Spent Friday driving around and through Big Cypress Nature Preserve, here in southwest Florida. The preserve sits just north of the Everglades and was created to protect the natural flow of fresh water south into the Everglades and Ten Thousand Islands. It was especially interesting this year because they’ve had so much rain this month, 10 times the normal in some places. Needless to say the swamps were full. Many of the trails are ankle to knee deep so most of my exploring was from the roads. Still lots of places to stop and get a real feel of the wildlife and habitat!
Water was right up to the road.
…and so were the birds! Wood Stork just watching me go by. This was actually taken out the window of the car so as not to disturb the residents.
A little color.
A Tricolor Heron and a Great Egret fishing in the Sweetwater Strand…
…and a Red Shouldered Hawk keeping an eye out from above.