Too ridiculously hot to cycle today, so drove Harriet's car down to the Southern Everglades. Once away from the suburbs there are enormous hedgeless field growing fruit and veg - lots of potatoes and pineapple, then avocados and beans. Workers are weeding and picking in the hot sun.
In the National park the road is very quiet, with short spurs off to viewing platforms on lakes, boardwalks through mangroves, or on slight rises above sea level there are Hardwood Hammocks - small stands of trees. We spot a road sign we are not familiar with in Devon!
At the visitor centre Park Rangers provide tarpaulins to cover parked cars in order to protect them from the Black Vultures. Apparently they love to peck at rubber trim, and windscreen wipers... I saw one flock pull a tarpaulin off a vehicle. An alligator near the waters edge enjoys his lunch of Turtle - a foot sticking out of his mouth. It seems reluctant to share lunch with the vultures.
The Park road ends at Flamingo Bay, where Osprey nest on top of poles and tall trees. One dives and pulls out a fish. A large pink bird overhead is a Roseate Spoonbill. Trees are full of roosting Snowy and Great Egrets.
The boat chandler sells us two coffees for three dollars. We sit in the shade and watch a few canoeists and fisher men in shallow motor boats, pottering around at the mangrove edges.
Location:Flamingo Bay
