Crossing the Trail
I am fortunate during the winter months to visit Circle B Bar Reserve 3 or 4 times weekly. It seems to me that I have witnessed substantially more gators crossing trails than in years past . . . though I realize I may have just been more often in the right place at the right time. More photographers metadata follows, if you care for the story:
The trail in this area goes along the shore of Lake Hancock for about 1/4 mile. I had been following a juvenile raccoon for several hundred yards along the water's edge trying to get a clear shot him. As I glanced ahead on the trail, my eyes were caught by the head of this gator about ten feet out from shore. The raccoon was in & out of the brush along the shore and proceeding towards the gator. I watch as the gator began to glide slowly toward shore and climb up to rest it snout on the trunk of a fallen palm tree. The raccoon came out the brush and started to climb over the palm tree trunk when it saw the raccoon . . . now, I can't be sure of the expression on the raccoon's face because his back was to me . . . but, I'm sure his eyes grew as large as saucers because he did a back-flip and dashed off. The gator then crawled over the tree trunk, laid on the trail for several seconds, and then strolled on across the trail. Average day at Circle B Bar Reserve.
Crossing the Trail
I am fortunate during the winter months to visit Circle B Bar Reserve 3 or 4 times weekly. It seems to me that I have witnessed substantially more gators crossing trails than in years past . . . though I realize I may have just been more often in the right place at the right time. More photographers metadata follows, if you care for the story:
The trail in this area goes along the shore of Lake Hancock for about 1/4 mile. I had been following a juvenile raccoon for several hundred yards along the water's edge trying to get a clear shot him. As I glanced ahead on the trail, my eyes were caught by the head of this gator about ten feet out from shore. The raccoon was in & out of the brush along the shore and proceeding towards the gator. I watch as the gator began to glide slowly toward shore and climb up to rest it snout on the trunk of a fallen palm tree. The raccoon came out the brush and started to climb over the palm tree trunk when it saw the raccoon . . . now, I can't be sure of the expression on the raccoon's face because his back was to me . . . but, I'm sure his eyes grew as large as saucers because he did a back-flip and dashed off. The gator then crawled over the tree trunk, laid on the trail for several seconds, and then strolled on across the trail. Average day at Circle B Bar Reserve.