Another Resident

Here is another bird I saw today. Whatever kind it is, it is pretty noisy. 

Preening His Feathers

Sure believe this is a male bird, so I am not being sexist when I say "his" feathers.

Too Hot For This Guy

Temperature was only 87 degrees F when I was in the park today, but it seems it was too warm for this guy. He/she has wings extended to dissipate heat.

Duck at Rest

One of the waterfowl that live in the park. The green stuff is a benifical plant that keeps the alge growth down.

Broad View of Wetlands

A broad view of what you see when you first enter the Wetlands. I was on the wooden boardwalk that circles through the park.

 

Official Welcome Sign

I guess this is the official welcome sign. It looks more Floridish than the other one. The Wakodahatchee Wetlands is a small park on the west side of Delray Beach, Florida. It was built by the Palm Beach County Water Management Department and appears to be a water filtration facility for Delray Beach. 

Welcome to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands

This afternoon I went to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands to have a look around. On the sign, you can see a yellow path. I walked around the path and took a few pictures. It is a beautiful place. It appears to be completely man-made, but it contains lots of native plants and animals from Florida. 

21st Century Fire Truck

Delray Beach has a new Fire Rescue vehicle. This is it. I bet you never saw a fire truck like this before! 

Birds, Birds and More Birds

  More examples of the variety of birds we saw in our tour through the Everglades today. 

A Bird in the Grass

  This is what the real Everglades looks like. Not a lot of Spanish moss hanging off huge trees, just lots of grass, water and the occasional tree. With lots of different birds, fish, reptiles and plants. 

Pretty as a Picture

-I have no idea what kind of a bird this is, but it sure makes a pretty picture.

Big Babies

  Here I zoomed in as close as I could get to show the chicks in their nest. 

One Big Happy Family

  OK, here is a picture of another nest of the same kind of birds, but you can see the chicks and the adult bird. It is pretty well along in the nesting season and the chicks are pretty big. 

Nesting Bird

  You have to look closely in the middle of this picture, but it shows a bird nesting in a tree. The guide said there were three or four chicks in the nest. 

A Wonderful Bird is the ...

  We were informed that spotting a pelican in the Everglades is a rare sight. Well, here is a pelican perched in a tree in the Everglades. 

A Blue Heron?

  Here we have another bird living in the Everglades. I think the guide said it was a Blue Heron, but after about the 10th variety of bird, I lost track. 

The Bigger View

  This is just a view of part of the Everglades National Park. I am sure there are lots of animals in this picture, but they are well hidden. I know for sure there were fish in the water. 

A Bromeliad Grows in Florida

  This is a bromeliad growing in the crotch of a tree. It is right over the alligator. I had to step very carefully around the animal to get this picture. 

I'm Ready for my Close-up, Mr. DeMille

 This is a close-up of the alligator Mark was photographing. I did not get this close, I used my telephoto lens. 

How Do You Get a 'Gator to Smile?

Here is a friend of mine bravely taking a picture of the alligator under the vulture. Mark was ready to jump and run if the gator tried anything. The alligator did hiss and snort at him.