Corkscrew Swamp Santuary

02/11/09

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is owned and operated by the National Audubon Society. It has a 2.25 mile boardwalk that goes through several types of natural habitats, including the largest forest of ancient bald cypress in North America. I've been here a couple of times in the past and it has always been a great place to view wildlife.

I walked the boardwalk a couple of times today. The sounds of the swamp were awesome. There were songbirds singing, hawks calling, and a pair of barred owls calling each other. The highlight of my visit was right as I was finishing my second round. I found a hawk in a tree near the boardwalk. As I was photographing it, a second hawk flew in and the two hawks mated. I have at least a half dozen photos of them mating. I included one of them below.

Steve Winker