Florida Day Two: A Couple Of Hikes And A Cool Nightjar On The Abandoned Aerojet Road.
It was cold, by Florida standards anyway , when I awoke in my hotel in Florida City. Saturday morning. It was 50 degrees with a strong northerly wind. It was not the best weather for viewing wildlife but you never know what you will see if you hike with your eyes peeled. And, for me, half of the fun is looking for the different flora and fauna and enjoying the beauty of nature. I had many choices but I decided to hike on the abandoned Aerojet Road and visit Lucky Hammock .
Located near the entrance to the Everglades National Park the Aerojet Road once accessed the vast Aerojet-Dade rocket engine factory about 3 1/2 miles south on the road in the middle of the Everglades. I have visited the abandoned factories a few times and you can read about them in my previous blogs which can be found using the search tool on my blog. The road is abandoned and it, and the surrounding area, is part of the Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area and Frog Pond Wildlife Management Area. The sun had risen in clear cold skies when I arrived at the parking lot and began my hike. 
I walked along the reeds and grasses on one side of the trail and poison wood and cocoplums on the other.
It didn’t take long to see some bird activity even on this cold morning. I saw a few common yellow throats fluttering in the reeds, 
and I saw this bird, a lifer for me, a clay colored sparrow. They are not common in Florida.
I walked about about a 1/4 mile out to the Lucky Hammock. This is a popular location to observe a variety of birds. Over 160 species of birds have been reported here. Lucky Hammock got its name by being one of the last hammocks in the area that was spared. A hammock is an area of higher elevation in the Everglades where hardwood trees grow and create a unique habitat for birds and other wildlife. 
Near the hammock I saw a few more birds including this northern mockingbird, 
a white-eyed vireo, 
and a great crested flycatcher. I have seen many of these large flycatchers on the Aerojet road but usually perched on the utility wires above the trail. It was nice to see one in the treetops in the hammock. 
I thought I would see more birds in the hammock, and, as I continued my hike, in the reeds and grasses along the road. Then I remembered it was still early January. I usually visit in March, when the Spring migrations has started and there are many more birds in the hammock and along the road. I remember seeing painted buntings here last March. 
There were still some local resident Florida birds active in the cool January weather, including theses two very differently colored, but striking , birds, this common grackle , and
this northern cardinal, both perched on the utility lines above the road. 
I also saw a few red bellied woodpeckers rapping on the wooden utility poles along the trail.
After about a mile , I came to two canals, one on each side of the road. On the right was a canal created when material needed build the road through the Everglades was excavated. 
On the left I am not sure the purpose but it connect to the Aerojet canal. Both canals reflected clear blue skies on this cool morning. 
I have seen alligators in both canals on my previous hikes but this was in warmer weather in March.There were none around on this hike.I only saw this greater yellow legs wading in the waters on the canal on the left side of the road. 
The road now traveled through an older and more dense woodland with larger hardwood trees, mostly strangler fig trees.
Sword ferns,
And yaupon holly grew under their shade.
There were not many wildflowers blooming along the trail. In fact I only saw these invasive beggar ticks scattered all along the trail on my hike.
A few royal palms also towered above the road.
After another 1/4 mile or so the road left this denser woodland and passed through mostly poison wood and coco plum trees. 
The Florida sun was now higher on the horizon and sure felt good as it slowly warmed the cool morning air. The road was now right along the canal. 
Another one of my favorite Florida trees , the bald cypress, grew along the canal.
Although there wasn’t a lot of bird activity so far on this hike, my next two bird sightings were exciting. First I saw a pair of white- crowned pigeons in a cypress tree.
These beautiful birds are become threatened in Florida as a result of destruction of their habitat.
I continued on the trail another 1/4 mile or so,and came to the abandoned juvenile detention facility.
The barbed wire around the facility contrasted with the peaceful natural setting where it was located.
Here, I saw bird fly from a tree and onto the ground in front of me. 
It was a chuck-will-widow , a southern relative of the whip- o–will . It was another lifer for me. It is a nocturnal bird and rarely seen in the day. It eventually flew off but I was glad to have seen it and get some photos to share of this strange looking bird. It ‘s large eyes were adapted for it’s hunting at night. 
I returned to the trail and hiked another 1/2 mile. Some high clouds appeared in the blue skies. I was just now able to see the huge abandoned Aerojet factory buildings in the distance. I was out 2 1/2 miles and decided to head back.
On my return hike I soon observed this pileated woodpecker rapping at a utility pole.
I love these beautiful, colorful birds.
I also saw this anhinga or snake bird perched in a tree with its wings spread. They spread their wings after diving for fish to dry them in the sun.
After this sightings, it was a quiet walk back as far as wildlife, but I did now see quite a few folks walking and riding bikes on this isolated road.
When I approached the canals I saw, it the canal on my right , a great blue heron wading in the canal,
and an American gallinule swimming on the canal ,
an osprey fly overhead.
I also saw a few eastern phoebes,
gray catbirds
and this palm warbler before I ended my hike. Here is a link to a gallery with some more of the photos of the birds I saw on my morning hike. Florida Day Two. Aerojet Road morning birds. January 10 2025.
Also, just as I passed the Lucky Hammock , and was finishing my five mile hike the sun warmed the air and now the insects became active. I saw this tropical buckeye butterfly,
and, I was happy to see, a few monarch butterflies fluttering along the trail. The are becoming endangered because of los of habitat. 
It was now after 11a.m. and I had hiked 5 miles and I was hungry. It was another wonderful walk, and although I didn’t see as many species of birds as I would during the migration in March, I was excited to have seen the clay colored sparrow, the chuck-wills-widow and the white crowned pigeons. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my morning hike. Florida Day Two. Aerojet Road morning hike . January 10 2025.
On my way back to the hotel I stopped at the Farmers Market where I had a delicious breakfast.
I spent the afternoon editing photos and checking in with my office. I was tired, but around 4 p.m, I decided to drive back out to the Aerojet trail to see if anything new was stirring.
The Florida sun warmed it up into the low 70’s. Still cool for Florida but perfect for me. I hiked past the hammocks , and out to the canals seeing many of the birds I saw earlier but no new birds, 
until I saw this large 
common raven perched on a utility wire. Another one landed on the road. They are extremely intelligent birds. 
I walked back and around Lucky Hammock, as the rays of the setting sun shone on the trees in the hammock.
I saw a few more northern mocking birds, palm sparrows and this eastern phoebe. 
I finished my 2 mile hike as the sun set over the reeds in the southwestern sky. A waxing gibbous moon was high in the eastern sky It was beautiful way to end another great day in the Florida Everglades. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my afternoon hike. Florida Day Two. Aerojet Road afternoon hike . January 10 2025.
And as usual I had to eat. I enjoy sharing my meals on social media and my friends back home. I have not eaten in a fast food restaurant since the 1990’s and like to share my dining experiences at the local family owned restaurants. This evening I ate at the Gator Grill and had the grilled mahi mahi salad .
I returned to my hotel where I edited photos but not for long. These long days and long hikes are getting harder on these old bones and muscles. I was soon dozing off, reflecting on my day and looking forward to my adventures in the morning. I love the Everglades. 
“A well-spent day brings happy sleep.” – Leonardo da Vinci
“The Everglades was the only place on earth where alligators (broad snout, fresh water, darker skin) and crocodiles (pointy snout, salt water, toothy grin) lived side by side. It was the only home of the Everglades mink, Okeechobee gourd, and Big Cypress fox squirrel. It had carnivorous plants, amphibious birds, oysters that grew on trees, cacti that grew in water, lizards that changed colors, and fish that changed genders. It had 1,100 species of trees and plants, 350 birds, and 52 varieties of porcelain-smooth, candy-striped tree snails. It had bottlenose dolphins, marsh rabbits, ghost orchids, moray eels, bald eagles, and countless other species that didn’t seem to belong on the same continent, much less in the same ecosystem.”
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