Image #211010

Lucy and I made it out to the T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area and the adjacent Broadmoor Marsh, both a.k.a. the Stick Marsh, at sunrise where, out of fear of alligators, we hiked along the main road that was closed to vehicular traffic being a Sunday.  A cold front had passed through overnight making the morning refreshingly cool for a hike.  Lucy especially liked the walk, even chasing a few Black Vultures off the road as we went along.  Eventually the ranger came driving up leading me to think I was going to be chastised for having Lucy there but she simply wanted to tell me the schedule had changed and the road would soon be open to traffic and closed on Monday instead.  We walked back to the parking lot and were the first car to drive in, stopping here and there to take photos and walk around a bit.

A few miles in, as we were hiking along we were stopped by a Brevard County sheriff patrolling the marsh who wanted to know if we had a permit to be there.  He was a bit perplexed when I told him the ranger had let us in and the schedule had changed with the road being open on this Sunday.  He took it in stride as being the last to know and drove off with a “Have a nice day”.

It was a big day for Vultures and, being October and spookily appropriate, next week will be Vulture Week featuring some of the photos of these carrion-eating all-stars seen on Sunday morning’s hike.