2/11 Ortona South Campground Critters

One of the nice things about this campground are the birds and other animals living here.  First, the big, navigable river, the Caloosahatchee Canal, attracts birds and alligators.  There is also a side stream that cuts through the campground from the ranches nearby and empties into the river.  There has been adequate rain lately, so the river is pretty full.

The Corps of Engineers has reinforced the banks of this little creek by piling up big and little rocks there.  The result is that as the creek goes through the campground, it becomes a babbling brook, which the birds really like.

This is the creek, looking upstream into the ranch areas. The parent otters have had a home up here for several years.  

The above photo was taken from the campground roadway as it crosses the creek.  The photo below is looking the other direction, towards the footbridge and the big river.  There must be fish in this creek because the birds are always fishing here.

A bit fuzzy, but here is one of the otters looking for a fish. 

And he got one!!  If you want to see the full video, click here. 

Based on its bill, I think this is a limpkin.

Little blue heron.

This shows where the creek opens into the river.  The otter den is in the rocks to the left, just past this palm tree, which has barely survived their digging and rolling in the dirt to dry off.

The fishing pier is downstream from the dam.  My campsite is past the dam, on the right. 

Good picture of the Ortona Dam.  Lock is to the left.

And down by my campsite, but across the river, are these two American eagles. I've got a problem with dirt on the inside of my camera lens but have no idea where to get it fixed.

This floating black thing in front of the boat might look like a log, but it has teeth!!  It floated around for most of a day.

It saw me taking a photo and turned to look at me.  Might have thought I was fishing off the bank.  Alligators like to steal fish from lines.