The Wild Side
In Sawgrass Lake Park again. Can you tell I like to go here to explore and adventure.



The Wild

We encountered a gentleman on the boardwalk and he introduced us to Mama Gator. He stated she has about 24 babies. I saw one of the babies.

Mama Gator

Mama Gator
The Flora

Holly

Lantana


These are Beauty Berries


The Unusual
I could not figure out what species of bird this was, so I sent a picture of it to the local Audubon Society to help me identify.
Let me introduce you to a Limpkin. Looks like a cross between a crane and a rail. However, this wading bird does not have any close relatives. I got to see not 1 but 2 Limpkins! These birds are usually solitary.

An unusual bird of southern swamps and marshes. These birds like to eat apple snails hence the shape of their long bill to extract the snails from their shells. This bird enters into Florida and Southern Georgia to satisfy its dietary requirement for apple snails.

I encourage you all to do an internet search for the “Limpkin Call”. Its screaming call is like a haunting banshee wail. This bird was too busy searching for food, so it did not make any noise when around it. In my research I found out these birds mainly call at dawn or at night. I cannot imagine traipsing through the swamp at night and hearing this bird scream – gives me goose bumps writing that!

The Fauna


The Birdlife
Egrets


Heron

Ibis



Moorhen

The Exotic

Do you see the snake?




(Photos by RSheridan)
Have You Taken A Walk On the Wild Side? Happy Exploring & Adventuring!