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| Ghost orchids |
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| Spider lily and strangler fig |
And scarlet
hibiscus, pickerel weed, spider lily, alligator flag and more!
Corkscrew
Swamp Sanctuary http://corkscrew.audubon.org/ was the perfect place for a shady
walk in July with walking buddy, Mary Murray. The prospect of viewing the ghost
orchids was a special bonus. Volunteers had a scope trained on the elusive blooms so visitors could share the thrill. Reporters from the Naples Daily
News http://www.naplesnews.com/ arrived to see firsthand the cause for the buzz. No
question seeing the ghost orchids was a treat, but we thoroughly enjoyed the
other wildflowers, whether or not we could identify them.
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| Juvenile red shouldered hawk |
Wildlife too
. . . We heard a lot of hawk noise. Then we were rewarded with a view of a
juvenile red shouldered hawk who watched us watching him. Eventually he flew
off squawking apparently hoping for his next meal. Along the way we had a great
view of an alligator lounging just below the surface. We saw a cardinal having
lunch on the boardwalk railing. Wow!
Quantities
of butterflies flitted from flower to flower well within viewing/identification
range. Yay!
Not to be
missed are the landmark cypress trees, some more than 500 years old, towering
80+ feet and boasting a girth of 14 – 22’.
We also
learned an unhappy history lesson. Wading birds were slaughtered for their
plumage to adorn hats popular in the late 1800’s.
So much
more. History + nature = an interesting excursion. Bring your lunch. There is
an excellent interpretive center and nature store. Do plan to take it all
in. Plenty of parking. Admission fee.
“I only went
out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out,
I found, was really going in.”
John Muir
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| Host tree with orchids, bromeliads, fungi |
