Long Point Park, Florida

This inlet looks serene. Then a whole school of mullet will jump in the air, trying to escape larger fish, a dolphin fin will cut the surface, pelicans, osprey and fish hawk plummet into the water and emerge with catches. A huge white pelican bobs on the water, looking like a carved boat. Everywhere there are birds. Stalking along the ground, like the wood stork in the picture, ( They are supposed to be endangered, but here they are just moochers, waiting for their favorite fishermen to clean their fish and share. I have never seen them hunt.) wading along the shore, like this heron who thought he was hiding in the mangroves, -- sitting in trees dozing. We are used to life in the bays in the northwest, but here the shape of it is a little different. When you hear a huff of breath behind you, the whiskered face belongs to a manatee, placidly munching reeds. The bird that flies overhead might be an ibis. It's beautiful. We are so glad we came.