Have you ever seen an alligator’s nest? I sure haven’t. Arriving to Paynes Prairie – La Chua Trail for a brief birding excursion, a local shared with me the location of where a nest was, with the mother close by.
A section of Paynes Prairie with marshlands filled with alligators, fish and countless birds, this is home to the ferocious gator. Finding the nest near the walkway, I discovered that it is nothing but a big pile of dirt.
I’ve been on this trail before, back in the winter where the alligators came on land to warm in the sun from the cool waters. In the heat of the summer though, the water is quite warm. The alligators were quite lively this morning, and I was unprepared for the water thrashing and alligator roars just footsteps from where I was standing.
But it was hot..really hot. And my phone kept chiming with business calls, so I had to make a quick departure from the marsh. Vowing to return soon to visit the gators.
Categories: 2013 Project 365, Florida, Nature, travel
Emily Carter Mitchell ~ Nature as Art 
Yikes! Thrashing and roaring??? You are brave. I can’t wait to hear more…
I must admit..it did make me jump a bit. Wish I had more time to spend there and get it on film. It was pretty awesome stuff.
Amazing, safe hiking!!
Wow!! How cool… and scary! I just love that last shot of the gator. Nicely done!
Thank you so much, I wish I could have gotten closer in a way for a better shot. But better safe than sorry. Too bad the baby gators didn’t hatch while I was there.
I liked these, but I’m looking forward to more when you have the time. Just make sure that the next time you visit that you don’t end up feeding the gators!
I tell you, I wish I had more time – tons of birds ! There was a family with small children. Luckily they stayed on the boardwalk. I’ve never seen gators so active, sort of freaked me out.
Gotta love the alligators! Don’t want to be around a nest though when mom has babies. 😯
Really? I thought you would say it was totally ok to be near it. The nest is below a boardwalk, so perfect position for viewing the little ones emerging.
Oh well I didn’t specifically mean that nest. I was thinking more along the lines of one we would find here somewhere in the swamp where you don’t know it’s there until mom growls at you.
Oh…that would be really bad. I agree ! I never would have known that was a nest if someone hadn’t told me. Just a pile of dirt to me. 🙂
Oh that first photo really took me by surprised and scared me a bit, certainly put the hairs on my arms up.
This sounds like a really exciting place to be……..I think. 😕 Great photos, Emily.