Florida Day Four: Sunrise And An Osprey At Flamingo Beach In The Everglades National Park
After a cup of coffee I left my hotel in Florida City and was on the road early Tuesday morning. I wanted to watch the sunrise at Flamingo at the southernmost point accessible by land in the Everglades National Park. The sun rises around 7 a.m. so I was driving to the Everglades in the dark before 6 a.m. The Full Snow Moon was setting in the east as I drove on the only road through the remote Everglades. I loved this solitude.
As I continued my drive the morning twilight appeared. The planet Venus still shone brilliantly as the skies grew light. 
It was a peaceful ride and I arrived in Flamingo about 10 minutes before sunrise. I wasn’t sure exactly where I was going to watch the sunrise. I haven’t been there this early before. I had some ideas, and was looking at my Google map when I saw Flamingo Beach. I had no idea there was a beach here. I saw a trail on the map, the Guy Bradley Trail and decided to follow it. 
The short trail began on the far end of the marina parking lot, near an area of new construction. I followed it along the waters of the Florida Bay, Mangroves grew along the water and low shrubs and grasses on the other side. Here I saw a crow walking through the high grass, I am sure looking for some sort of meal. 
It was still cool, for South Florida, the temperature was in the mid 50’s and the skies partly cloudy over the bay. 
I walked along the trail and found the beach, it was just a small clearing in the mangrove trees. I walked back and found a spot to wait for the sunrise. Here I watched a spotted sandpiper bobbing along the shore until it captured this worm-like water creature. 
The sun soon rose over the bay and I was glad I made the long drive in the dark to be able to again enjoy this beautiful event. 
There is nothing like a sunrise in the Sunshine State. 
A few birds, this little blue heron and great egret were wadding in the waters in front in early rays of the sun.
As I was watching the sun rise, I heard a flapping of wings above me, and, looking up saw a large osprey with a fish land on a nest in the tree top above my head. I couldn’t capture this wonderful scene but now I knew there were ospreys above me! There must have been very young osprey in the nest. I could hardly hear their cries. The birds that brought the fish dropped it in the nest. The other parent began feeding it to the youngsters hidden inside the nest. I could only see the very top of the birds head as it appeared to be ripping the fish into bite size pieces for his/her offspring. 
As I watched the first osprey, the one with the fish, still wet from its successful fishing trip , flew out of the nest and onto a nearby branch of the dead tree. 
It shook,
then extended its feathers in the golden morning sunlight. 
It was an impressive seen, the osprey looked like a Roman centurion or, 
a royal bird god as the morning sunlight reflected off it’s wet feathers. It was a magnificent bird. There is so much beauty in the Everglades. 
I had to leave the ospreys, I could have stayed and watched them for hours. But I was on another mission. I was going to take the short drive to Eco Lake and look for the roseate spoonbills that feed there in the morning. It is located right before the campground. There was one other car when I arrived. Walking to the lake I was told by the older couple that they walked around the lake and had only seen one spoonbill which quickly flew off the lake 
Disappointed I still walked around the lake. Unfortunately the only wildlife I encountered were the mosquitoes. It was time for my next adventure. My first hike to Bear Lake. Here is a link to gallery with more photographs from my sunrise walk at Flamingo in the Everglades. . Florida Day Four: Sunrise hike birds February 15 2022. 
“Wake! For the Sun, who scatter’d into flight
The Stars before him from the Field of Night,
Drives Night along with them from Heav’n,
and strikes
The Sultan’s Turret with a Shaft of Light”
―
Categories
Recent Comments