3/16 Everglades Royal Palm Visitor Center & Bad Birds!

I decided to leave Midway Campground a day early and drive down to the far south part of the Everglades and spend a night at Flamingo.  One of the most popular spots along the drive there is the Royal Palm Visitor Center.   There are several large ponds in this area and a long walkway and boardwalks so you can see birds and alligators.

 

I remember visiting this place many times over the last 40 years.  This part has not changed much.

Pretty cormorant!  Up close, the feathers on their backs are lighter brown but edged in a darker brown.   

 

 

 

Got to keep those feathers clean!

 

A photo of part of one of the boardwalks.

This is an anhinga.  It also is a diving bird that has to dry its wings out. 

 

Did not see too many birds, probably because of the heat, but here is a little blue heron.

The "bad" birds are the local vultures who have taken up chewing windshield wipers as a hobby.  They do not eat them, just chew them into pieces, along with any other pieces of rubber they can find on a car.  So for the past several years, the park service has been providing tarps for visitors' cars.  Note the instructions for use and a picture of one of the local culprits on the upper right.

Here is an article about the problem:  http://www.weather.com/news/news/everglades-vultures-cars-20121231

Not everyone chooses to cover their cars, but many do. 

Here is one of the turkey vultures sitting on an uncovered car.

 

And here is one I found on top of my motorhome.  Shooo!  Luckily he was not there long enough to do any damage.  I got in and drove away which made him fly off.