Saturday August 29, 2015 - St Petersburg, FL

In the middle of St Petersburg is Sawgrass Lake Park.  I'd heard rumors of alligators inhabiting the park.  My first trip, while pretty, yielded no sightings of the reptiles but a  few nice pics:

 

I promised I would not molest them with anything but my camera butt this is the closest to seeing an alligator that I got.

I learned that, once again, the path chosen was the wrong direction.  There was more of a chance to see gators at the other end of the park.

Hot and humid and only 8 am....I gave up, for the day.




Taking off early for my 2nd visit to the park which bore good results:

Look closely and you can see the outline of a big fish.

The birds even tip toe around the lakes hoping not to interrupt a slumbering alligator.



 

I was beginning to think all I was going to see were the footprints/slide marks of where the subjects of my search had once  been...then I reached the "Outlook" and there it was, ALLIGATOR!

 I thought I was going to be witness to a Wild World moment as the gator took off toward this bird.  Silly bird started chirping and moving closer to the hunter.

 Then he turned and started coming my direction...

and he got closer...

      or maybe I zoomed in with my camera.  I was safely up on a deck with no ramp up from the water.

Snuck up on this bird and he seemed to sense someone was watching.

Just when I thought my adventure was done I came upon a fellow adventurer who showed me the baby alligators. 

I was thinking how much like Bolivia this area is and how glad I was there would be no monkeys trying to get my camera and biting me when this rogue squirrel started running towards me, giving me a look...  it was a tense moment until it jumped off in the other direction.

 At the property I live there was a gang of vultures that hung out for a week...a bit disturbing.

 Meanwhile this bird just went about its business.  The pink color didn't show up on the bird very well, can see it better in the reflection.  Its the odd bird out since it is the only part pink one around.