Farewell, Flamingos: Our Final Week in Florida
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Hello fellow wanderer! Our time in Florida is coming to an end, and I think I'm feeling a little sad. We've had some fantastic experiences, and I've checked several items off my bucket list. For the record, though, roseate spoonbills and flamingos will ALWAYS be on the list! The photo above is one of my favorites because I got a close-up of this beautiful and fascinating flamingo. Wildlife refuges and wetlands have been my favorite places to explore, hands down. Last week, I finally made it over to Wakodahatchee Wetlands. A mouthful, right? The locals pronounce it as wa-koh-duh-HATCH-ee, which is much better than wacko-duh-hatch-ee (but don't ask how I know that). I discovered this place by scrolling through YouTube videos on bird photography. I found one of my favorite photographers, Rick Sammon, who visited often and highly recommended the place. It was great advice! Like Orlando Wetlands, it is designed to recycle highly treated wastewater, making it a win-win in my book! I love that Florida has found a way to use nature so amazingly. This practice provides around 50 acres of marsh habitat for all wetland birds. Thanks to an abundance of Pond Apple trees, this location has become a Wood Stork nesting spot from February through April. And what a sight that was—nesting storks clacking their beaks like castanets and squawking for their next meal! The woodstork families were so fun to watch, but they were not the only wildlife to enjoy. There were so many iguanas! Spotting them in the trees and around the water became a game! After having fun at the wetlands, we enjoyed more of the gorgeous waters of the Atlantic at Juno Beach. Seriously, can you believe that water?? As our time here winds down, I’m holding onto the stillness of the wetlands, the flash of pink in shallow waters, and the quiet joy of discovering the unexpected. I’ll be sharing my favorite adventures next week—if there’s something you're curious about, I’d love to hear from you!
PS: If you didn't get a chance to check out last week's new blog post, give it a read here. |
