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Hi! I PUT ALL MY STUFF IN MY BACK PACK AND IT WOULDN'T FIT
? I put it in another pack and it fell apart. I called the park
service and explained my status. I asked if I could put my
stuff in a bag and would they haul it out to the camp site (they take
a truck out there in case of emergencies) they said no. So I gave the slot
to some one the wait list and they were happy.
So what happened? I guess since Melinda and I stopped backpacking I
had never tried to put the bag, tent, etc in my new replacement
backpack. I used it when we went to Hike-In Inn but did not
pack the tent, sleeping bag etc. What a surprise, I can get more
in my bike panniers than in my backpack. And I was taking a lot less
stuff than I would take on a bike trip.
So, Ed and I walked out to the park trail-La Chua Trail (a long with a
lot of others) and had the best trip possible. There were literally
thousands (estimated 5,000 birds) of Sand Hill Cranes and a mated pair of
Whooping Cranes. The flock was a about 100 to 150 yards from the trail. The
ground was just hopping, dancing gray spots and two big white spots. Some
took wing and filled sky.
I walked down the trail to observation platform and the Whoopers took
wing and flew right with me for a long way. At the end of the trail were
White Pelicans and many other birds and gators.
I asked a Park Ranger how close would we have been (Persimmon Point)
to what we were seeing and she pointed across the Prairie a long way
off. So I imagine while we would have seen some birds, it would not have
been close to what we saw.
There was a Park volunteer (Paynes Prairie volunteer
Dominick Martino) who seemed to know everything about the
Cranes and had followed the Female Whooper for years. This mated pair are
Florida birds and do not migrate. The female is now 5 years old (breeding
age) and has found a mate. Reportedly they stay in the Ocala area but now
seem to prefer the Paynes Prairie. He says the birds will be around thru
next month??
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