Visit Orlando Wetlands Park

In 2009, I had bought a book called "Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State". My plan was to start hiking around the state for exercise and continue to take photographs. I visited four parks before I found out that my sister was very sick. I stopped my photo hikes during the period when my sister was battling cancer. I never took the book out again until now. One of my bucket list items is to lose weight. I was looking for an exercise where it does not seem like exercise. Hiking seems like a potential solution.

Through my photo interests, I recently saw a few pictures from the Orlando Wetlands Park in Christmas Florida. I put it in Google Maps and found it was less than an hour drive away. I checked out the ten day forecast and saw that Tuesday, January 3 would be a partly cloudy morning turning into a sunny day. Perfect, I will get up early (6 am) and drive to the park which opens at sunrise. Everything was working except the sun did not arrive with me. I was there, so I did the 2.5 mile bird loop and took almost 300 photos. I would like to share a few....

Sign at entrance to the OWP

There were a few displays at the entrance and a sign in book. It is a pretty big park and I guess they want to know who is out there. I was the first to sign in for January 3. They do have a picnic pavillon and restrooms which I found very clean and presentable.

Sign outside the Restroom at OWP

The drive over was basically go North on I-95, turn West onto SR-50 until you get to Christmas. Turn North on Fort Christmas Road (another future place to visit) and then turn East onto Wheeler Road. Less than two miles and you are at the park entrance. The next picture is to show you that it is out in the middle of nowhere. Lots of water and trees and unpaved walkways.

My first view of the OWP from the walkway

 Again, they had this sign about alligators. I think I will stay on the walkways....

Alligator signage at OWP

 I had heard a previous POTUS thought harass was two words and not one...(smile)

There were a lot of coots out here. Not only were they seen, but they could be heard. American Coots...

American Coots at OWP

The blue herons are very colorful out here. This immature one (still white) was wearing a yellow flower on it's wing. Classy bird.

Immature Blue Heron wearing a yellow flower

There were so many different birds I am not sure if I am identifying them correctly. Between the herons, egrets, ibis, cranes, and storks, they start to look all the same. I did get some birds, I think cranes because of the black tips on the wings,  flying away because I bothered them....

Assorted cranes flying at OWP

 If you like birds, I highly recommend you visit this place....

Blue Heron at OWP

Another blue heron at OWP

 Up on the roadway, there were a pair of Limpkins. I took one picture from away, but they let me get pretty close. As I approached the female headed toward the water but the male let me get some good photos. Here are a couple.

Pair of limpkins in the walkway at OWP

Limpkin posing for me near walkway at OWP

 Of course, as I am taking many pictures of the limpkins, I hear some rustling in the grass. Right behind me is a six to seven foot alligator. That is his/her tail sticking up on the right. This was just ten feet away...

Alligator along the walkway at OWP

 More American Coots....

Flock of American Coots at OWP

All along the walkway I would see little birds fluttering around. They are hard to get photos of because they just keep moving, like a butterfly. I was able to capture this one that had stopped for a one-second rest on some grass. I have not ID it yet....

Some kind of warbler or ground bird at OWP

There were tracks across the walkways. I realized they were alligator tracks. The tail drags as they cross the road, probably to get to the other side....

Alligator tracks in walkways at OWP

 I continued to walk and I continued to take pictures....

Ibis at OWP

Blue Heron at OWP

Some kind of Marsh Sparrow at OWP

Anhinga on log at OWP

American Coot at OWP

Head of a blue heron fishing for food at OWP

Purple Gallinule at OWP

After walking for about 40 minutes, I decided to stop at one of the benches. I had brought some cold water and wanted to rest the legs and sit down. There is a bench about every quarter mile or so. Usually one at a time, facing the water when sitting. It was nice. I was enjoying my rest when I saw right below me, a Green Heron huting for breakfast in the weeds. I do not think I would have seen it if I had kept walking, as they camouflage real well.

Green Heron in Weeds

I was on a walkway called Alligator Alley. My next turn was to be at Otter Boulevard. Then I saw some kind of mammal running along the walkway towards me.  I took a few pictures and it just kept running at me, sort of like an old man run, but it was moving.  As I got closer, I saw that an otter was using Alligator Alley...

Otter on Alligator Alley at OWP

I think if I had kept taking pictures he would have kept running towards me. But when I lowered my camera, he stopped, looked at me, and dove into the marsh. I could see him continue by me in the marsh because the grass was moving as he went through. I was hoping he would come back out on the walkway but he did not.

I made it to Otter Blvd and what do I see, an alligator.  I did not see one on Alligator Alley. I guess they need to switch the names of the walkways.

Alligator on Otter Blvd at OWP

I had finally circled back to the beginning. An anhinga had landed on the water depth pole and I took some photos. There was also a great blue heron there and I took some more photos. I asked, politely, if the anhinga would spread his wings for me. Sure enough, it spread them out and I caught this photo....

Spread winged Anhinga with Great Blue Heron behind at OWP

I have shared about 10% of the photos I took. I need to go through them and choose the great ones, and then delete the okay ones. I need to learn to do this better for all my photos. I have way too many okay photos in my collection.

My plan is to keep hiking at different parks and places in Florida. I am willing to have company if someone wants to join me. I definitely am going back to Orlando Wetlands Park, but only if the sun is out. These pictures would have been ten times better in morning light. If you find a mis-identifiction of something, keep it to yourself...No, no, let me know about it, how else will I learn things. On to the next adventure...BJ