I went out to one of my favorite places for a short paddle the other day.  Winding Waters is one of those treasured pockets of nature restored years ago by Palm Beach County’s Natural Areas programs. 

I like it because a very leisurely paddle around the whole place takes only a couple hours and bird life is generally plentiful.  It is, in fact, the only place in South Florida I have ever seen Snail Kites.

Formerly called Everglades Kites, these smallish hawks subsist entirely on apple snails.  They don’t migrate, but move around a lot, basically always on the prowl for a good snail supply.

Spotting one that day seemed a bleak prospect at first though: “No kites and no limpkins,” said a hiker with a huge camera who was getting ready to leave as I was unloading the boat.

Not a good sign, I thought.  Both of those birds depend on apple snails.

However, I was pleasantly surprised about two-thirds of the way through my trip when I spotted a dark bird with that distinctive white band across the tail.

And after that I saw three or four others.

Made my day.  Enjoy the photos. Click on any one to scroll through the larger versions.