The Anhinga above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.I had considered making a trip this week to a far away place (one of many) on the Great Florida Birding Trail known to offer a spectacle of this event.
There are a few wildlife venues that are known to be magnets for fallouts of migratory species.
The Carolina Wren above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.I have squandered opportunities to observe these migrants returning from the tropics in years past and have decided to make them a primary focus this year.
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve was chosen for its proximity to home and simply that it's one of the best wildlife destinations in the immediate Fort Myers area that I know of.
The spider web above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.I arrived at the preserve after the drive wondering why the snow birds have wanted to leave the area so prematurely with unfavorable weather still lingering up north.
The traffic on the local highways has been thinning quite substantially though Boston driving tactics are still seen daily and are to be very wary of.
The spider above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.There was no bird activity near the parking area of the preserve nor in the Cypress trees at the entrance to the boardwalk that I found unfortunate.
I chose to walk the boardwalk the "wrong way" and visited the photo blind at Pop Ash Pond first to find a solitary Anhinga drying itself after an early morning dip.
The Florida softshell turtle above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.At Otter Pond a few turtles were seen before I headed to my favorite observation spot at Six Mile Cypress which is Marker 19 near Wood Duck Pond.
A bird strafed a squirrel which I speculate might have been a Merlin that was a highlight of my time at Marker 19.
The Carolina Wren above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.I heard the Red-belied Woodpecker for an hour before it finally came into view high in the treetops.
The Carolina Wren was the most visible bird species on my visit to the park and offered better opportunities to photograph the species than I've had before.
The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.With the lack of the expected photo ops at Marker 19, I moved on and was at the amphitheater on my way out of the preserve when I was asked by a fellow visitor if I had seen the Wood Ducks.
I was almost incredulous as it's a species I had never observed before which I had considered making an hours long drive to see in the past.
The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.Needless to say, I was back into the preserve at the point that I was given directions to where the ducks had been seen, but no ducks.
It was at that point that I met Arne Haryn to learn that he had earlier seen the ducks as well.
The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.He led me to the point he had seen them a few hundred feet south along the boardwalk where he again found the ducks practically under it.
It was a thrill for me to observe the Wood Ducks for about an hour as they worked their way around the ancient Cypress tree stumps in the preserve at Otter Pond.
The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.The ducks were an apparent mated pair though no juveniles were present.
Another visitor noted his observation of a Water Moccasin seen closer to Wood Duck Pond.
Arne Haryn (at right) above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.Arne was very especially interested in that and led the way to the snake that was found in the area as described.
It was interesting to hear Arne tell of his visits to the slough decades ago before the boardwalk was constructed.
The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.He told me that he was a scout for a wildlife photographer friend of his at that time.
An offspring of the snake was seen very well camouflaged with the adult after further observation by yet another visitor to the preserve.
The Water Moccasin above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.I wielded the camera hand held in an effort to capture the adult snake in an image unsuccessfully before Arne offered me use of his shoulder which was neat to get the angle needed, but couldn't find the snake because of my inability to keep the gear steady enough.
A "Hail Mary" was made as I climbed the rails of the boardwalk to get an even better view to find that the grace of modern technology in image stabilization allowed an in focus shot of the serpent.
The Carolina Wren above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.Back at Wood Duck Pond a third Wood Duck observed flew across the pond toward Marker 19 where I was sure I've seen the Wood Duck before while this species is not normally tolerant of spectators.
Exiting the preserve, Arne pointed out the egrets that were nesting across Gator Lake.
The dragonfly above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.Arne specializes in his observations of the micro world allowing people to look through his spotting scope honed in on a wildlife subject he has an interest in while noting that he often looks for a shadow on a leaf.
A follow up visit to Six Mile Cypress Preserve this week was made in an attempt to observe the Wood Duck again.
The Little Blue Heron juvenile above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.No luck there, but did see the Black-and-white Warbler that I had missed on my previous visit.
The Least Tern's arrival from South America was observed audibly on April 11th near my residence for the first time this year.
The Black-and-white Warbler above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.
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