The variety and abundance of birds in Florida is quite amazing. I could spend days instead of hours getting similar photos in New England when these same birds migrate north for the summer.

Here is a small sampling of my alligator shots. I was hoping to catch one eating a bird for lunch but they typically hunt and feed at night.

Alligators, if not surprised or cornered, will seek to move away from adult humans. I took great care to approach those on my side of the canal without startling them and was able to get quite close for good pictures. I am told they can out run a human over short distances but do not believe this to be true. If this guy turned to chase me I can guarantee you that I would set a new Olympic record for high jumping to the top of my rental car.

This afternoon I discovered a canal paralleled by a dirt road that was chock full of birds and alligators. I was able to drive down the road and get out anytime I spotted something interesting. I literally encountered dozens of alligators. Fortunately, 90% of them were on the opposite side of the canal.

I spent the morning doing a little macro photography before stowing my gear for the return trip to civilization.

After sleeping like a baby I arose to enjoy a magnificent sunrise which bathed the island in golden light.

As I had hoped, the island was a photographic treasure trove and I spent hours wandering the beaches in search of interesting subjects.

I am the only human on the island but I am not without company. Less than 50 yards from my tent is an osprey nest and the pair seem oblivious to my presence affording me a great source of viewing enjoyment.

My first order of business is setting up my tent above the high tide mark and planning my exploration around the tide table I have brought with me. Many sections of the beach disappear at high tide and it is virtually impossible to travel inland forcing you to wade through the ocean, something I was trying to avoid while carrying all my camera gear.

After breakfast I make arrangements with a local outfitter to drop me off on Panther Key, an uninhabited island just outside the Everglades National Park boundaries in the Ten Thousand Islands chain. We navigate through a virtual maze of islets until we reach the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico where we shoot north until we reach our destination. Panther Key is less than a mile wide and less than two long with almost 50% of its shoreline covered in beaches. The interior has dense vegetation and is completely impenetrable. After off loading my gear and provisions I make arrangements to be picked up tomorrow. Just like that I am off the grid and totally on my own.

This morning I get an early start and head to the Everglades City Rod and Gun Club for breakfast. I arrive too early to dine but this photo of the lobby makes the trip entirely worthwhile.

After pitching my tent in Collier-Seminole State Park I head out on a nature walk in the waning light and am rewarded for my effort with these two photographs. The first features what must have been a century long battle between an enormous strangler fig and an equally massive tree. The second is of the endangered Wood Stork perched over a tiny lagoon.

My first destination is the city of Cape Coral, home to Florida’s largest population of Burrowing Owls. When development first began in the area of Cape Coral and the land was clear-cut for homes, these owls found suitable habitat in the sandy soil of freshly cleared lots and set up residence. The owls either create new or make use of abandoned burrows to live in and nest. They stand approximately nine inches tall and weigh roughly four ounces.

Jeanine drove me to the airport early this morning for my 6AM flight to Fort Myers where I will start a 5 day solo adventure centered on exploration of the Everglades and surrounding areas. This photo taken on approach sums up southwestern Florida quite well. In the foreground is Lovers Key State Park a pristine wildlife sanctuary with Fort Myers Beach and its back to back high rise hotels just across the channel in the background.