Red oaks and cypress trees reaching toward the sky,
Moss dangling from branches,
Vultures watching me.
In the distance a pier,
Inviting me to the river,
Reaching the end I peer down,
A cute little eye, looking up at me.
A Stroll Through the WoodsOdd Bird OutA pier leading to the Suwannee RiverI See You
Manatee Springs is an important winter refuge for West Indian manatees. From November through April, these gentle giants are regular visitors to the spring. (taken from park brochure)
Bubble!!Manatee Spring – Florida’s largest freshwater springs. An Inviting 72 DegreesManatee Springs is a favorite diving spot.
Reflection Art:
Three’s a Crowd
Park Visitors:
All aloneHigh above the SpringNorthern Cardinal (female)LookoutsPost Ornament
With no TV, no internet (at times we will get extremely slow service) and no cell service (text messaging works fine) what to do other than walk the parks 8.5 miles of trails, take photos of Manatee Springs and the Suwannee River, bird watch and just enjoy this beautiful park.
There are 78 campsites in the park and they are pretty primitive with water and electric. We were in shock when we first arrived, but now just love this park.
One loop is closed for renovation and will have a brand new bath house and new, improved sites with FULL hookups. This loop will hopefully be open by May, 2015.
Sorry for not responding to comments, I truly appreciate each and everyone! We leave here Sunday and will be back in communication!! (I hope.)
With one last opportunity to observe the beautiful Myakka River and the numerous birds that visit this area, we stood on a bridge and looked out across the water. I knew, for this winter season, it would be my last visit to Myakka River State Park. I fell in love with this state park and this spot on the bridge.
The next morning we were leaving and I remember feeling sad. My photos of this Tricolored Heron were taken on this evening.
The Tricolored heron, formerly known as Louisiana Heron, is truly gorgeous The name tricolored refers to the dark upperparts, white underparts, and the reddish brown stripes on the fore neck. You will often see this heron wading out into a salt marsh belly deep; deeper than most other herons.
The heron was running back and forth stirring the water hoping to scare up something to eat. He didn’t know it, but he was entertaining us with his actions.
By this time the sun was setting and the light was fading. The heron seemed to become more frantic trying to catch something to eat before nightfall. It was getting harder to capture sharp shots, but it sure was fun trying. Several times he would run, stop and lift his wings over his head!
Thank you Tricolored for giving me a wonderful experience, making me smile and lifting my sadness. I hope to see you again when we return to Myakka River.
A couple of weeks ago, while staying at Myakka River State Park, near Sarasota, Florida, we decided to take an afternoon ride to explore the park. We noticed a gravel road off the main road and turned in. Traveling down unexplored roads, not knowing what lies ahead, is a thrill and what keeps us motivated to continue doing what we do. We reached a dead end, parked the car, got out and began to explore.
There were a couple of picnic tables; however the area didn’t seem to be visited as often as some of the other well known parts of the park. The grass showed no worn pattern and there wasn’t any trash on the ground.
From our vantage point at the top of the river bank, we could see the coffee colored Myakka River below, lazily meandering along. The filtered rays of the sun reflecting off its surface.
Finally, our eyes landed on a beautiful and unexpected sight. On a tree branch, that hung out over the river, sat a Green Heron. You can bet he spotted us before we spotted him.
The heron was resting with one leg tucked under its belly and occasionally it would begin to preen. I hope it had a full belly.
Preening
It didn’t seem concerned about us being there; we were perhaps fifteen feet away. The density of the trees and surrounding foliage, blocking sunlight, created a photo challenge.
The heron continued to pose for me and remained unconcerned of our presence.
A feather in its bill.
I guess he did give me the evil eye or perhaps he was just saying hello!
I treasure experiences like this – the joy of being out in nature, the welcoming silence of the woods, the calming affect of the flowing water and the unexpected pleasure of a sighting.
The pleasure was all mine. After a while we got back into the car and as we traversed the gravel road, back to the main road, we carried with us a fond memory.
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