Florida 2000

Sunday, April 30th, continued
After leaving Loxahatchee, I took Mac's advice and went to Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Palm Beach County. This is an area that was created to benefit nature and man while utilizing the water from waste treatment plants. It is a magnificent place. Well planted and it has a boardwalk to make wildlife observation easy. They also identify a number of the plants.

The usual herons and egrets were there. Least Terns zipped around in the air, skimming the water for a drink, and diving in for food. They are elegant little birds. Green Herons were all over the place as were Common Moorhens. I saw a Purple Gallinule on a very large plant - it was eating the flowers off the ends. I thought this was unusual behavior, but I would see several others doing it.



Click here for more Purple Gallinule Pictures

As it worked its way to another plant, it spooked a Least Bittern. I was very disappointed because this was the second time this day that I had only gotten a glimpse of one. A little later another flew by, and then another, and then another. It was incredible. The number of Least Bitterns I saw here far surpassed the total I had seen before.

I stopped to photograph a family of Common Moorhens - two adults and four fuzzy little chicks with red on the tops of their heads. Really cute little things. I would see about four more families of moorhens.

Got a good look at a Little Blue Heron standing on a railing. They also had a couple of Purple Martin houses which were appropriately occupied. The martins also flew over the water, skimming it to take a drink. Thought I saw a rail landing in some cattails but, naturally, could not relocate it.

I spent close to two hours there and every minute was worth it.

Wakodahatchee is a must see place.

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