ALLIGATOR FEEDING, April 4, 2013

Alligator feeding at the gator hole, you can see the little fish jumping away from the alligator.

 Big Cypress back country dry, dry, dry.

Alligator tail drag (you can see the footprints if you look closely)  Alligators move from place to place in spring, due to shrinking water levels.  This is when they can get into trouble, for ending up in swimming pools.

Spring!!!  Cypress tree reflection in gator hole.  Fish in water, (unfortunately we are finding more,
NON-native fish in the Everglades than native fish). So not sure what these were.

FIRE IN THE EVERGLADES!! Swamp Buggy Fire Truck; April 2013

                                     

 Alligator Alley/I75 (across the everglades) CLOSED! Photo Naplesnews.com/Corey

Burned area off of I75/Alligator Alley and SR29

Rangers Fire Fighting Swamp Buggy

GLOSSY IBIS, COMMON MOOREHEN, LICHEN, April 2, 2013

 Glossy Ibis

 Common Moorehen on Red Mangrove Tree

Lichen

Curly Tailed Bahama Lizard (invasive exotic)

Tube Lichen

SPRING WATER LEVELS, AND SHELF BRAKEN

Shelf  Bracken

 Water Level at the Gator Hole "Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, land land everywhere

Different view of Gator Hole

Coastal Prarie dry along US 41.  (south side in Fakahatchee)

Dry; Wet Prairie along US 41 (north side in Big Cypress)

March 2013

 Pond Apple trees still bare from winter

Racoon looking for a meal.

SANDHILL CRANE NEST with nest, Common Moorehen, Black Necked Stilt; March 2013

Sandhill Crane (mated pair)

Common Moorehen with chicks

Sandhill Crane with nest and 2 eggs.

 Black Necked Stilt Lake Trafford

Alligator Sunning

Swamp Buggies, Spring in the Everglades, Ten Thousand Islands, Purple Gallinule, March, 2013

 Swamp Buggies in the Big Cypress.

Fakahatchee Strand, Can you imagine being a pioneer and trying to find your way through this?

 The Cypress Trees are emerging from their winter slumber, air plants are blooming; Spring is in the air!

Ten Thousand Islands along Everglades City Coastline

Red Shouldered Hawk watching for breakfast...

Large Alligator sunning on the bank.

Eagles nest is starting to be obscured by the oncoming spring growth.  Eagles are gone now, until fall.

 Many large alligators sunny at Lake Trafford

 Another Red Shouldered Hawk this one looking for a late lunch.

Purple Gallinule with Alligator sunning.

FLEDGLING EAGLET February 25, 2013

Big Cypress Bend Eaglet just before that leap of faith.  Cypress trees are leafing out.   Brown water snake waiting for a meal to come by.