Purple Gallinule

Wakadohatchee Wetlands sits merely a few miles from Loxahatchee NWR. This site sees a lot more visitors as locals and tourists alike walk, run, and bike its impressive elevated boardwalk. Wakadohatchee is cleverly constructed as part of a water treatment plant which may sound slightly gross to you but seems positively delicious to waders and waterfowl. All of the herons, egrets, anhingas, moorhens, gallinues, ducks, and ibises found in the Everglades appear here as well but much, much closer. As a photographer, I was blown away by how close many of these otherwise elusive avians got to pedestrians. It’s no exaggeration to say that I could have literally grabbed a Little Blue Heron by the neck; humanely, I took its picture instead!

Little Blue Heron

The Sora this spot is known for didn’t make the scene, nor did the Purple Martins or Least Terns said to be so common in spring. The only avian additions to my trip list here were Palm Warbler and Monk Parakeet, but this site also served up healthy portions of alligator, anole, and turtle, not necessarily part of a well-balanced breakfast but highly recommended for ecotourists in Florida. Wakadohatchee Wetlands really complimented Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge well. My research linked the two for obvious reasons. I recommend that visitors hit Loxahatchee first, preferably at the crack of dawn, for a wider selection of specialty birds, then drive the ten minutes to Wakadohatchee for the phenomenal photo opportunities.

American Alligator