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ANN AND ROLAND GO TO FLORIDA
JUNE 2016
This was not specifically a birding holiday. It was intended to be for relaxation but it didn’t stop us
taking our binoculars and scope with us! We flew into Miami then drove down to Key West and back
staying at Homestead for 6 nights and Marathon for four. Staying at Homestead gave us easy access
to the Everglades plus the opportunity to go snorkelling whilst Homestead was good for the Keys
and more snorkelling
The Everglades
We were very saddened by the amount of habitat destruction here and also by how little access we
had to the actual Everglades themselves. On our first day we drove along the 9336 which took us
from the Ernest F.Coe Visitor Centre right down to Flamingo (38miles). We were really looking
forward to exploring the Anhinga and Gumbo limbo trails at Royal Palm but the former was closed
and the second had the worst mosquitoes we have ever had the misfortune to come across! They
were doing restoration work on the Anhinga Trail (0.8miles) so could only walk the first few hundred
yards which were alive with Plains Lubber Grasshoppers. These are very large and colourful with
beautiful markings and it was obviously the mating season! The other grasshoppers to be found here
are smaller and dark in colour. They are called Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers. We also managed to
see a baby alligator. All we saw down the Gumbo limbo trail (0.4miles) was a couple of toads! And
mozzies.
We went to Flamingo next, passing Rock Reef Pass at the dizzying height of 6 feet above sea level
and a few trails one of which was about 50m long. At Flamingo, we were really taken by the Ospreys
– not only were they numerous, they were also quite approachable. We booked a boat ride as it had
been recommended at the Visitors’ Centre but it was a bit of a dead loss really. These narrated boat
tours go along a man-made channel into West Lake. We saw a young Manatee River Dolphins a
Snowy egret, a Green heron and a Tri-coloured heron. The day was still relatively young so we had a
quick scout round the area and then retraced our steps stopping at Pa-hay-okee overlook,
Mahogany Hammock and Paurotis Pond. The first trail was 0.2 miles long and was just a view over
the Everglades. We had been told that at Mahogany Hammock we would feel like we were in
Jurassic Park, it was so authentic but we were a little underwhelmed. This was 0.4 miles long and is
described as a jungle-like island forest. We liked Paurotis Pond because there were lots of egrets,
herons, storks and Turkey vultures but the mozzies were a bit of a pain. As we drove past the
Visitors’Centre we stopped in amazement at the sight of the Nighthawks doing just that, hawking in
the twilight. Magic.
Tea was at Hibachi
The next day (Saturday)saw us at Shark Valley where we had booked a wet walk. We saw quite a lot
of dead crocodiles by the roadside as we travelled parallel to the canal on route 41. WE arrived too
early for the walk so had a bit of a walk round before we all grouped together ready for the walk in
the River Shark. We were walking through deeper water than we had been led to expect and in mud
which sucked your feet down or on limestone and the surface looked as though it was covered in
turds. It wasn’t long before I lost my footwear and landed in the water! Not much harm done except
to my pride but I elected to return to the path and Roland came with me. The others carried on but
did not enjoy themselves much or see anything interesting as we learned later. We were glad we
had turned back. There are only two short trails at Shark Valley: Bobcat Boardwalk (0.4miles) which
takes you through sawgrass marsh and a bayhead and Otter Cave (1.0m) which takes you through a
tropical hardwood hammock. Tram Road is 15miles long and when you get to the end, you just turn
round and come back again! There is a tram tour you can take or you can hire a bike. We stuck to
our own two feet and whilst we didn’t see much, we did enjoy the walk and the excellent views of
Anhingas plus we saw a crocodile or two. Next up was the Cooper airboat ride which lasted 40
minutes, was quite informative and saw us stuck in the tall grasses! Fortunately, one of the
Page 1 of 6
Page 2 of 6
passengers had a better idea of how to get unstuck than our driver. Not much to see but interesting.
We decided to pass on the 20 minute animal show, having seen the sad-looking crocodiles cooped
up in pens. The temperature was up to 98degrees by this time and after lunch we decided to go back
to the Everglades via Robert’s. Robert Is Here is a huge fruit and vegetable shop which also sells
home produce, milk shakes, smoothies etc. It’s rather expensive but very popular. The drinks are
fantastic, with a huge range of flavours. Well worth the queuing and just what you need when it’s
roasting hot! He has some bird houses where he claims that Purple Martins nest. That it is in fact the
southern limit for them but I would suggest that the Sparrows have taken over! We revisited some
of yesterday’s spots plus the trails and viewing points we hadn’t already been to (Pinelands, 0.4m,
and West Lake 0.4m). and were delighted to find White-crowned pigeons near Flamingo! Must
remember to tell Dave Gosney! The mozzies at the Eco Pond were pretty bad but we had great views
of Red-bellied woodpecker and also If you follow the road through the campsite you can get to
Florida Bay and whilst we were hoping to see more birdlife here we didn’t see anything new.
Pauratis Pond was quieter than the previous day which was a bit of a surprise as it is where the
egrets, herons etc roost though there was a very vocal juvenile Red-shouldered hawk who kept
posing for photos!. Still no sign of the Roseate spoonbill which was rumoured to be in the area
though we had kept stopping to look for it.
Tea was at the Golden Corrall and we had a quick walk round Wallmart before bed.
Sunday was the day I had been dreading for weeks. I was not a happy bunny when I discovered that
Roland intended part of this holiday to be devoted to snorkelling. Due to a very unfortunate incident
in Tobago where I nearly drowned, I had developed a distinct fear of the sea and, more specifically,
snorkelling. This time, however, I had my own snorkelling gear and prescription goggles. An absolute
necessity for someone short-sighted like me. I made the captain well aware of my fears and he was
great. I was able to get into the sea last, had my snorkelling jacket inflated and a noodle tucked
round me. He made sure I was ok when I got in the water, that my breathing was ok and made my
other half promise not to let go of my hand. And it was ok. It really was. And every time I looked up,
the captain was watching. He was a great chap and really looked after me. I can heartily recommend
Keys Diver(www.keysdiver.com) at Key Largo. We actually stopped in 3 different places, including
the Christ of the Abyss and I almost enjoyed myself
.
We had tea in Key Largo – massive portions of fish and chips and then the heavens opened and we
had a right humdinger of a storm. Fantastic lightning show.
The “African Queen” of film fame is moored in Key Largo. It’s very small!
We got up at 5h30 on Monday to be at John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park for 7. It was very
windy and the park wasn’t open when we arrived. We had to queue up and pay to go into the park
and of course when we got to the shop, we were told that the snorkelling had been cancelled
because of the weather. We were not exactly surprised and decided to have a look round the park
instead. We investigated the nearby trail but there were way too many mozzies so we went into the
aquarium then decided to make our way back towards the Everglades, stopping off en-route for a
“giant fish sandwich” for Roland. This turned out to be anything but giant so don’t fall for the ads!
We found the pigeons again round Flamingo and watched a huge turtle on the Anhinga Trail There
were also some Eastern lubber grasshoppers out today. Not quite as outrageous as the Plains ones
but still very nice. No baby alligator No nighthawks.
Tea at Cracker Barrel which I really liked.
Tuesday,we moved to Marathon. The weather was awful when we got up – thundering and wet. It
continued to rain nearly all the way there. We visited the information centre and shop at our hotel
before leaving – the volunteers there are very friendly but didn’t know what a dollar coin was. They
claimed to have never seen one before and didn’t want to accept one in case they weren’t legal
tender. Weird. Obviously lead a very sheltered life. We stopped off at an Orchid Growers I had
spotted RF Orchids, it was called. The garden round the car park is really beautiful and a foretaste of
what you are going to see inside, We were greeted by the owner (Robert Fuchs) who offered us iced
lemonade before explaining the layout of the place and where we could or could not go. We were
Page 2 of 6
Page 3 of 6
then left on our own to explore and take photos. I was in seventh heaven because I love orchids and
am always buying them but today I couldn’t. We had a really good look round then got chatting
to the owner who told us he exhibits at Chelsea every year. He then asked me what colour I liked
best and disappeared momentarily returning with a beautiful Japanese-style parasol whish he
presented to me. He then took us to his house next door to share his beautiful garden with us. There
are tours of it at the weekend but this was a weekday and we had our own little tour. Lovely man,
lovely place.
We had our lunch at Lazy Days in Islamadoro. Nice setting on the beach and a delicious massive
shrimp sandwich. We were kept entertained by the Red-winged blackbirds running about the area
presumably searching for crumbs and other titbits. The Double-crested cormorants perching on the
jetty were amazingly confiding. And the rain had stopped. We should have been going snorkelling
today with “Happy Cat” (www.robbies.com) but it had been cancelled because of the weather but
we went back to see if they had reconsidered given the change in the weather. They had but we
decided not to go because the visibility would have been poor. Secretly I was quite pleased because,
despite my success the other day, I was still frightened. We hung around for a while watching the
Brown pellies – very confiding because they are used to being fed by tourists and we also saw sharks
and pipefish in the shallows plus some rather splendid looking egrets. We decided to go to Long Key
State Park (6 dollars for a car with 2 passengers) and really enjoyed walking the Golden Orb and the
Layton Trails here as they took us through a variety of habitats and it just so nice, especially the
crabs who were out in force after the recent rain. The mozzies were too, of course, but they were
bearable. We even saw Golden orb spiders which are pretty impressive. I saw a snake and there
were lots of White ibis on the beach with strange coloration. This park was once the site of Henry
Flagler’s Long Key Fishing Camp. In the early 20th century, the fishing camp was a popular luxury
destination along Flagler's railroad for the rich and famous, as well as many of the world's great salt
water anglers of the time. The entire facility was destroyed during the Labour Day Hurricane of 1935
and never reopened. Today, people go fishing, snorkelling, kayaking, camping etc. Next we went to
check in at Tropical Cottages which did not quite live up to our expectations! These were glorified
trailers and a bit past their best plus you could hear everything that was going on in the adjoining
rooms. There was air-conditioning but the unit was in the bathroom, out of the ark and very noisy. It
did cover up the sound of the TV next door though. It transpired that the adults had gone out,
leaving the children on their own with the TV turned full up. We got them to turn it down but it was
on all night! The situation was not repeated. If you walked down to the end of the road you came to
the Gulf of Mexico which was nice. There were lots of birds in the trees including and Tufted titmice
which are so, so cute.
We had tea at the Keys Fisheries which everyone raved about. Probably more for its quirkiness than
the quality of its food. You order this at a hatch and it is delivered to you wherever you choose to sit
on the decking. Nice views across the harbour and ocean if you sit in the right spot and a beautiful
sunset to boot. The Red-winged blackbirds were out in force here too and there were signs up
asking you to “Feed the fish, not the birds”! Oh – mustn’t forget the Monitor Lizards! Saw loads of
them today by the roadside! Big nuisance, apparently as they are an introduced species and not
native. How often do we hear this complaint?
Nice lazy start to Wednesday with breakfast at the Wooden Spoon which has its interior walls
decorated with ... yes, you’ve guessed it, wooden spoons! I had yummy French toast with nuts and
fruit whilst his lordship opted for a chilli omelette with chips. Time for the snorkelling. Not as helpful
as the first lot and harder to get off the back of the boat. Freaked out at the first stop (Checco Rocks)
so got back on and practised my breathing but I was fine at the second spot (Lighthouse)where the
waves weren’t as big. Lynn had to rescue someone – he and his friends had hired a boat and were
doing their own thing. Not always a good idea. The sea was much calmer on our way back. Time for
the State Park again in the hopes of finding Key West quail dove, No sign of it, but plenty of Red
cardinals and less mozzies. Time for an ice-cream next – very nice it was too.
Page 3 of 6
Ann and Roland Go To Florida June 2016.pdf
Displaying Ann and Roland Go To Florida June 2016.pdf.
1
/6
Page 1 of 6
ANN AND ROLAND GO TO FLORIDA
JUNE 2016
This was not specifically a birding holiday. It was intended to be for relaxation but it didn’t stop us
taking our binoculars and scope with us! We flew into Miami then drove down to Key West and back
staying at Homestead for 6 nights and Marathon for four. Staying at Homestead gave us easy access
to the Everglades plus the opportunity to go snorkelling whilst Homestead was good for the Keys
and more snorkelling
The Everglades
We were very saddened by the amount of habitat destruction here and also by how little access we
had to the actual Everglades themselves. On our first day we drove along the 9336 which took us
from the Ernest F.Coe Visitor Centre right down to Flamingo (38miles). We were really looking
forward to exploring the Anhinga and Gumbo limbo trails at Royal Palm but the former was closed
and the second had the worst mosquitoes we have ever had the misfortune to come across! They
were doing restoration work on the Anhinga Trail (0.8miles) so could only walk the first few hundred
yards which were alive with Plains Lubber Grasshoppers. These are very large and colourful with
beautiful markings and it was obviously the mating season! The other grasshoppers to be found here
are smaller and dark in colour. They are called Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers. We also managed to
see a baby alligator. All we saw down the Gumbo limbo trail (0.4miles) was a couple of toads! And
mozzies.
We went to Flamingo next, passing Rock Reef Pass at the dizzying height of 6 feet above sea level
and a few trails one of which was about 50m long. At Flamingo, we were really taken by the Ospreys
– not only were they numerous, they were also quite approachable. We booked a boat ride as it had
been recommended at the Visitors’ Centre but it was a bit of a dead loss really. These narrated boat
tours go along a man-made channel into West Lake. We saw a young Manatee River Dolphins a
Snowy egret, a Green heron and a Tri-coloured heron. The day was still relatively young so we had a
quick scout round the area and then retraced our steps stopping at Pa-hay-okee overlook,
Mahogany Hammock and Paurotis Pond. The first trail was 0.2 miles long and was just a view over
the Everglades. We had been told that at Mahogany Hammock we would feel like we were in
Jurassic Park, it was so authentic but we were a little underwhelmed. This was 0.4 miles long and is
described as a jungle-like island forest. We liked Paurotis Pond because there were lots of egrets,
herons, storks and Turkey vultures but the mozzies were a bit of a pain. As we drove past the
Visitors’Centre we stopped in amazement at the sight of the Nighthawks doing just that, hawking in
the twilight. Magic.
Tea was at Hibachi
The next day (Saturday)saw us at Shark Valley where we had booked a wet walk. We saw quite a lot
of dead crocodiles by the roadside as we travelled parallel to the canal on route 41. WE arrived too
early for the walk so had a bit of a walk round before we all grouped together ready for the walk in
the River Shark. We were walking through deeper water than we had been led to expect and in mud
which sucked your feet down or on limestone and the surface looked as though it was covered in
turds. It wasn’t long before I lost my footwear and landed in the water! Not much harm done except
to my pride but I elected to return to the path and Roland came with me. The others carried on but
did not enjoy themselves much or see anything interesting as we learned later. We were glad we
had turned back. There are only two short trails at Shark Valley: Bobcat Boardwalk (0.4miles) which
takes you through sawgrass marsh and a bayhead and Otter Cave (1.0m) which takes you through a
tropical hardwood hammock. Tram Road is 15miles long and when you get to the end, you just turn
round and come back again! There is a tram tour you can take or you can hire a bike. We stuck to
our own two feet and whilst we didn’t see much, we did enjoy the walk and the excellent views of
Anhingas plus we saw a crocodile or two. Next up was the Cooper airboat ride which lasted 40
minutes, was quite informative and saw us stuck in the tall grasses! Fortunately, one of the
Page 1 of 6
Page 2 of 6
passengers had a better idea of how to get unstuck than our driver. Not much to see but interesting.
We decided to pass on the 20 minute animal show, having seen the sad-looking crocodiles cooped
up in pens. The temperature was up to 98degrees by this time and after lunch we decided to go back
to the Everglades via Robert’s. Robert Is Here is a huge fruit and vegetable shop which also sells
home produce, milk shakes, smoothies etc. It’s rather expensive but very popular. The drinks are
fantastic, with a huge range of flavours. Well worth the queuing and just what you need when it’s
roasting hot! He has some bird houses where he claims that Purple Martins nest. That it is in fact the
southern limit for them but I would suggest that the Sparrows have taken over! We revisited some
of yesterday’s spots plus the trails and viewing points we hadn’t already been to (Pinelands, 0.4m,
and West Lake 0.4m). and were delighted to find White-crowned pigeons near Flamingo! Must
remember to tell Dave Gosney! The mozzies at the Eco Pond were pretty bad but we had great views
of Red-bellied woodpecker and also If you follow the road through the campsite you can get to
Florida Bay and whilst we were hoping to see more birdlife here we didn’t see anything new.
Pauratis Pond was quieter than the previous day which was a bit of a surprise as it is where the
egrets, herons etc roost though there was a very vocal juvenile Red-shouldered hawk who kept
posing for photos!. Still no sign of the Roseate spoonbill which was rumoured to be in the area
though we had kept stopping to look for it.
Tea was at the Golden Corrall and we had a quick walk round Wallmart before bed.
Sunday was the day I had been dreading for weeks. I was not a happy bunny when I discovered that
Roland intended part of this holiday to be devoted to snorkelling. Due to a very unfortunate incident
in Tobago where I nearly drowned, I had developed a distinct fear of the sea and, more specifically,
snorkelling. This time, however, I had my own snorkelling gear and prescription goggles. An absolute
necessity for someone short-sighted like me. I made the captain well aware of my fears and he was
great. I was able to get into the sea last, had my snorkelling jacket inflated and a noodle tucked
round me. He made sure I was ok when I got in the water, that my breathing was ok and made my
other half promise not to let go of my hand. And it was ok. It really was. And every time I looked up,
the captain was watching. He was a great chap and really looked after me. I can heartily recommend
Keys Diver(www.keysdiver.com) at Key Largo. We actually stopped in 3 different places, including
the Christ of the Abyss and I almost enjoyed myself
.We had tea in Key Largo – massive portions of fish and chips and then the heavens opened and we
had a right humdinger of a storm. Fantastic lightning show.
The “African Queen” of film fame is moored in Key Largo. It’s very small!
We got up at 5h30 on Monday to be at John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park for 7. It was very
windy and the park wasn’t open when we arrived. We had to queue up and pay to go into the park
and of course when we got to the shop, we were told that the snorkelling had been cancelled
because of the weather. We were not exactly surprised and decided to have a look round the park
instead. We investigated the nearby trail but there were way too many mozzies so we went into the
aquarium then decided to make our way back towards the Everglades, stopping off en-route for a
“giant fish sandwich” for Roland. This turned out to be anything but giant so don’t fall for the ads!
We found the pigeons again round Flamingo and watched a huge turtle on the Anhinga Trail There
were also some Eastern lubber grasshoppers out today. Not quite as outrageous as the Plains ones
but still very nice. No baby alligator No nighthawks.
Tea at Cracker Barrel which I really liked.
Tuesday,we moved to Marathon. The weather was awful when we got up – thundering and wet. It
continued to rain nearly all the way there. We visited the information centre and shop at our hotel
before leaving – the volunteers there are very friendly but didn’t know what a dollar coin was. They
claimed to have never seen one before and didn’t want to accept one in case they weren’t legal
tender. Weird. Obviously lead a very sheltered life. We stopped off at an Orchid Growers I had
spotted RF Orchids, it was called. The garden round the car park is really beautiful and a foretaste of
what you are going to see inside, We were greeted by the owner (Robert Fuchs) who offered us iced
lemonade before explaining the layout of the place and where we could or could not go. We were
Page 2 of 6
Page 3 of 6
then left on our own to explore and take photos. I was in seventh heaven because I love orchids and
am always buying them but today I couldn’t. We had a really good look round then got chatting
to the owner who told us he exhibits at Chelsea every year. He then asked me what colour I liked
best and disappeared momentarily returning with a beautiful Japanese-style parasol whish he
presented to me. He then took us to his house next door to share his beautiful garden with us. There
are tours of it at the weekend but this was a weekday and we had our own little tour. Lovely man,
lovely place.
We had our lunch at Lazy Days in Islamadoro. Nice setting on the beach and a delicious massive
shrimp sandwich. We were kept entertained by the Red-winged blackbirds running about the area
presumably searching for crumbs and other titbits. The Double-crested cormorants perching on the
jetty were amazingly confiding. And the rain had stopped. We should have been going snorkelling
today with “Happy Cat” (www.robbies.com) but it had been cancelled because of the weather but
we went back to see if they had reconsidered given the change in the weather. They had but we
decided not to go because the visibility would have been poor. Secretly I was quite pleased because,
despite my success the other day, I was still frightened. We hung around for a while watching the
Brown pellies – very confiding because they are used to being fed by tourists and we also saw sharks
and pipefish in the shallows plus some rather splendid looking egrets. We decided to go to Long Key
State Park (6 dollars for a car with 2 passengers) and really enjoyed walking the Golden Orb and the
Layton Trails here as they took us through a variety of habitats and it just so nice, especially the
crabs who were out in force after the recent rain. The mozzies were too, of course, but they were
bearable. We even saw Golden orb spiders which are pretty impressive. I saw a snake and there
were lots of White ibis on the beach with strange coloration. This park was once the site of Henry
Flagler’s Long Key Fishing Camp. In the early 20th century, the fishing camp was a popular luxury
destination along Flagler's railroad for the rich and famous, as well as many of the world's great salt
water anglers of the time. The entire facility was destroyed during the Labour Day Hurricane of 1935
and never reopened. Today, people go fishing, snorkelling, kayaking, camping etc. Next we went to
check in at Tropical Cottages which did not quite live up to our expectations! These were glorified
trailers and a bit past their best plus you could hear everything that was going on in the adjoining
rooms. There was air-conditioning but the unit was in the bathroom, out of the ark and very noisy. It
did cover up the sound of the TV next door though. It transpired that the adults had gone out,
leaving the children on their own with the TV turned full up. We got them to turn it down but it was
on all night! The situation was not repeated. If you walked down to the end of the road you came to
the Gulf of Mexico which was nice. There were lots of birds in the trees including and Tufted titmice
which are so, so cute.
We had tea at the Keys Fisheries which everyone raved about. Probably more for its quirkiness than
the quality of its food. You order this at a hatch and it is delivered to you wherever you choose to sit
on the decking. Nice views across the harbour and ocean if you sit in the right spot and a beautiful
sunset to boot. The Red-winged blackbirds were out in force here too and there were signs up
asking you to “Feed the fish, not the birds”! Oh – mustn’t forget the Monitor Lizards! Saw loads of
them today by the roadside! Big nuisance, apparently as they are an introduced species and not
native. How often do we hear this complaint?
Nice lazy start to Wednesday with breakfast at the Wooden Spoon which has its interior walls
decorated with ... yes, you’ve guessed it, wooden spoons! I had yummy French toast with nuts and
fruit whilst his lordship opted for a chilli omelette with chips. Time for the snorkelling. Not as helpful
as the first lot and harder to get off the back of the boat. Freaked out at the first stop (Checco Rocks)
so got back on and practised my breathing but I was fine at the second spot (Lighthouse)where the
waves weren’t as big. Lynn had to rescue someone – he and his friends had hired a boat and were
doing their own thing. Not always a good idea. The sea was much calmer on our way back. Time for
the State Park again in the hopes of finding Key West quail dove, No sign of it, but plenty of Red
cardinals and less mozzies. Time for an ice-cream next – very nice it was too.
Page 3 of 6
Ann and Roland Go To Florida June 2016.pdf
Displaying Ann and Roland Go To Florida June 2016.pdf.
