Monday April 11th 2022

The wind has moved from the north to the east, but a clear sunny sky remained the dominant feature of today’s weather. The temperature climbed from the overnight low around sixty to a high in the mid eighties with a little more humidity than the weekend days.

I drove up to the concession area on Upper Lake Myakka to start my adventures today. The group of Rosetta Spoonbills are still huddled in the tree near were the old weir was recently removed. A few vultures, an egret or two and a tricolor heron were also hanging around with the spoonbills. This area looks so different with the weir removed. It will be interesting to see what it looks like when the water level is higher.

My second walk of the day was along the river near the park entrance off route 70. There were quite a few alligators taking the sun on the bank. As the water level get lower the alligators start to congregate near the deeper water. Based on one of the water level gauges in the park the water level has gone down almost a foot in the last week. Typically the dry season ends in June, so there is likely to be lower levels to come.