Birds, Words, Pics + TV
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is a great place for birding, and that includes during the dog days of summer.
The 11-mile drive along the lake’s north shore draws a variety of birds. Sure, there are more birds and more species during fall and winter, but the former muck-farm-turned-wetlands is home to a number of species year-round.
Oh, and alligators … lots and lots and lots of alligators.
I made multiple visits there recently and was surprised by what I saw at this time of year. Take a look:
There were more than 100 Swallow-tailed Kites roosting about. But after a rough night, skimming across the water wasn’t part of their plans.
This endangered Whooping crane – one of about 400-600 that still exist in the wild – lives where a subdivision is gobbling up its habitat.
I visited near sunset on Tuesday and ended up seeing three sets of youngsters – baby Roseate Spoonbills, baby Great Egrets and, of course, Sandhill Crane colts.