The Marsh Trail

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Blog 03-07-17 Marsh Trail

We slept in this morning til about 8 am since I had no plans for the day. It has been warm during the day, about 82, so most of the active time is in the morning. We went for another nice walk around the park and I thought it would be a good day to do some chores around camp.

That wasn't any fun so I packed up my camera and lenses and water and Watson and headed for the Marsh Trail that was about 5 miles up the road. It is actually east on 41 and the trail is part of the National Park system. There is a nice parking area and just down the trail about 1/2 a mile is a tower overlooking wetlands with grasses and mangrove. The tower has 2 tiers and is wonderful shade for a hot day like this as well as providing a splendid observation point for the bird's activities. It was still early enough that the birds were still active but warm enough for the sun seekers to be out on the dry spots sunning themselves.

Just as we started down the path there is a pond on the left and back in a corner there must have been 7 or 8 alligators sleeping in the sun. As we passed another small pond there was another alligator about 5 ft just on the edge claiming that hole.

I passed a man coming off the trail and he told me I would have the trail to myself and not to miss the crocodile by the tower. Well, wasn't that a great piece of information. When I was in the everglades the ranger said there was one in Shark Valley and that was all they knew of but they suspected there would be others. Crocks usually live in salt water so to have one in brackish water or fresh water was very unusual. Well sure enough, as I got to the tower here was the monster sunning himself on a little island off to the left of the tower.

I just stared at him for a while marveling at the size of the creature. He just slept peacefully in the sun even though there was lots of bird and duck activity on that side of the trail. The birds walked passed him like he wasn't even there. They are on his menu, almost everything is, but all was peaceful for a time. The difference that struck me first was his snout was longer and thinner than an alligators and you could see his teeth, all of them. His body was huge, big around, probably just swollowed a deer. The fins on his back were lower in the middle of the body and higher along the sides. Picture.

Just remembered a story the ranger told us in the Everglades about a find they happened upon while surveying the terrain by helicopter. The helicopter had pontoons so they were able to land and take pictures while they investigated this strange sight. A python had swallowed a 10 ft alligator whole and sometime in the process the alligator violently shook it's tail and ripped the snake open. Both died and they have pictures to prove it.

Pythons are a real problem in the Everglades and the park service is trying very hard to keep them from spreading further north. They don't like the cold so they can only go so far but it's happening. People released their "Pet" pythons when they got too big for a house and now it's a disaster.

Back at the tower there was a little pond just boiling with something. They were fish, so many of them caught in this pond with no way out because the water was way down. There is a drought in FL and water levels are very low. Of course this pond had to have an alligator but this one was only a foot long. He must have been last years baby as he still had some strips visible and of course his size. Well he had himself a dandy spot.

Looking around there were many different water birds and most were actively looking for a meal. There were egrets, blue herons, little blue herons, tri-colored herons, wood storks and anhingas. There was a roseate spoonbill fairly far away and lots of ducks of different species. There were 2 osprey flying around fishing in the pond behind me and when I heard a splash I knew one got lucky. I turned around just in time to catch him flying away with lunch. Picture.

There was an anhinga swimming just below the tower and when he went under I was able to watch him "fly" in the water. They are amazing creatures. They are called turkey birds because their tails look like a turkey's tail, and also called a snake bird because they look like a snake while swimming, all you can see is the head. They have no oil on their feathers which makes it easier for them to go underwater but they have to stand in the sun or breeze for hours to dry their feathers. When they are wet it's difficult to fly. As they swim through the water they coil their neck and shoot their head into the fish spearing it with their beak. I was lucky enough to witness the process right under the tower and managed to snap a few pictures of the capture. I thought the bird dropped the fish but he must have swallowed it fast since the picture looks like he had it in his jaws.

Now the crock. As I was leaving the tower there was a terrible squawk in the pond across the path. The crock suddenly came to life and lifted his head and opened his mouth maybe waiting for something to fly in. What a mouth, don't get in the way of that! Don't worry, I am always careful first.

I did get a picture of his mouth closed and when I blew it up was amazed at what I saw. His teeth come through his nostrils, look carefully at the way his jaw is formed around the teeth, and the teeth are SO white. Must be all the sun. Amazing creature.

The butterflies didn't get ignored, a few shots of those.

Watson was a wonderful companion and followed me everywhere. On the tower he found a shady spot with a breeze and settled down for a nap. He happily greeted everyone that climbed the stairs and was patted and fused over by most. One woman was going to take him home. He walked down the middle of the path with me just in case an alligator was lurking in the bushes.

We went home and we were happy to have lunch a little rest then we went to the boat launch area to be in a breeze and away from the mosquitoes. They have been terrible!

Fun day, better than chores. Again, don't forget to scroll down to see all the 26 pictures.

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