3/1 Snook Haven & More Ortona Birds

It was really nice to be able to visit an old friend from Michigan, so we went to Snook Haven for lunch.  I was a bit worried about parking because this restaurant is a very busy place, but one of the employees helped me back into a spot where employees parked. 

Snook Haven is a restaurant tucked into a spot along the Myakka River on the east side of Venice, Florida.  It is an old fishing and hunting camp, and not exactly what you would call modern, elegant Florida, but they have excellent food, live music many days, and a great old-Florida atmosphere.  Below is my parking spot.  Looks good here, but you would not believe how tightly it was packed in when I left!   Made it out with my roof and sides intact, however.

You can grab your food at a take-out window and eat outside, near the music.  Note the people in the background setting up their instruments.

You can also sign up for an hour boat tour down the Myakka River.  This part of the river, by the way, is about 30 miles downriver from my campground.  We tried to get tickets, but it was sold out for entire day. 

You can also rent a canoe or two and launch it here.

You can also eat inside in the dining room where there is a full menu and air conditioning!  Instead, we ate in the screened in porch you can barely see on the right.  It was very nice because they had big fans blowing on the tables. 

The boat loading up with passengers.

The back of the restaurant, showing the screened in porch on the left. 

Trying to get out while not scraping the things on my roof with the low tree branches.

Actually, I got a couple of cheers after making it out. 

And a better picture of the tour boat.  Next time I will reserve tickets in advance.

Back at Ortona Lock & Dam Campground, I watched some pretty birds fishing in the small stream that empties into the bigger river.  This is a little blue heron, and he was fishing for small minnows.  Basically, he stares into the water until a tiny fish swims by and then grabs it with his beak.  He likes to stand on rocks next to small, fast-flowing rivulets of the stream.

This limpkin is bashing a small snail on the rock so he can pull the meat out and eat it.  He leaves a pile of shells wherever he eats.

This snowy egret with his black beak, black legs, and orange feet stares at the water, much as the little blue heron does, and is pretty successful at catching small fish.  He also likes to stand on rocks next to places where the stream narrows and goes through small channels between rocks.