Everglades National Park (03/2014)

I love it that this national park is in my home state.  It is one of my favorite places to visit.  This time of year, there are tons of birds.  Besides the birds, it's just a great place to walk around and enjoy the Florida Everglades!

There are two parts to this national park.  One is in Homestead.  The other part is west on 41 closer to Naples (Shark Valley).  The first photos are of the Homestead part.

An anhinga and her baby.  The anhinga nests were SO active!




 
Not sure what this bird is.

 
Pretty bluejay

 
Cormorant.  He was playing with me!




 
Great blue heron.

 
Gorgeous purple gallinule



 
Wood Stork

 
Little green heron - with a gator photobombing my pic!


 
Funky little green heron - he was all flustered!



 
Little green herons


 
An anhinga and his buddy the turtle

 
 
FISHIES!

 
Soft shell turtle
 


 
Nice sighting:  A swallow-tailed kite

 
He is chasing a bald eagle!

 
Osprey

 
The moon and a swallow-tailed kite

 
The moon and a wood stork

 
Butterfly on a gator's back

 
YIKES!

 
Lots of alligators!




 
Despite the fact that the alligators are used to being around people in this national park, they are STILL wild animals.  This one was coming up out of the water, with very little space between him and these people taking photographs.  There were even people who let their kids get very close.  They are used to people, yes, but that doesn't mean that one won't grab you and drag you into the water!



 
Just looking for some warm sunshine!

 
More of the park






 
This kid had it made!



 
I love my time spent in this beautiful National Park!
 
 
 
The day concludes with a FANTASTIC milkshake from Robert is Here!
 
 
 
SHARK VALLEY
 
 
NOW, on to Shark Valley.  This is a birdwatcher's dream.  As soon as I got out of my car, I started seeing this awesome bird, a juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron.  I was VERY excited to see this bird, to say the least.  Every step you take, you see more and more birds and alligators.  It is truly a beautiful, peaceful place!  I LOVE this National Park!


 
An anhinga.  Look at those eyes!

 
Some screaming, bratty baby anhingas.  The nests were full!

 
A tiny, baby gator.  There were lots of babies here today!

 
Black-Crowned Night Heron.  There were SO many here today!





 
Lazy Gator

 
Little Green Heron

 
Great Blue Heron



 
Little Blue Heron

 
LUNCH!  Fishing without a fishing pole!

 
A Moorhen (I think)

 
A prancing Snowy Egret


 


If you make it out to Shark Valley, be sure and stop by a beautiful memorial for the 110 people killed when a plane crashed into the Everglades.  It is 5 miles south of Shark Valley.

On May 11, 1996, ValuJet Flight 592 crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board. In 1999, on the 3rd anniversary of the crash, a memorial in the Everglades was dedicated to the victims. The memorial is 110 concrete pillars that point to the location of the crash site eight miles to the north. The 110 pillars represent the lives of those who perished in the crash.