Photos: Loxahatchee NWR, North Levy

I went out to the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge on a Sunday afternoon. It had been raining all weekend - the first two days of National Park Week - and the sun had only just peeked out. I decided to walk out on the North Levy toward the pine woods, in hopes of making it there and back by sunset. I didn't quite make it, mostly because I spent too much time admiring the turtles. But I got far enough out where I neither saw, nor heard, nor sensed any sign of civilization. It was glorious.

Box turtle

This had me singing "Wide Open Spaces." The park was pretty empty to begin with, but this trail was desolate. Not another soul around for miles.

Kildeer

I believe this was a fish crow.

Juvenile white ibis

Gopher tortoise! I love the spiky tail.

   

Turkey vulture.