Day trip to Paynes Prairie

Full moon - time change - and the cats were up at 5:30am...... and so were we.  So, after pretending we could go back to sleep, we finally decided to get up and take a day trip over to Gainesville, for a visit to Paynes Prairie.


We saw a startling number of birds!  water birds, wading birds, hawks, small birds, cranes,  and even a female Vermilion Flycatcher (very rare for this area).  The herd of wild horses was visible nearby.

Little Blue Heron

It was the perfect day.....  the water levels are high, the prairie was in bloom with Prairie Marigolds and Pickerel Weed and the gators were able to spread out all over the wetlands - including up on the trail.

 and there were lots and lots and lots of alligators out sunning themselves.  Some areas along the trail had been fenced off because the trail was nearly level with the water, and the gators!