HOW DID ALLIGATOR ALLEY GET IT'S NAME?

How did Alligator Alley get it's name? Rumor 

has it, that it was coined by the Automobile 

Association of America, when advising their 

members on what south Florida roads to use, 

their reply for that road was...."oh you don't 

want to drive on that, it's just an Alligator      

Alley" well thank you AAA; that road is world 

famous now, due to; that name. Now day's; 

It's the part of Interstate 75 system. Originally 

a hundred mile long, two lane road, that ran 

right through the heart of the Everglades, 

connecting the east coast of Florida to the 

west coast; it was completed in the late 

1960's. Then, in the 1980's it was four laned 

and became part of the Interstate 75 system. 

It's real name is Everglades Parkway.

FLAMINGO

About the only Flamingo you see in yards in Florida, are the pink plastic kind. But, you might get lucky and see what we call an accidental, (it got here accidently, it was blown off course during a storm); or an escapee, (it escaped from somewhere like a theme park or zoo). Flamingo are actually native to the Caribbean; the evergladeslady heard of a group of Flamingo, that had taken up residence in.........where do ya think??? Flamingo, Florida!! LOL I have included a photo of wild Flamingo in the Caribbean.

  

                                           writingbetweenfriends.com (photo)

                         WIKIMEDIA (photo)

THE BALD EAGLES "OZZIE AND HARRIET" HAVE RETURNED!

Our local Bald Eagles "Ozzie and Harriet" have returned to their nest and have set up housekeeping for the season.  They were seen; "talking to the birds and bees", yesterday. Then Harriet was seen telling Ozzie he needed to get busy repairing the nest....LOL  Watch "Ozzie and Harriet" on the SW FL Eagle Cam at:
http://www.ustream.tv/SouthwestFloridaEagleCam

THE SUMMER RAINS WERE GREAT

We have a a REALLY wet summer, so the glades should be full of water and the bird population this year should be GREAT!  For a private Everglades tour contact me at evergladeslady@aol.com

ALLIGATOR EATING A FISH May 23, 2013

American Alligator Feasting on a fish.

UPDATE ON THE SANDHILL CRANE NEST May 18, 2013

The Sandhill Cranes nesting on Lake Tafford was a no-go this year.  Perhaps this was a new pair.  They attended the nest faithfully, well past the time the eggs should have hatched.  The last day they were near the nest; one adult was seen turning the eggs looking at them.  Perhaps she was wondering why nothing had happened.  We will look for them next year.

Dry Dry Dry May 9, 2013

 The boardwalk is VERY dry, but this is the normal for spring in the Everglades.

Lubber Grasshopper, another tell tale sign of spring in the Everglades.