Im headed to the Everglades national park in Jan.
I have been tasked by the lady to figure out what to do / see, where to go and what to bring.
Ive looked around a bit and all of our previous photo trips have been based on things we have read from books about the places we were going, but there seems to be a lack of books about what to do *photographically* in the glades.
any suggestions?!
Absolutely go the the Anhinga Trail near the Homestead entrance. Great boardwalk with numerous photo ops up close. Bring your longest lens, teleconverters, maybe a wide angle for landscapes. Plenty to shoot in the (effective) 300-400 range.
Others will chime in, I'm sure, on some of the other great places to shoot that are not as widely popular. For the Anhinga, I'd see if you could get there before sunrise, stay until 10 or so for best light, maybe return around 2 or so.
Also, Falcon Guide's Birding Florida, by Brian Rapoza.
I think Artie Morris has a downloadable guide for purchase. Tend to be helpful, pricey.
www.birdsasart.net
Scott
Hi.
I second what the first poster has said. I feel, after many visits, the Anhinga trail is uno, 1. I think its as close as you will want to get to the action, many images for almost all focal lengths. The wooden board walks , and tourist, of course bring vibration, so patience required. Not every one there is in love with bird photographers, so , waiting, patience, are required. Not all, but a lot is wooden boardwalks, meaning many people and vibrations, etc. I cant think of any place where your going to get any closer to nature-in the Everglades, or really the USA. If you plan other places, let us know, and we will comment. Fl. seems to have it all for birding, however each coast and North to South so to speak. By the way, if you stay in the Florida City aera, you can visit several times in the day, as recommended by the other poster, avoiding mid-day.
Good luck
Harry
I agree with the others, the Anhinga Trail is wonderful and a sunrise or sunset visit will yield incredible light. Stop at the visitor station on the way in and get on the line to talk to the ranger. Tell him you are there to take photos and ask what has been going on the past few days. Have the map with you so you can mark it and you will get many additional opportunities.
If you are interested in doing some hiking there are a number of trails around Flamingo. I always camp at the Long pine campground and visit Anhinga trail as well as Flamingo. January is a great time to go as the insects will be less of a problem than in warmer months. Have a great trip.
Check out this link. www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/upload/updated%20March%2027%20Flamingo-Hiking-CanoeTrails-2008.pdf
I always enjoyed the scenic LOOP RD drive..especially this time of year, water level is dropping (maybe, changes from year to year) which exposes all the gnarled cypress roots. There are birds everywhere, so be ready to pull over constantly. Have fun, drop me a PM if you want any more info.
Clyde Butchers is a MUST!! I've had the honor of meeting him...he's the modern day Ansel Adams
kodakeos: Okay, I went to Everglades National Park earlier this year, and saw no alligators. I saw no alligators while driving Alligator Alley, either. Later I learned Florida had been experiencing its second worst drought in recorded history. The park functions as a huge drainage area, with mostly very shallow waters. You can learn this fact at the visitor center. Apparently, with less water available, the watered areas dewatered, and the animals retreated. You may wish to check current condtions before going.
