Twenty avid PRAS birders traveled south to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, arriving there around 9:00.  We were met by Sally Stein, a member of the Audubon Corkscrew staff, along with four volunteers.  We climbed into three open-back trucks for a trip through the northern end of the Swamp.  The weather couldn’t have been better, sunny skies, little wind, and temperature in the 70s.  Some of the birds observed during the ride included Anhingas, Sandhill Cranes, Purple Gallinule, Great Crested Flycatcher, Pied-billed Grebe, Northern Harrier, Glossy and White Ibis, Eastern Phoebe, Robin, and Wild Turkeys.  One sight many of us will remember is a flock of several thousand Tree Swallows flying over and around us.

I visited the Wakodahatchee Wetlands this morning from 7:30 to 10:30.  The sky was overcast with a threat of rain.  There were about six other photographers there as well. The Wetlands has a ¾-mile boardwalk traversing three ponds.  There are quite a large number of birds feeding in the area and they are quite tame, allowing close-up pictures.  Some of the more interesting birds seen included Anhingas, Purple Gallinules, Egrets (Great, Snowy), Herons (Great Blue, Little Blue, Green, Tricolored), Ducks (Mottled, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal), Coots, Moorhens, Pied-billed Grebes, and Warblers (Palm, Yellow-rumped).

After dropping my son off at the Miami airport, I made a short visit in the late afternoon to the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park.  I returned again the next morning.  This trail consists of about a ½-mile boardwalk through a marshy area.  Anhingas and Cormorants were the most numerous birds.  I also saw a couple of Purple Gallinules, Moorhens, Egrets (Great and Snowy), Herons (Green, Great Blue, and Little Blue), and White Ibis.  Of course, there were a few Alligators around.  The late afternoon visit was quite crowded with people, including kids, which made taking pictures difficult.  There were fewer people in the morning.

After the visit to Anhinga Trail on Tuesday morning, I decided to drive the 38 miles to the south end of the Park to visit Eco Pond.  I arrived there about 10:00.  There is a trail that completely encircles the pond.  There weren’t to many birds present.  However, I did see Egrets (Great and Snowy), Little Blue Herons, White Ibis, Moorhens, Coots, Pied-billed Grebes, Cormorants, and a Purple Gallinule.  There were a lot of flowering bushes along the trail, which attracted a lot of butterflies.  I saw at least a half-dozen different species.

On the way back to the Park entrance, I made a brief stop at Mrazek Pond.  I saw quite a few Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal.  There may have been some other species of ducks present, but the bright sun made it difficult to see.  I also didn’t have my scope.  There was a nice photo exhibit by George Forest showing pictures of birds and other wildlife in the Everglades Park at the main Visitor’s Center.