David's Images of the Day Photoblog
It was a very quiet New Year’s Eve at Clyde Butcher’s retreat. Before checking out I got a few more images. Great Egret, what I think is a Black-whiskered Vireo [corrected in 2020 — Palm Warbler], one of the baby (one-year old) Alligators, and all of the tennis shows drying after a Swamp Walk. I hope to visit again someday.
The trees are too close together at Clyde Butcher’s retreat to get a good view of the full sky for sunrise or sunset. I found a nearby location near the northern entrance of the Loop road for sunset last night, so I returned for dawn and sunrise. I was not disappointed as the colors in the clouds developed just before sunrise.
I went back to Clyde Butcher’s “Swamp Bungalow” for breakfast. The baby (one-year old) alligators were out next to the pond. Then it was back to the Loop road in Big Cypress National Preserve, with two goals — more birds and alligators, and pictures of the Cypress swamp. The swamp pictures were taken with a Leica T camera and then converted to B&W.
I was told that the Loop road in Big Cypress National Preserve was only partially opened. I still tried it, and it turned out to be open all the way around. There was one section near the southern end that had some water on the road, but not all the way across. The first thing I came across was a Turkey Vulture blocking the road. There were alligators, more birds, and butterflies along the road. And not many other vehicles, which was good since most of the time it is a dirt road. When I got back to Clyde Butcher’s place, there was a Copperhead snake and some Spiders and Webs. Later on I found five Baby (or maybe year old) Alligators sunning themselves on the side of the pond. “Moma” was in the middle of the pond keeping watch. I went back to the start of the Loop Road for sunset.
I traveled down to southern Florida to visit Big Cypress Swamp and the Everglades. My base for next three days is Clyde Butcher’s “Swamp Bungalow” behind his Gallery in Ochopee. I stayed here once before, and during that visit did a guided swamp walk. 10-February-2014.
I arrived mid-afternoon, and after checking in at the Gallery walked back to the pond next to the “Swamp Cottage”. “Moma” the alligator was still there, but I didn’t see any of the babies near her. After cooking dinner, I walked back to the Gallery to access the WiFi. There was another alligator in the pond next to the parking lot that had just caught a big catfish for its dinner.
Silhouette of a Kingfisher with its beak open making a call at dusk. Big Cypress Swamp in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2500 sec). Image converted to B&W with Capture One Pro 7.
