OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can itbe? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)
noun[in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGINlate 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!
Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!
E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.
Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.
Bird watching in Florida - Day 5
Drive to Chokoloskee and the day starts with a boat trip: • Everglades NP Private Photo Safari - 06:45 to 09:15
Explore Everglades City while waiting for my second boat trip: • Ten Thousand Islands Tour - 12:00 to 13:30
I will explore theTurner River / Wagonwheel / Birdon Roads Loop Driveand the board walk atKirby Storter Roadside Parkdriving back to my hotel “Best Western Gateway to the Keys”
Sunday 2ndof April 2023and I am pretty excited even though it is early morning. I will drive to Everglades City for an early morning 2-and-a-half-hour private bird watching boat trip. And I have also booked the with Everglades Florida Adventures. So, I will start at Chokoloskee for the bird watching boat tour and then I will go to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center for the Ten Thousand Islands Tour.
• Private bird watching boat tour
• Ten Thousand Islands Tour
I will check out the Turner River / Wagonwheel / Birdon Roads Loop Drive on the way back. Click to read theDETAILE GUIDEpdf file. This drive is something I look forward to, especially after the fantastic Loop Road Scenic Drive yesterday.
I leave my room at 4 thirty and it is about 2 hours with car to Chokoloskee. Chokoloskee is a small island a couple of minutes of Everglades City. I had no time for breakfast but I opened a MAX when I got out to the car. I keep the MAX in my car only so only water and tea in my room.
I was almost alone on the road going north until I reach highway #41 and I enjoy the early morning drive, good music while sipping on a MAX.
Leaving Florida City early morning
Driving north
Turning west when reaching highway #41
Driving west on highway #41
It was pitch dark when I leave and it is pitch dark when I arrive to Chokoloskee. I find the address but no sign of any Guide, they recommended to arrive 15 minutes earlier than departure. But quarter to 7 my Guide came and I followed him in his golf cart to the marina.
I took a seat in the boat; it was still dark and foggy so I was a little worried about taking pictures. But as soon as the sun is coming up the fog will disappear.
Everglades NP Private Photo Safari, Monroe, Florida, US Apr 2, 2023 06:56 - 09:30 Protocol: Traveling 24.97 kilometer(s) 17 species
Red-breasted Merganser 1 American Oystercatcher 1 One lonely bird feeding Grey Plover 1 Thanks to lgonz1008 on www.birdforum.net for help with the ID Forum thread: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/everglades-national-park-florida-today-crow.438357/ Semipalmated Plover 4 Thanks to lgonz1008 on www.birdforum.net for help with the ID Forum thread: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/everglades-national-park-florida-today-crow.438357/ Sanderling 3 Thanks to lgonz1008 on www.birdforum.net for help with the ID Forum thread: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/everglades-national-park-florida-today-crow.438357/ Royal Tern 8 Double-crested Cormorant X Nesting Brown Pelican X Many Great White Egret X Many Tricoloured Heron 5 Green Heron 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 White Ibis X Many Osprey 9 Nest with 1 baby Swallow-tailed Kite 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Common Starling X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Today's track in the boat
I have about 2 hours to kill before the departure of the “Ten Thousand Islands Tour” and I will go to check out the Turner River / Wagonwheel / Birdon Roads Loop Drive. Going north from highway #41 just close to the everglades City.
But first I stop at the church to look for the Great Horned Owl, both my Guide and a man I met on the street after the boat tour told me about the owl. I did not see any owl, but there was a nest and I will come back after the “Ten Thousand Islands Tour”
But first I stop to buy a little refreshment at highway #41.
Turner River / Wagonwheel / Birdon Roads Loop Drive
This 17-mile drive takes you through open wet prairies and popular wading bird feeding areas. It's a great place for spotting wildlife!
Coming up on Birdon Road
Driving north
Creeks along the road
Reaching a T and Wagonwheel Road comes from the west continuing to north
Red-shouldered Hawk
Great Blue Heron
Northern Mockingbird
Wood Stork
Cattle Egret
I have to change eBird hotspot when I reach the inter section and I continue north. Wagonwheel turns to east and I stop for a pick-nick lunch before continuing towards east. There is a Wood Stork next to the road and I stop to get a picture. There are quite a few birds along the road.
I see one Red-shouldered Hawk sitting next to the road and I try to get a picture
I reach another T and the end of the Wagonwheel road, the Turner River Road is going from north to south. There is some Cattle Egrets at the bridge so I turn north to check it out. I make a U-turn to go back to highway #41
Driving south towards the highway and I only get pictures of one bird, the American Black Vulture. There were 5 birds resting at a water hole and I managed to make a U-turn to get back to get a picture.
I drive back to Everglades City and I make it to the departure just in time. Boarding had started and the boat looked to be full but I was comfy up-front siting alone. Of course, 2 minutes after departure it was full up front as everyone wanted to have a good look.
Boarding
The boat is pretty full
Brown Pelican in the marina
Brown Pelican in the marina
Leaving the marina
We enter the Everglades National Park
We met a shrimp boat
Big group of Royal Terns
Osprey
Manatee
Dolphine
Passing Royal Terns on the way back to the marina
Spotted Eagle Ray
eBird Report
Everglades NP - Ten Thousand Island Tour, Collier, Florida, US Apr 2, 2023 12:04 - 13:40 Protocol: Traveling 26.79 kilometer(s) 4 species
Royal Tern 120 Double-crested Cormorant 6 Brown Pelican 4 Osprey 2 Bald Eagle 0 Used nest
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Today's track on the “Ten Thousand Islands Tour”
Getting off the boat and I drove south to the church on Chokoloskee to see if I could get a glimpse of the Great Horned Owl. No sign of the bird and I was soon on my way back to Florida City and my hotel. I have planned for two stops on the way.
first stop will be at the Kirby Storter Roadside Park where they have aboard walk along the creek, even called the gator hole.
H.P. Williams Roadside Park
A 200m boardwalk with one accessible entry point, H.P. Williams offers views of the cypress swamp and a waterway where a variety of wildlife are often seen, including alligators, turtles, egrets, herons, hawks, anhinga, and a variety of other bird species. Picnic tables and a vault toilet are also available at this site.
Park rangers are sometimes present to answer your questions. Please also stop at the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center and ask about ranger programs to help you better experience the park at H.P. Williams and elsewhere!
From www.nps.gov
Parking at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park and board walk in the back
Board walk at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park
Board walk at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park
Board walk at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park
Board walk at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park
Great Blue Heron
Alligator
Anhinga;
Double-crested Cormorant
eBird Report
HP Williams Roadside Park, Collier, Florida, US Apr 2, 2023 14:37 - 14:47 Protocol: Traveling 0.22 kilometer(s) 4 species
Anhinga 1 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 1 American Crow 1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Today's track at Kirby Storter Roadside Park
Kirby Storter Roadside Park
Approximately halfway through your drive across Big Cypress along Highway 41, Kirby Storter Boardwalk provides travellers with shaded picnic areas, a vault toilet and a non-strenuous one-mile round trip boardwalk trail that takes you from a sawgrass prairie habitat into a lovely cypress swamp.
One-mile, round-trip Kirby Storter Boardwalk offers an excellent opportunity to explore a mature cypress strand without getting your feet wet.
The boardwalk ends at an overlook at a gator hole, where you will often find a variety of wildlife enjoying the oasis. Although it's not a guarantee you'll see an alligator, this pond was dug out by 'gators to assure a deeper water source during the driest parts of the year. This oasis provides food and shelter for alligators and many other birds, reptiles, and mammals.
From www.nps.gov
Panther crossing
I leave the gator hole driving towards the east and my last stop, the Kirby Storter Roadside Park. I passed a panther crossing road sign on the way and I had to make a U-turn to go back for a selfie with the road sign.
I reach the Kirby Storter Roadside Park and there are not many cars on the parking. I bring my camera stuff and I get out on the board walk.
I discovered an alligator and I could count to 7 babies when I reached the “Gator Hole” at the end of the board walk. I had been there for a couple of minutes when the group that I had passed on the way arrived.
There were also some birds to be seen and a Red-shouldered Hawk landed in a tree next to the “Gator Hole”. The Green Heron, I never understood why they call it the Green Heron. But now I got to know why they call it the Green Heron.
The bird turned the head and the sun hit the bird's head and the black head exploded in a gorgeous green colour. Fantastic to see.
eBird Report
Big Cypress National Preserve--Kirby Storter Roadside Park & Boardwalk , Collier, Florida, US Apr 2, 2023 15:05 - 15:48 Protocol: Traveling 1.16 kilometer(s) 5 species
Green Heron 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Grey Catbird 1 Heard only Common Grackle 1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Today's track at Kirby Storter Roadside Park
So, I was very pleased with the whole day when I drove back to my hotel. I stopped at a few Airboat companies on the way, but there was way too much people and I decided to come back tomorrow as I expected less people on a Monday.
I get a LINE message from one of the pilots in Map Ta Put and he spot Karen Maersk discharging on TTT #4. He is usually sending a picture every time he sees Karen Maersk.
Well, tomorrow is my last day bird watching in Florida. I will drive to Miami in the afternoon to check-in to Best Western Premier Miami Intl Airport Hotel & Suites Coral Gables and I will return my rented car. So, I will wake up early to see the last sun rise over the everglades.
Since April 2023 eBird offer a new feature, to create Trip Reports. At least this is when I first heard of this feature and I have decided to make the eBird Trip Reports instead of my list of OBSERVED birds.
And of course, this also means that I will HAVE TO go back and do the same for my old birding adventures, WHEN I HAVE THE TIME!
Today's Trip Report:Bird watching in Southern Florida - Day 5 | ClickHERE
Lifers
Icons for lifers used in the eBird trip reports
Species lifer:First time that someone observes a species in their life
Photo lifer:First time that someone photographs a species in their life
Audio lifer:First time that someone audio records a species in their life
Exotic species
Exotic species flags differentiate locally introduced species from native species.
Naturalized:Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).
Provisional:Either:1)member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized;2)rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.
When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of "uncertain provenance". Provisional species count in official eBird totals.
Escapee:Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have bred but don't yet fulfill the criteria for Provisional. Escapee exotics do not count in official eBird totals.