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Friday 31st of March 2023 and I will drive to Flamingo Visitor Center There is also hiking trails at Flamingo Visitor Center and I will try to visit a few trails in the area, PDF file about the Flamingo Trails HERE There are many trails in the area and I will have to see what I have time for. And of course, if there are many interesting birds at one trail, I might spend more time there. So, I will not know until tonight what I have been doing during the day. Anyway, my alarm goes off at 4 o'clock and I have my tea and cheese. The boat is leaving at 9 o'clock. It is one hour to drive to Flamingo Marina. So actually, I don't need to leave until 7 thirty. But I left just after 6 as I like to be in the Everglades when it is pitch dark and slowly slowly the day is breaking and the beautiful landscape becoming visible little by little. This is quality time, and also, I might run in to some excitements and I might need the extra time. Outside my hotel room when I leave in the morning
 Reaching the gate to the Everglades
 I had plenty time to reach Flamingo Marine when I checked in to Everglades at the gate. I have bought a 1-week ticket and lucky me that I saved the ticket on the phone as I lost the ticket the first day. Well, I am pretty sure it is somewhere in the car. I passed the gate and I drove slowly towards Flamingo Marina and I enjoying the sun coming up and more and more of the landscape became visible.  Heading for Flamingo Marina
 Heading for Flamingo Marina
I enjoy the ride and as I have plenty time, I turned off the main road to go check out the Wetland next to the Pa-hay-okee Road. I spotted a heap of something white on the road and I was thinking that someone had dumped garbage. When I come closer, I discover that it is Wood Storks and not garbage. And there was a lot of them. I had my windows open to take pictures to the right and to the left. One Boat-tailed Grackle landed in a bush 50 cm from my window. The bird started to sing and I both wanted pictures and a sound recording. Of course, the bird was gone by the time I had my equipment ready.  Birds on the road
 The birds taking off
There was a Turkey Vulture sitting in one of the trees and I tried to take some pictures. I had seen them soaring yesterday and I wished to find them sitting so I could get some pictures  Wood Stork
 Boat-tailed Grackle
Listen to the Wood Stork
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 I had seen both of the vultures yesterday: 1) Turkey Vulture 2) American Black Vulture The vultures had soared high yesterday and the pictures was for ID purpose only. I had never seen any sitting vulture and I had been wishing for a sitting vulture since yesterday. I wanted to have a picture of both the vultures. Now I spotted on sitting vulture. too far away, but I gave it a try.  Turkey Vulture far away
  Tricoloured Heron
  Snowy Egret
 Snowy Egret
 Snowy Egret
 
 Second stop for Vultures
I drive back to the main road and I turn right towards the Flamingo Marina. I stop after about 20 minutes as there are two Turkey Vultures sitting in a tree next to the road. Not a good position for any good pictures but I gave it my best. I drove for another 10 minutes and I spotted two Turkey Vultures and 2 American Black Vultures in the trees and this time they are in a good photo spot. First day and I wished for vulture pictures and today it started, the first bird was way too far away for any good pictures. Second time was two vultures sitting next to the road, but covered by branches and twigs. And the birds were between me and the sun.   Turkey Vulture
 Turkey Vulture
 Turkey Vulture
 Turkey Vulture
  American Black Vulture
Driving towards Flamingo Marina and I spot a bird of prey just after I passed Hell's Bay Trail and I make a U-turn to go back and then a U-turn again. Coming back and I discover that it is one Osprey. Almost at the Flamingo Marina and I stop at the Mrazek Pond and there is one Belted Kingfisher and one Red-shouldered Hawk, both way too far away for any good pictures. Time turning quick, and I was a wee bit worried about having to spend a long time waiting for the 9 o'clock departure of the “Back Country Boat Tour”. But I had to leave Mrazek Pond in full speed for Flamingo Marina. Belted Kingfisher
 Common Grackle
I stopped to check the lawn outside the Visitor Center and there was Common Starlings and Common Grackles. I parked in the marina and I went to check-in to the boat tours. I checked in and they gave me two wrist bands, one blue for the “Back Country Boat Tour” I got a green wrist band for the “Florida Bay Boat Tour” departing at 12 o'clock. The ticket office is located under the Osprey Nest so I had a look at the babies. I made a video of them trying their wings and they managed to lift for 30 cm or so. And they are desperate to get flying, I was told that the Osprey parents start to remove the sticks from the nest of any of the babies don't want to leave the nest. Mamma sitting in a tree 20 meters away and she watching the nest. One of the Turkey Vultures came close to the nest and mamma dived from the tree chasing the vulture away. Pappa came back with a fish and the fish had no head. So, I though the bird had stolen the fish, but I was told that pappa eat the head first thing and then bring back the headless fish to the nest. Of course, Ospreys only eat fresh fish.  Western Osprey
 Western Osprey
 Western Osprey
 Western Osprey - 1 adult and 2 babies in the nest
Listen to the Osprey
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Walking to the boat and there are American Black Vultures on the parking lot. Later on, the Guide on the boat tour tells me that the Black Vultures like to eat the rubbers on the cars parked in the shadow under the trees as people would normally do. The window wipers are the first to be eaten and then the start with the rubber around the sunroof. So, if you come here, you should not park in the shadow.  American Black Vulture
 American Black Vulture
  American Crow
 American Crow
 American Crow
  Laughing Gull
 Laughing Gull
 Laughing Gull
 Laughing Gull
 Today's track at Flamingo Marina
I met the Guide and Captain and it turned out that I was alone on this tour so we took a small boat. I was very happy about this and I can sit alone. We boarded the small boat and we had the safety introduction. How to use the life wests and where to find them etc. We take off and we start by going down to the Osprey nest with the babies.  Leaving the marina for the “Back Country Boat Tour”
 Leaving the marina for the “Back Country Boat Tour”
 We start by looking at the Osprey nest
 Going north in the Flamingo Canal
 Going north in the Flamingo Canal
 Tricoloured Heron
 Green Heron
 Green Heron
We are going north in the Flamingo Canal until we reach Coot Bay. Then we will take the Tarpon Creek to Whitewater Bay and we will turn around in Whitewater Bay and go back to Flamingo Marina. We are looking out for birds and crocodiles on the way. There were not many birds to be seen and my Guide was talking non-stop about the different trees and I had about zero interest in the trees.  We meet a house boat for rent on Tarpon Creek
We reach the Whitewater Bay and I ask them to turn around to go back. I have seen enough of open water and I am here to see the birds and I would like to be close to the shore line. Back in the Flamingo Canal and we spotted a couple of crocodiles. I also spotted one Bald Eagle soaring high up in the sky. I thought it was a Turkey Vulture as most of the raptors I see. But I had a look through my zoom lens, and it was a Bald Eagle. We had one Tricoloured Heron fling next to us and I took a couple of pictures of the bird.  Tricoloured Heron
 Tricoloured Heron
 Tricoloured Heron
 Today's track with “Back Country Boat Tour”
I have about 90 minutes to kill before my next tour with Flamingo Adventures, the “Florida Bay Boat Tour” I stopped at the mini mart, the only shop in Everglades National Park to see if they had any MON CARB food. I had forgotten my pic-nick at my hotel room. Nothing, but they had mozzarella sticks wrapped in salami so I bought this and I took off to explore the Eco Pond Trail 2 minutes away with car. I parked the car at the entrance and I enjoyed my mozzarella together with a MAX before I got out of the car.
I was disappointed, there was no trail, a lawn 15 meters wide and there were bushes between the trail and the pond so it was not easy to see anything on the pond, well, it was impossible to see anything on the pond.  Turkey Vulture
 Pond on the right-hand side and as you can see, impossible to see anything
 I find one platform and I can see 3 Tricoloured Heron in the pond
  Northern Mockingbird
I spotted one Mockingbird just before I turned out on the platform. There was not much birds in the area and I met a few other birders and they had also been coming up with ZERO. Back at the car and it was for sure not impressed with my checklist.
 Today's track at Eco Pond Trail
I stopped at the camping area on the way to the marina to see if there were any birds. I spotted one Osprey sitting in a dead tree eating the head of the fish. So, this might be food for the babies as there is at least two nests in the area.  Osprey eating the head of a fish
 Osprey eating the head of a fish
 Osprey eating the head of a fish
I drive back to the marina for my 12 o'clock departure for the “Florida Bay Boat Tour”. And now I see the warning sign in the marine. My Guide on the morning tour told me about the American Black Vultures. The like to eat the rubber from the cars. Window wipers disappear quickly and the rubber around the roof top opening etc. So, park the car in the sun as they attack the cars in the shadow first. There is an American Crow close to the boarding and I can get some pictures and a sound recording of the bird before I board the tour boat. Listen to the American Crow
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 Careful with the vultures
 There are plenty Manatees swimming around in the marina
 Leaving for the “Florida Bay Boat Tour”
 Leaving the marina
 Our hero ready for a new adventure
 We pass a crocodile on the way out
We leave the marina and we see a couple of crocodiles having a rest. We steer towards the first island and no one is using life jacket as the sea is very shallow, 3 feet of water so we could have walked there. And at low tide they have problem with boats running aground. We reach the first island and there are a couple of birds on the island.  Great White egret
 Roseate Spoonbill
 Great Blue Heron
 American White Pelican
We leave the first island behind and I can see a lot of pelicans when we approaching the second island. There are only a very few white pelicans as the have moved north to breed. But there are many Brown Pelicans in the water and sitting in the trees when we pass with the boat. We see the normal herons and egrets and we star to turn back to the marina. We see more crocodiles entering the marina and there is also one  Brown Pelican
 Brown Pelican
 Crocodile
 Crocodile
 Coming back to Flamingo Marina
 Time to come ashore
 Time to come ashore
 Today's track with “Florida Bay Boat Tour”
I had already done the West Lake Trails on my first day, this was planned for today. So, I can cancel this. But I have two more trails to do before going back to my hotel, Best Western Gateway to the Keys. • Mahogany Hammock Trail • Pa-hay-okee Trail   Sandhill Crane
 Sandhill Crane
I leave Flamingo Marina and when I turn off the main road getting up on the Mahogany Hammock Road, I spot one Sandhill Crane in the wetland. I stop to try to get some pictures before I continue towards the Mahogany Hammock Trail.
Mahogany Hammock Trail is a nice trail, but no birds. In the middle of the day and they are having a rest. Could hear some birds. I met a couple that was looking for birds as well, and they were the one in the car looking at the Sandhill Crane when I arrived  Mahogany Hammock Trail
 Mahogany Hammock Trail
 Mahogany Hammock Trail
 Mahogany Hammock Trail
 Today's track at Mahogany Hammock Trail
I left the Mahogany Hammock Trail and I was getting tired and hungry. Up early and busy all day long. But I want to see the Pahayokee Overlook and the road usually have plenty birds in the wetland next to the road. Took me 15 minutes to get there. I got up on the trail and it takes about 3 minutes to reach the overlook. And that includes a stop to remove a stone from my shoe. There is nothing but grass and wetland for long as you can see  Pa-hay-okee Trail
 Pa-hay-okee Trail
 Pa-hay-okee Trail
 Grass/ wetland for long as you can see
 Grass/ wetland for long as you can see
 Grass/ wetland for long as you can see
 Grass/ wetland for long as you can see
 Today's track at Pa-hay-okee Trail
I am ready for today, back to Florida City to buy some stuff at Walmart and to have a look at the birds on the Walmart parking lot.  Boat-tailed Grackle
 Lizard on the parking
 Lizard on the parking
  Common Myna
 Boat-tailed Grackle
 Boat-tailed Grackle
 Eurasian Collared Dove / Turkduva
 Eurasian Collared Dove / Turkduva
 Eurasian Collared Dove / Turkduva
 Laughing Gull
 Female Boat-tailed Grackle
 Today's track at Walmart
I spent the evening in my room and tomorrow I will start to explore Everglades National Park along highway #41. Highway #41 cross the National Park. The road to Flamingo Visitor Center ends at the Visitor Center. But highway #41 is not part of the Everglades National Park. But I still need my entry permit as I will enter the national park when I leave the highway. Click HERE to find out if I spot any birds.
    
  You are visitor no.
To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
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Species lifer: First time that someone observes a species in their life
Photo lifer: First time that someone photographs a species in their life
Audio lifer: First time that someone audio records a species in their life
Naturalized: Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).
Provisional: Either: 1) member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2) rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.
Escapee: Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
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