I got up early with two goals. First, to capture sunrise over the water, and second, to see what bird activity might be happening in one of the preserves. I first drove just around the corner to Willcox Road, but found it gated. I hadn’t planned to go to the beach, but that seemed to be the best alternative. I found Pepper Park open on North Hutchinson Island, so I pulled in and set up the camera on the boardwalk. The photo above is one of the many that I shot of the scene.
After witnessing the start of another day, I crossed over to the river side of the island and found the Jack Island Preserve open. I hiked the mile long trail out to the birding tower. Along the way, I saw a couple of ibis and herons, but the shots didn’t turn out well in the low light. At the tower itself, the birds decided to keep to themselves, so no shots really presented themselves.
Disappointed, I hiked on back. At the mid-point of the island, I came across a family of otters playing in the waterways that line the trail. I watched them, hoping for a good shot, but once again everything came out blurry due to camera shake. Oh well.