Restoration of the Kissimmee River to its original flow is apparently the largest ecosystem restoration project in the world. For Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades, this means better water quality and improved wildlife habitat all around. What a deal. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was in the area of Lake Kissimmee visiting family. Vivian and I decided to check out the Lake Kissimmee SP and rent a double canoe for a Sunday morning. We spent about 3 hours on the water, photographing and fishing.
It was a beautiful wetlands marsh where powerboats and air boats can access the very large lake. It was very peaceful that morning, having only seen a few small powerboats and one airboat. We stayed in a rather small area near Tiger Creek. I had sited at least a few hundred American coots in the grassy waters, I mean they were everwhere. Several limpkins were hiding in the grasses, occasionally showing themselves in short flight. The usual egrets and herons speckled the landscape and I believe I watched two glossy ibises take flight from a distance.
The landscape, dominated by green and gold hues gave me the inspiration to use the "intentional camera movement" technique that I have been experimenting with on mangroves. Here is one creation from this experiment.
The highlight was watching a snail kite searching for food. Only managed to capture it from afar; same with the two bald eagles that circled overhead for a short period. Other than the fact we had to paddle a plastic double canoe that moved through the water like a barge, it was an awesome time on the water. Central Florida has so much to offer.
