On the boardwalk at Chapel Trail

We normally visit Chapel Trail Nature Preserve in nearby Pembroke Pines in order to observe wildlife from its 1/4 mile boardwalk. I started thinking about what we might have seen ON rather than FROM this structure, so I searched my photo archives and turned up quite a few creatures!

The clouds of a buttermilk sky reflect on the wetlands:





The boardwalk:



A candid shot of Mary Lou trying to find a bittern:



The railing of the boardwalk can be very interesting place to meet a few birds...

...like this Red-shouldered Hawk..



...which promptly flies off:



A Cooper's Hawk:



A pair of Mourning Doves:



A Limpkin:



A couple of combative Northern Mockingbirds:



A Tricolored Heron:



A Snowy Egret, resplendent in "Golden Slippers:"



An immature Little Blue Heron:



Another immature Little Blue Heron with an itch:

 

 Not having hands to scratch it is no problem with a neck like this:

 

An adult Little Blue Heron:




An immature Green Heron:



The yellow-eyed local subspecies of Eastern Towhee:



A Palm Warbler:



An Eastern Phoebe, watching as a male Julia heliconian flies by (not a very tasty morsel):



A White-winged Dove:



A brace of wizened Black Vultures:



At the canoe dock, an Anhinga drying its wings:



Aside from the birds, we saw a native Green Anole. Its population is decreasing because of competition from introduced reptiles, such as...



...this Brown Basilisk, on the floor of the boardwalk, descendant of an escaped or unwanted exotic pet:



Of course, we saw many beautiful butterflies, but only this Ruddy Daggerwing rested on the boardwalk rail:


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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to I Heart Macro by Laura

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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