Wakodahatchee Wetlands and Loxahatchee NWR
On our second day in South Florida we spent the morning at Wakodahatchee Wetlands. It’s another Palm Beach County park that has become a nesting rookery for Wood Storks. There was also a lot of various Herons and Anhingas, some with babies! In the afternoon we we to Loxahatchee NWR. We were there a little bit too early as there wasn’t a lot out, although we did see a Northern Harrier a long ways out and a Swallow-tailed Kite that snuck up and flew 20 feet away! Too quick to get a photo but awesome to see.
Wakodahatchee Wetlands
Wood Stork comes in for a landing in a tree full of other Wood Storks
Male Anhinga calling out to its mate
Male Anhinga returning with nesting material
Female Anhinga with one of her babies
Hiding among the Wood Storks and Anhingas was this Cattle Egret in breeding colors
Great Blue Heron couple building a nest
Tri-colored Heron hiding in the middle of a tree
One of the speedy Purple Martins in mid-flight
A rather large Iguana in a tree enjoying the morning sun
I had no idea what this was when it flew overhead. Turns out its an Egyptian Goose!
This Cuban Anole is about 12” long. Much bigger than the usual one’s we normally see
Baby Cattle Egrets
A very colorful male Anhinga in breeding colors
Male Anhinga in flight
These Tri-colored Herons were chasing each other all around the lake
Cattle Egret with a stick for the nest
We watched this Cattle Egret go back and forth gathering sticks
A baby Snowy Egret in a hidden nest
Baby Snowy Egrets
Baby Snowy Egrets waiting to be fed
Little dinosaurs, I mean Snowy Egrets
Loxahatchee NWR
Mottled Duck watching over the wetlands
Mottled Duck flying right at me
Great White Egret with a frog that isn’t ready to give up
Wakodahatchee Wetlands was a very interesting place. Lots of wildlife being enjoyed by many people out watching and walking the boardwalk. The fact that there are so many Wood Storks is a good sign of a healthy ecosystem. That’s great to see as the Palm Beach County area is very built up and still growing. The county does a good job ensuring that there remains space for the wildlife. Loxahatchee NWR looks like it would be an interesting place early in the morning or a little later in the evening before sunset.