Florida Day Six. Key Largo. Not Much Wildlife On A Morning Hike On The HM 40 Abandoned Nike Missile Base Trail.
On my second day in Key Largo during my recent visit to South Florida I decided to hike on the HM 40 Nike Missile Base Trail in the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. On my last hike on the HM 40 Nike Missile Base Trail, two years ago, I required a back country hiking permit. I stopped for my permit at the Ranger’s Office in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Sunday afternoon. I was told permits are no longer required. On my last hike there I was attacked by swarms of mosquitoes, so, when I awoke early Monday morning I had my coffee, applied an enormous amount a insect repellant and was on my way to the trail located about 8 miles north of my hotel. 
This remote section of the is the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is home to snakes, crocodiles, bird, rare butterflies and mosquitoes. It also was the site of a former Nike Missile base HM 40. The trail is located about 7 miles north of Key Largo into the park follows the old abandoned State Route 905. In 1965, a few hundred yards from the entrance a radar station for a Nike missile base , known as HM 40 was built here after the Cuban Missile crisis. 
It was party sunny and mild when I arrived at the trail and entered the through the open gate. The trails took me through the canopy of trees that now hang over the remains of the old highway.
I was only familiar with a few of the many tropical trees along the trail including the cabbage palm
gumbo limbo trees,
and of course, one I want to avoid, poison wood. Contact with the trees causes severe skin rashes. There is a lot of it in southern Florida and I learned to identify it when I first started visiting southern Florida. . 
After about a 1/4 mile on the trail I came to a fence that surrounded the abandoned Nike Missile Base. On my last visit there was a gap in the fence but there were signs posted stating there was no trespassing on the property. The signs were gone and the gap still there. I knew from seeing other posts on social media that people have been entering the base so I did too.
I walked past the abandoned guard post, 
and old buildings,
many covered with graffiti. 
I walked on an abandoned road, now overgrown with trees,
passing some more buildings ,
and came to the old radar towers. I imagined how it must have been here during those tense years after the Cuban missile crisis. I headed back to the main trail. 
As I was leaving the abandoned base I saw this gray squirrel, 
and northern cardinal. There was little other bird activity on this windy morning 
I did see a few butterflies including Julia butterflies and
zebra longwing butterflies, that are always fluttering around and rarely land on a branch to leaf , making them difficult to photograph. 
There were also a lot of dragonflies darting along the trail including blue dashers,
great pondhawks, and 
this species I had never seen before I believe a seaside dragonlet. What I didn’t see were mosquitoes. I was very surprised. I did not see or hear one mosquito on my five mile hike. In fact, I fact I had seen very few mosquitos on my trip. I later learned it was a dry Winter and that this kept the mosquitoes from breeding. The ranger who told me this assured me they will be here soon after the recent heavy rains. I was hoping I would be back in Pennsylvania when they make their appearance. 
The only birds I heard were the northern cardinal and white eyed vireos although they were difficult to photograph in the thick vegetation, I finally was able to capture an image of this one. 
What were easy to photograph were the snails attached to the tree branches along the trail, mostly endangered liguus tree snails.
There discarded shells were everywhere along the trail and I gathered all of these in a small area. 
I hiked on the trail for about a mile when I came to a side trail which i had followed before. The trail map shows it takes you to the bay but the thick mangrove trees prevent you from getting there. I hiked it anyway since I have seen ospreys perched in the trees near the ocean. 
After about a half mile I approached the bay and I left trees of the hardwood hammock . I was now in thickets mangrove trees , 
with coastal plants growing along the trail.
I did see a few mushroom, growing here. 
However there were no ospreys or other birds in the trees near the coast. I was close to the shoreline, I could hear the waves splashing, but the mangrove were to thick to get t0 the ocean. 
I hiked back to the main trail and followed it out for about another 3/4 of a mile.
Here I took another side trail which led to a wetland.
Here I saw this graceful reddish egret wading in the waters of the wetland, 
until it became aware of me and flew off.
I had hiked almost miles and decided to head back. I was a little disappointed, again, that I didn’t see more song birds or other wildlife. 
On the hike back I did see a few brown anole lizards scampering along the trail,
and this beautiful giant swallowtail butterfly. 
There was also a small flock palm warblers on the ground, and
in the trees along the trail but that was it. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike. Florida Day Six. Key Largo Nike Missile Base Trail birds March 25 2024.
Although I didn’t see as much wildlife as I had hoped on my five mile hike. I still enjoyed being in the hardwood hammock and have of the fun is just hiking and looking for the beauty that exists in nature. You never know what you will or won’t see, but even if it is nothing, half of the fun is just looking and enjoying the peace and quiet of nature. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my hike. Florida Day Six. Key Largo Nike Missile Base Trail March 25 2024. 
As usual, I worked up an appetite on my hike and I decided to stop for breakfast at a small restaurant near the shore, the Hideout. I ate here last year and had a good wholesome meal 
and I did again this year. a vegetable omelet with toast and home fried potatoes with lots of onions. After breakfast I returned to the hotel and was planning to relax a bit at the pool. See how that went in my next blog. 
“Leave the roads; take the trails.” Pythagoras
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