Our second day in the Everglades featured dipping our toes and basically hiking in Florida Bay, seeing many more birds and gators and hanging out at sea level.
We grabbed breakfast, gassed up in the midst of a hundred, 60-something snowbirds on Harleys out for their Sunday morning drive and headed along the remote stretch of road leading to Flamingo. While this sign caused us a moment of pause:

we did see enough signs of civilization to convince us we were headed in the right direction. We reached the Visitors Center at about 10 am.


The center, as well as the adjacent hotel, sustained quite a bit of damage from Hurricane Katrina and were in the midst of being rebuilt. I was disappointed to find that not only were they not showing the requisite National Park movie, but they also did not have the visitor stamp for my National Park Passport book. You know, the stamp that proves to any and everyone that you were actually there when you said you were there. It is sort of the grown-up attendance sheet that you can show to the principal of the National Parks if called upon to verify your visit. I know it is costing millions of dollars to repair the structure and probably another half million or so to film “Son of the Splendor of the Everglades” but I really think $2 for a new Flamingo Visitor’s Center rubber stamp would not require Congress to appropriate additional funding. I am talking about the accuracy of one’s permanent record here.
I sulked from the Visitor’s Center over to the Marina and came upon something that perked me right up and was the real reason you go to the National Parks. Nature! We scored an Osprey nest complete with Mom, Dad and little ones right there in full view.

We watched them for quite some time. We saw Mom feeding the babies, re-arranging the nest and flying around in search of food. The babies kept peaking over the edge of the nest and pestering Mom for food.
I don’t like to stereotype but I will tell you that the alleged father did not appear to be supporting the family much past what he had already contributed. He basically sat atop a nearby pole with his back to the family, cleaning himself, posing for the camera and looking fairly self-satisfied and proud of his handsomeness. Just sayin!

I really could have watched them all day but a picnic lunch was calling our name. We always think of Peg and Bill when we are out in nature and it is time to search for the rare and elusive picnic table.

After lunch, we toured the Flamingo Campground that we couldn’t get into and I will say that there appeared to be plenty of open sites. Of course, we did what we always do which is convince ourselves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we do indeed, have the best campsite EVER anyway and we really didn’t want to camp there in the first place.
Our post lunch hike was the Coastal Prairie Trail from the campground to the Bay. We hiked through some mangroves and out through the prairie:



Finally, time and conditions conspired to force us turn back. We had so much mud on our sandals that we were sliding more than hiking.
OK, I know it doesn’t look like that much water but we couldn’t find any dry spots to walk and I decided that while it might not be enough water for an alligator, it was plenty for a water moccasin. I know, I am not a Marine Biologist but I really don’t like snakes so I chickened out and we headed back.
I am glad we did because we saw some amazing birds at Eco and Mrazek Ponds on the way out of the park. I finally got to see the Roseate Spoonbill up close and personal. Kim, Peggy, Tina and Lynn had all seen them up close and for long periods of time and I had only caught a fleeting glance of one flying so I was thrilled to see them in the Everglades.

We watched a White Pelican just sit in the pond and gorge him or herself. It managed to stop stuffing itself long enough for me to get a picture but I guess when the food is plentiful, you must take advantage.

We sat for quite awhile and just watched all the birds. Kim saw an Anhinga nab some dinner. She had read that they will swoop into the water, spear a fish with their beak, flip it up into the air and swallow it all in one fluid motion and sure enough, one performed that maneuver right in front of her. I missed it because I was having a moment with a Snowy Egret who was posing for me and the other tourists.




We decided our last bird jackpot was a great place to end our day in the “Glades.” We past this sign on our way out of the park and I include it for all you Coloradans who live at over 5,000 feet above sea level.