Hi, everyone!
On Friday morning, Grandma got me up really early! Uncle Steven took us to the airport at 4 a.m. and it was 0 degrees F.! I got a chance to see the new airport canopy all lit up in the dark! Grandma and Grandpa and I took a flight to New York City that landed before sunrise. Then we had a wait before our next flight, to Fort Myers Florida! When we got to Florida, the first thing I did was take off my hoodie, because it was 70 degrees F. and sunny!
Grandpa rented a car and we all drove to Captiva Island. We’re staying the same place we stayed two years ago, but this time we were upgraded to a two bedroom unit. I have a bedroom all to myself! On Saturday morning, we had breakfast on the porch! It was Ground Hog Day, so Grandma took me out on the beach to look for my shadow. I saw my shadow on the boardwalk to the beach, and next to a sand castle and even where the shells wash up near the water. I guess we’ll have six more weeks of winter somewhere, but I don’t know where!
We spent the morning on Sanibel Island at the “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Grandma and Grandpa remembered the names of most of the birds they might see, so they decided not to take me on the tram guided tour. I was excited to see some of my bird friends from two years ago as we drove through! There weren’t as many birds as I remembered at the first lookout point, but I did see lots of ospreys fishing or sitting on their nests.
We walked out to the Mangrove Overlook. A little further on, there was a night heron sitting in a tree. We knew to stop to look for it because there were already a group of bird lovers with their binoculars and cameras all aimed in the same direction! When we got to the cross dike trail, we stopped again and took a walk partway down the trail. A volunteer was talking about alligators, but we didn’t see any!
The big pond beyond the cross dike trail was full of birds! There was an egret right by the road moving its head and neck back and forth. I think it was practicing hypnotizing something it wanted to eat! Guess what? We found a whole flock of roseate spoonbills! One of the sandbars was crowded with white pelicans and a few cormorants.
I climbed up to the top of the observation tower to get a better look at all the birds. The sighting telescope helped a lot! I could see schools of fish in the pond, and some of them were jumping right out of the water!
After lunch, Grandma and Grandpa and I took a walk on the beach right in front of our resort. After my big morning, stretching out in the sun felt good! I said hello to the ospreys nesting between our resort and the beach. There was a new turtle sand sculpture to make friends with, and I met a friendly royal tern, too.
On Sunday morning, it was foggy! We decided to go back to “Ding” Darling and at least go to the visitors center. On our way there, we drove out of the fog and had sun for our second visit. We looked at the exhibits in the vistors center. Now I know how to tell alligators and crocodiles apart! The porch at the visitors center is decorated as though you are under the surface of the water in one of the ponds. You have to look up to see the pelicans dipping their beaks under water and the legs of the swimming alligators! I made friends with a manatee family. They were made out of recycled bicycle tires!
Grandma’s friend who volunteers at “Ding” Darling told Grandma that we should walk the Wildlife Education boardwalk, so that’s what we did next. I’m glad we did! The flock of roseate spoonbills was roosting in the trees near the observation deck. The volunteer there had spotted an alligator on the bank and set up his sighting telescope so I could see it!
I saw lots of other birds from the boardwalk, too! There was a little blue heron perched right next to the boardwalk and a tricolored heron in the pond. A pair of ospreys were tending the eggs in their next. The mama osprey was squawking for the papa osprey to bring her more fish! Then the little blue heron flew up to the top of a tree to sit with a snowy egret.
On our way back to the visitors center, we found another boardwalk through woods and mangrove. There was a botanical label for a patch of poison ivy! Grandma said she would have just pulled it out rather than labeling it. There were at least three strangler figs wrapping themselves completely around other trees.
The volunteer at the Nature Education boardwalk told us there was another alligator on the cross dike trail, so we drove the main observation road to get there. There was a yellow-crowned night heron posing on one side of the path, then we found the alligator. Grandma made sure I stayed a safe distance away!
Tonight, we all went to the Bubble Room Restaurant for dinner. Grandma says I fit right in there! I think we were seated in the 1930s room. There were promotional movie photos all over and Christmas bubbling candle lights. Mickey Mouse was standing right behind our table! The bubble bread was yummy and so was the orange crunch cake. The servings were so big that we brought home enough food for dinner tomorrow! Before we left, I stopped to see the Christmas room again and made friends with a hippo. I’m glad he wasn’t hungry!
Love,
Lion-san
Wonderful, wonderful photos of birds in this blog! You are having a memorable trip already! Enjoy the rest of it.
We are glad you saw your shadow. We think it means that you will have six more weeks of winter therefore we will because we live so close! You have seen lots of birds already. We like the roseate spoonbill birds, they are so pretty. We are glad that Grandma protected you from the alligator and that hippo wasn’t hungry.