Artist-In-Residence, Everglades National Park — Part 3
Big Crocodile!
Odds and Ends….. and of course more birds!
For many photographers we have our off days… go out shooting and come back with not a thing we really like. Unfortunately I felt my last week was a little like that. (okay, there a few photos I like)
But I did see a few cool things along my travels. First, not sure if many of you know that down here in the glades is one of the few places you will find Gators and Crocodiles sharing the waters. There is a small group that hang out down in Flamingo (the southern point of the Everglades). This one in particular was a big boy who came by to give us a show… but notice he is missing part of his lower jaw and has no teeth…. I guess he didn’t have a good dental plan.
He was letting a smaller Croc know who was boss as he was swimming by.
Now this BIG CROCODILE hangs out at Nine Mile Pond. This was as close as I was going to get in my kayak… since he was bigger then my kayak! By the way, he has ALL HIS TEETH! Check out the pearly whites on him. He also looks to eat very well.
Very Big Crocodile!
So on Valentines Day I noticed 2 Opsrey chit chatting in a tree together and then all the sudden one flew away, came back around and landed on the back of the other. Now I believe that Osprey are done mating for the season since there are chics in many of the nests. But the one flew off again and came back in and landed on the other again…. any ideas?… I have just never seen this before.
Osprey
Osprey
So out canoeing the other day in Nobel Hammock, which is all winding mangroves… I remember why I like my kayak so much. But I was out with one my neighbors/ranger and we came up on this Green Heron who was stalking lunch and he just wasn’t budging as he was blocking our path. So we waited for awhile for the sun to come along and light him up! At this point we wanted to move on… I got within 2 feet of this bird before he did move… I honestly believe I could of reached out and touched it… AMAZING! Thanks again Levi, for your patience while I was shooting! (hopefully I spelled your name right)
***Oh, and by the way I finally saw my first Cottonmouth Moccasin (one of the poisonous ones) swimming in the water. Levi was excited… me, not so much.
Green Heron
I have only seen White Pelicans far out in Florida Bay, or out in Everglades City. But a few decided to make a stop further up in the park into Mrazek Pond. While the others finally took off, one stayed behind to feed.
White Pelican
**So here are the ones I did like… ENJOY! (excuse the dust on the pics…the camera has gotten very dusty down here)
Dwarf Cypress
Cypress Dome
Alligator
Alligator on a very early and very cold 48 degree morning. I thought I left NJ behind.
Snowy Egret
Anhinga Trail after a storm
Danielle, you are meeting your goal of capturing the ‘mood’ of the Everglades. I especially like your recent “Dwarf Cypress” and (fav) “Cypress Dome”. Didn’t find anything to help you in the Audubon book re:osprey. “Mystery of the swamp!”
Danielle, One idea on the osprey – if they lay more than one egg doesn’t each one need to be fertilized. Maybe this couple has one in the nest and are planning a few more.
Just saying …
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