We've lived in Orlando since 1989 and for that entire time, we lived close to the Shingle Creek Nature Trail and that's where I'd walk the dogs and get my wildlife shots. It was 3 miles from the house and I could get there in 5 minutes. Lots of birds, some really cool Otters and various other mammals. Last year about this time, we moved to a different location in Orlando and it's been difficult for me to get back to my old haunts. I've been searching for a place to view and shoot wildlife closer to where we live now. And today I found it: Orlando Wetlands Park.
The park is located in Christmas. Honest. It's just East of downtown Orlando. Even has a post office but more about that later. When I got to the park, I noticed that there was a pavilion with maps, replicas of the more arcane wildlife and an historical review. Nice. I checked out the trails and decided to take the 2.3 mile, "birding route". Within the first mile, I had taken shots of Ibis, Egrets, and several species of ducks and Coots. Then, I read the sign about not feeding the Alligators
. Which, of course, immediately made me look closer to the edges of the water and, sure enough, my first sighting was a gaggle of baby Gators sunning themselves on a culvert.
Now, I may not be the brightest bulb in the marquee but I know enough to be aware that when you see babies, mom can't be too far away. And, sure enough, a few paces up the path I spotted her.
She was a BIG girl! Got past her and took one last shot of her while keeping my footing firmly on the path.
I kept a close watch on the shoreline for the rest of my walk and must have seen over a dozen gators of various sizes and ages. This one looks like he was the babies' big brother from last year's litters.
My primary intent in walking the trail was to see the birds and while I didn't get to see my great quest -- the Swallow-tailed Kite -- I did see lots of other birds. One situation really caught my attention: it started innocently enough with a Wood Stork minding his own business munching his lunch.
Then, soaring in from the North came . . . TROUBLE!
The resident Stork had no intention of sharing his dining spot and so the two boys discussed it vigorously.
And, quickly, the interloper was vanquished. The entire walk took just over an hour and made me want to get back there closer to sunset to see what I can capture.
Enjoy,
Jim
. We've always been close to big-city amenities so Orlando meets our needs. But we love the things that St. Augustine has that Orlando does not. Namely, the Atlantic Ocean. 
