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Sunday 2nd of April 2023 and I am pretty excited even though it is early morning. I will drive to Everglades City for an early morning 2-and-a-half-hour private bird watching boat trip. And I have also booked the with Everglades Florida Adventures. So, I will start at Chokoloskee for the bird watching boat tour and then I will go to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center for the Ten Thousand Islands Tour. • Private bird watching boat tour • Ten Thousand Islands Tour I will check out the Turner River / Wagonwheel / Birdon Roads Loop Drive on the way back. Click to read the DETAILE GUIDE pdf file. This drive is something I look forward to, especially after the fantastic Loop Road Scenic Drive yesterday. I leave my room at 4 thirty and it is about 2 hours with car to Chokoloskee. Chokoloskee is a small island a couple of minutes of Everglades City. I had no time for breakfast but I opened a MAX when I got out to the car. I keep the MAX in my car only so only water and tea in my room. I was almost alone on the road going north until I reach highway #41 and I enjoy the early morning drive, good music while sipping on a MAX.  Leaving Florida City early morning
 Driving north
 Turning west when reaching highway #41
 Driving west on highway #41
It was pitch dark when I leave and it is pitch dark when I arrive to Chokoloskee. I find the address but no sign of any Guide, they recommended to arrive 15 minutes earlier than departure. But quarter to 7 my Guide came and I followed him in his golf cart to the marina. I took a seat in the boat; it was still dark and foggy so I was a little worried about taking pictures. But as soon as the sun is coming up the fog will disappear.  Chokoloskee marina
 Chokoloskee marina
 Boarding the boat
 Boarding the boat
 Let the fun begin
 Let the fun begin
 Let the fun begin
 Leaving the marina
 Leaving the marina
 Leaving the marina
 Sun is coming up
 Sun is coming up
 Now we just wait for the fog to disappear
 Now we have light for photos
 Brown Pelican
 Swallow-tailed Kite
 Sneaking up on shore birds
 Looking for birds
 Back where we started, at the Egret nest site
 Grey Plover
 Semipalmated Plover
 Sanderling
  Royal Tern
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Osprey on nest
 Tricoloured Heron
 Brown Pelican
 American Oystercatcher
 American Oystercatcher
 American Oystercatcher
 American Oystercatcher
  Back at the marina
 Back at the marina
 Back at the marina
 Back at the marina
 Long Pine Tree
 Today's track in the boat
I have about 2 hours to kill before the departure of the “Ten Thousand Islands Tour” and I will go to check out the Turner River / Wagonwheel / Birdon Roads Loop Drive. Going north from highway #41 just close to the everglades City. But first I stop at the church to look for the Great Horned Owl, both my Guide and a man I met on the street after the boat tour told me about the owl. I did not see any owl, but there was a nest and I will come back after the “Ten Thousand Islands Tour” But first I stop to buy a little refreshment at highway #41.
 Coming up on Birdon Road
 Driving north
 Creeks along the road
 Reaching a T and Wagonwheel Road comes from the west continuing to north
 Red-shouldered Hawk
 Great Blue Heron
 Northern Mockingbird
 Wood Stork
 Cattle Egret
I have to change eBird hotspot when I reach the inter section and I continue north. Wagonwheel turns to east and I stop for a pick-nick lunch before continuing towards east. There is a Wood Stork next to the road and I stop to get a picture. There are quite a few birds along the road. I see one Red-shouldered Hawk sitting next to the road and I try to get a picture I reach another T and the end of the Wagonwheel road, the Turner River Road is going from north to south. There is some Cattle Egrets at the bridge so I turn north to check it out. I make a U-turn to go back to highway #41  Driving north on Wagonwheel Road
 No breakfast and I stop for a pick-nick cheese
  End of the wagonwheel road
 Turner River Road
  American Black Vulture
Driving south towards the highway and I only get pictures of one bird, the American Black Vulture. There were 5 birds resting at a water hole and I managed to make a U-turn to get back to get a picture. I drive back to Everglades City and I make it to the departure just in time. Boarding had started and the boat looked to be full but I was comfy up-front siting alone. Of course, 2 minutes after departure it was full up front as everyone wanted to have a good look.  Boarding
 The boat is pretty full
 Brown Pelican in the marina
 Brown Pelican in the marina
 Leaving the marina
 We enter the Everglades National Park
 We met a shrimp boat
 Big group of Royal Terns
 Osprey
 Manatee
 Dolphine
 Passing Royal Terns on the way back to the marina
 Spotted Eagle Ray
 Today's track on the “Ten Thousand Islands Tour”
Getting off the boat and I drove south to the church on Chokoloskee to see if I could get a glimpse of the Great Horned Owl. No sign of the bird and I was soon on my way back to Florida City and my hotel. I have planned for two stops on the way. first stop will be at the Kirby Storter Roadside Park where they have aboard walk along the creek, even called the gator hole.
 Parking at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park and board walk in the back
 Board walk at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park
 Board walk at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park
 Board walk at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park
 Board walk at the H.P. Williams Roadside Park
 Great Blue Heron
 Alligator
 Anhinga;
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Today's track at Kirby Storter Roadside Park
 Panther crossing
I leave the gator hole driving towards the east and my last stop, the Kirby Storter Roadside Park. I passed a panther crossing road sign on the way and I had to make a U-turn to go back for a selfie with the road sign. I reach the Kirby Storter Roadside Park and there are not many cars on the parking. I bring my camera stuff and I get out on the board walk.  Start of the board walk
 Walking towards the gator hole
 Reaching the gator hole
 Red-bellied Woodpecker
  Green Heron
  Red-shouldered Hawk
 Red-shouldered Hawk
I discovered an alligator and I could count to 7 babies when I reached the “Gator Hole” at the end of the board walk. I had been there for a couple of minutes when the group that I had passed on the way arrived. There were also some birds to be seen and a Red-shouldered Hawk landed in a tree next to the “Gator Hole”. The Green Heron, I never understood why they call it the Green Heron. But now I got to know why they call it the Green Heron. The bird turned the head and the sun hit the bird's head and the black head exploded in a gorgeous green colour. Fantastic to see.
 Today's track at Kirby Storter Roadside Park
So, I was very pleased with the whole day when I drove back to my hotel. I stopped at a few Airboat companies on the way, but there was way too much people and I decided to come back tomorrow as I expected less people on a Monday. I get a LINE message from one of the pilots in Map Ta Put and he spot Karen Maersk discharging on TTT #4. He is usually sending a picture every time he sees Karen Maersk.   Well, tomorrow is my last day bird watching in Florida. I will drive to Miami in the afternoon to check-in to Best Western Premier Miami Intl Airport Hotel & Suites Coral Gables and I will return my rented car. So, I will wake up early to see the last sun rise over the everglades. Click HERE to find out more about that adventure.
    
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Species lifer: First time that someone observes a species in their life
Photo lifer: First time that someone photographs a species in their life
Audio lifer: First time that someone audio records a species in their life
Naturalized: Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).
Provisional: Either: 1) member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2) rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.
Escapee: Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
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