The Everglades - A Hackberry Farm Nature Photography Workshop
- Russell Graves
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Driving down the old Tamiami Trail - a historic road that cuts through the sawgrass and cypress swamps of the lower Everglades complex, it’s pretty obvious that this country is drought-stricken. Rain this winter is scant. As such, the flow that feeds the swamps - the giant sheet of water that runs from Lake Okeechobee to the north - is slowed for now.
As a giant, wide yet shallow river, the Everglades is constantly moving across the landscape as it flows from the immense natural lake and empties into the Gulf of Florida and beyond. Along the way, the Everglades forms an immense habitat at the northern edge of the tropics and provides a home for scores of bird and other wildlife species.
Because of the lack of rain, the water is collecting in smaller pools instead of flushing past. These isolated pools, however, work to our advantage. Birds and alligators flock to them.
On one of the early mornings of the nature photography workshop, dozens of birds flocked and jockeyed for position around a small pond that was full of endemic fish species. Since there was plenty to eat in this one spot, that’s where all the birds congregated. The action was non-stop.
A couple of days later, we’re at another water hole. This one was busy for a different reason: the recent cold weather caused a massive fish die-off.
Follow me here: The fish that died off were tilapia. Tilapia is a non-native species that can’t withstand cold weather. Therefore, when the temperatures dropped the week before, the fish succumbed - likely to the delight of wildlife managers who’ve been trying to rid the swamps of any non-native species for a while now.
The fish die-off created a veritable buffet for hundreds of birds, including wood storks, egrets, herons, gallinules, and others who were there to partake of the feast. The place was a nature photographer’s delight.
In between bouncing around the wetlands, we take to the open water of the Ten Thousand Islands. Seeing the area by boat is a magical way to experience the brackish waters where the fresh and salt water collide. Dolphins crest the placid water and make themselves known from the depths where otherwise they are unseen. Brown pelicans cruise past our boat with an effortless repose while an osprey’s call pierces the ocean calm.
There’s a lot to see in the Everglades, and by week’s end, we’ve photographed just north of 80 different species. The action’s been non-stop. That’s why we came here: to experience the food, culture, and wildlife of one of America’s most storied landscapes.
This trip, like the others, ends too soon. We’ve only seen a tiny, tiny fraction of the region. There’s so much more to see and experience. Despite the ongoing drought, the Everglades will endure. Hurricanes only leave a temporary blemish on the landscape, and the exotic species that invade the ecosystem still haven’t been able to bring the swamps down.
The Everglades are resilient.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES
And a great ime was had by all! Thanks for the report. 😀