Florida Day Five. Everglades: Hikes On The Eco Pond, Bear Lake And Anhinga Trails.

I was up  early again Wednesday morning,  sadly, my last day in the Everglades National Park this year. I was staying at the Flamingo Lodge in the Park on my recent visit to south Florida. After my mandatory cup of coffee,  I took the short walk to the shore of the Florida Bay near the lodge,

and walked along the mangrove trees to find a good view of the rising sun.

It was another beautiful sunrise. The skies were clear and it was a cool 60 degrees.

After enjoying the beauty of the rising sun I again drove the short distance to the Eco Pond near the Flamingo campground. I was the only one at this small pond and again took the one mile walk around the pond. You can see my previous blog and blogs in my archives to learn more about the pond.

I saw a few birds on my hike, not the rosette spoonbills or painted buntings I have seen previous years, but I did see this tri-colored  heron perched on a branch and enjoying their first rays of the rising sun.

I also saw this blue gray gnatcatcher searching for some insects,

and this gray catbird feeding on Brazilian peppertree berries.

White eyed vireos  were singing in the trees. I heard then everywhere on my hikes  in south Florida this year.

This great crested flycatcher was perched in a treetop,

and I saw a pileated woodpecker,

and a red-bellied woodpecker on my walk around the pond.

I also saw this bird that is common in the woodlands near my home in Northeastern Pennsylvania but which I haven’t seen in Florida or the Everglades before, a chipping sparrow that looked like it just woke up.   I left the Eco Pond and decided to hike on the trail to Bear Lake.

The road to the Bear Lake Trail is about 2 miles north of the Flaimingo Visitor Center. It is a very rough road and requires a four wheel drive vehicle to drive the two mile road to the trail head.  The last time I drove the trail it was muddy with large puddles of water hiding the deep ruts in the trail. It was easier driving now that the trail was dry but the deep ruts still required  a lot  of maneuvering. It was slow and bouncy ride.

And  on my last visit, which you  can read about in my blog archives using the search tool, I was swarmed by mosquitoes. I never experienced so many mosquitoes before or since that hike.  I had not encountered any mosquitoes on this trip to the Everglades, not a one,  because of the very dry conditions in south Florida.   However, I took my Ranger Ready insect repellent with me  just in case. I was surprised and glad to not find any mosquitoes attack me when I left my Jeep.

There was one other vehicle parked   at the trail head.

I began my hike on the trail that follows the old Homestead Canal through a hardwood hammock woodland  mixed with mangrove trees.

As I started my hike I saw a small birds  scurrying through the leaf litter on the ground along the trail. I was surprised, and glad,.  to see this very familiar migratory bird, an oven bird. This small warbler is a welcome  Spring and Summer resident and fills the woodlands throughout the day with it’s cheerful song. I never saw on in the Everglades or south Florida before.

It was about a 2 mile hike out to Bear Lake.

I walked under the canopy of leaves and branches of the  large mahogany ,

gumbo- limbo

and strangler  fig trees along the trail.

At first the trail was shaded and dark because of the large trees. I was surprised  to again not encounter a single mosquito on the trail. There was not much bird activity either. As I neared Bear Lake there were less large hardwood   tree and the rays of the sun were shining on the trail.

Here I finally saw bird, although it was only a common turkey vulture.

On my last, and only hike, I saw hundreds of birds near the lake, herons, egrets, ibises and even a few roseate spoonbills. Not this hike, and I soon realized why. The last hike there were large areas of shallow water and mus along the trail where these birds were feeding. This hike these shallow waters had dried up and only  dried mud remained.

When I arrived at Bear Lake   I found  a lot of the shore exposed because of the  lack of rain.

I did see this yellow- crowned  night heron ,

and tricolored heron along the shore.

I continued my hike along the shore  met the driver of the other vehicle fishing along the lake. We had a nice chat about the lake and the wildlife he has seen.  He also told me how  dry it has been.

I beganmy hike back but first stopped  and watched a   pair of black skimmers doing what they do ,

skimming over the lake searching for small fishin the lake. 

I enjoyed watching their acrobatic flights over the lake.

I began my hike back and realized I wouldn’t make it in time for breakfast which ended at 10 a.m. And that  I would  barely make it back in time to checkout of the lodge by 11 a.m. I didn’t see much wildlife on the hike back, and not a single mosquito either. I got to my Jeep and took the slow ride back over the rough two mile road.  I made it back to my lodge just before 11 a.m. I quickly packed and didn’t have time for a shower. I checked out of the lodge and grabbed a banana nut muffin and cup of coffee for breakfast for the 1 1/2 drive to Key Largo.  Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my morning hikes in Flamingo .   Florida Day Five. Flamingo  morning February 11 2026.

I again enjoyed my drive  through the pine and cypress forests in the Everglades, feeling sad I would be leaving this wonderful place that teemed with life.

I was hungry but decided   to stop at the Royal Palm Visitor Center and take one last hike on the Anhinga Trail before I left the Everglades and see what I could see. It was near noon and I was sure the alligators would be  soaking in the sun. I wasn’t sure if there would be a lot of bird activity in the mid day sun. A lot of cumulus clouds had formed in the blue skies making for some nice scenery as I began my hike on the trail.

Sure enough I found the large alligator  in the same place as on my two previous hikes.

This is close up of the face of  the large reptile.

I walked under the tall Royal Palms trees after which the  Visitor Center was named.

I walked along the  ponds under  the blue sky and cumulus clouds,

and over the boardwalk , as I had on my previous hikes,  but the clouds    provided more  character to the sky as they floated above the sea of  reeds   along the trail.

I was surprised to find a lot of bird activity on my hike. I  saw many of the birds I saw on my previous hikes including  this purple gallinule,

this wood stork,

this great egret

and this white ibis.

I also saw a lot of noisy boat-tailed grackles in the reeds along the trial, this is a male feeding on a dead fish,

and this is a brown colored female.

This is a close up of a great blue heron,

this a white ibis,

 this a  great egret .

And this a wood stork . I took a few close up photos of the birds I saw and here is a link to a gallery with some  of these close up  and some more photos of the birds I saw on  my morning hikes in Flamingo and Royal Palm .   Florida Day Five. Flamingo, Royal Palm birds  morning February 11 2026.

I also saw a few Florida cooter turtles

and alligators.

I took a few close ups of the alligator claws.

I walked for about an hour on the Anhinga Trail when I walked past  Visitor Center. I was sad again knowing I won’t see the Everglades for another year.  I began my 1/2 hour drive to Key Largo where I was staying the next two days. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my morning hike in Royal Palm.   Florida Day Five. Royal Palm Anhinga morning February 11 2026.

I was on the phone with my law office for most  of the drive to Key Largo and didn’t stop for lunch. It was after 2 p.m when I checked in to the Courtyard by Marriott . I decided to skip lunch and relax in the sun a bit on my balcony.  My hotel was  on the marina across form the famous African Queen, the riverboat that was used in the famous movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. I first   visited Key Largo  10 years ago because of another Humphrey Bogart movie, one of my favorite,  Key Largo, named after this Key. Key Largo sure changed a lot since the movie.  I enjoy my visits here for the great restaurants and the The Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park,   where I love to hike. I  spent the afternoon editing some photos and enjoying the sun from my balcony overlooking the marina and the African Queen.

I had walked almost 7 miles and only had the muffin for breakfast so I was hungry and decided to have an early dinner. I drove to  one of my favorite Key Largo restaurants, the  Nam Thai Restaurant . As usual ,  I had an excellent meal  starting with  a Japanese fish soup and seafood thad pai,

and, of course Key lime pie for desert.   It was another long day, so , after listening to some music from the cafes below my room on the marina I retired early, looking forward for another day exploring the natural beauty of  south Florida.

“Here are no lofty peaks seeking the sky, no mighty glaciers or rushing streams wearing away the uplifted land. Here is land, tranquil in its quiet beauty, serving not as the source of water, but as the last receiver of it. To its natural abundance we owe the spectacular plant and animal life that distinguishes this place from all others in our country.”  President Harry S Truman, address at the Dedication of Everglades National Park, December 6, 1947