04 Long Pine Key - Part 2
Trip Start
Jan 15, 2008
1
4
9
Trip End
Jun 08, 2008
Long Pine Key,
Florida,
United States
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
I finally shot, camera wise, the elusive Roseate Spoonbill -- they are gorgeous. Also ran into some cute stilts and a five foot black snake (no photograph :( available). Befriended a park ranger and have gotten to see some of the "protected" everglades areas along with various work projects underway. She also happens to have a two person kayak and in-depth knowledge of the animals/fish and plants -- the mangrove part of the everglades along Nine Mile Pond has stunning scenery with lots of birds and fish. Next weekend we are trying a longer route, with picnic, now that I'm no longer a rookie in her kayak.
01-Stilts
Starting to try and shoot the harder birds to capture on film -- such as hawks, owls and smaller birds; it is much more difficult creeping up on these very aware birds (wish I had the 1.7X-lens option for my camera). I scaled the highest point in the Everglades (Mt Shine), about fifty feet above sea level, which is a man-made hill created in trying to reclaim old farmland that had been overrun with Brazilian Pepper trees. These non-native plants are extremely difficult to eradicate and will likely take numerous lifetimes to permanently destroy. On the animal side, pythons which are non-native and exotic fish are also a plague that will likely never be removed from the park.
Helped a Box Turtle safely cross the road. Also, Laura Bush visited the park to plant a couple of trees -- I played low profile in the back-swamps to get away from the secret service agents but it was funny seeing the park rangers, even the ones with the guns, clean and polish the road signs that she would be passing :). Hopefully, this public relations event will help speed up the federal and state plans for more water flow into the park.
Played boyscout again by helping a one year old Diamondback Rattlesnake across the road near my tent -- dogs beware, these critters are not toys and get vicious when scared
02-Stilts
. Still prowling wet areas hunting for small birds; the timid Catbird (its call actually sounds like a quiet meow) flits almost too fast to catch on camera. Also finally shot the elusive Soft Shelled Turtle and the Great Horned Owl chick. Did a day hike (unplanned, got lost :)) trying to find old airboat landings - glad I can tell directions from the sun.Paddled into Bear Lake in the kayak by traversing Coot Pond, Coot Bay which was very rough due to the wind and Mud Lake -- all the lakes are connected by small, shallow tidal streams with the mangroves creating a canopy. Highlights of the trip were seeing an endangered American Crocodile slither into the water from the bank as we paddled past and a family of four White Pelicans which are magnificent. I'm glad I didn't have the confidence to bring my camera since we collected about five gallons of water crossing Coot Bay from crashing into high waves -- we both ended the excursion soaking wet. I bought an airtight plastic container today (Tuesday), which should protect my most expensive small possession, the camera.
Dad seems to be doing well and is out of the hospital now. And, Bucky (plus his son John) and Dagger have arrived -- which should provide more canoe time while Cindy B, the park ranger, works
03-Morning Glories
. Will likely spend at least another week in the Everglades before venturing into other areas. Stay tuned for Part 3 of Long Pine Key. I am posting this note now since I'm running out of picture numbers -- shutterbug that I am.Send me a note if you see potential improvements on the way I'm recording this trip on the TravelPod website. Also, Happy Valentine's Day to all of you
Tidbits:
- Based on the weather reports, I'm glad I'm in the Everglades; definitely no snow to shovel here :).
- The Homestead library, which is near the Everglades, has great Internet and PC availability plus the van lets me tote my old laptop along as well.
- My bird and flower knowledge needs to be improved -- the little birds are especially hard to identify.
Comments
1 yr old Diamond Back Rattlesnake
How does one tell the age of the snake?
Re: 1 yr old Diamond Back Rattlesnake
Ask for ID :)... Although rattlesnakes do lose their tales occasionally, they gain a rattle everytime they shed... The pictured snake had one rattle plus it was not very long/wide; ergo, less than a year old... Hope that helps... TomB