Ding Darling or Corkscrew yet. I would love to catch a glimpse of a Painted Bunting.

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  5. Your pic of the osprey is a lot better than mine. Of course, I was moving, or the kayak was, while I was taking the pictures, and the birds were restless while I was trying to focus on them. Now you're making me want to visit some other parts of Florida. It's too bad about your transmission. Sometimes there is little or no warning of something like that happening, and it really stinks when it happens on a long road trip. I hope you have a safe trip picking up your car.

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  6. How cool on the manatee! I'm very sorry about the transmission (I've replaced 2 in the last 10 years or so--fortunately at least I was close to home!)

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  7. Oh my what a stressing story of your latest adventure. Do hope all works out well and your trip out and back is a safe one.
    I soooo want to get down to the Everglades again..that Black Necked Stilt was very nice..ah so were the Boop sisters!!

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  8. Great shots - especially the trio of turtles line dancing : ) - reminded me of Make Way for Ducklings meets Animal Planet.

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  9. I love vacation photos...looks like you saw alot!

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  10. WOW! What a great variety of sightings! And you got to see the manatees!

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