TG and I have visited Fisheating Creek Outpost on daytrips for both kayaking and hiking. We’ve always enjoyed ourselves so it seemed like a good spot to book for three nights over Christmas.
Water levels were up and air temps warm enough to enjoy a good day on the water and another exploring the trails and campground.
But we were barely set up before we started having second thoughts. The campsites are located within 100 yards of US27, a major north-south trucking route and the constant roar was disruptive, to say the least.
As if that were not enough, everyone was packed together in the sites closest to the entrance, leaving the bulk of the sprawling campgrounds empty. We felt like we were on top of our neighbors and worried about Oscar’s ability to handle strangers and dogs walking directly under Terrapin’s windows.
But we were willing to give it a try. TG built a nice fire and before dinner we played a rusty, but competitive, game of Scrabble.
Neither of us slept a wink that night. The following morning, Christmas Eve, we went for a hike on the Knobby Knee Trail.
Within the first few yards we accidently flushed a great horned owl and spied a beautiful, red-shouldered hawk.
It looked to be a wonderful walk, the “alligator nest close to trail” warning notwithstanding. But the further along we went, the wetter and muddier it became. We thought it best to turn around before thoroughly soaking our hiking boots.
As we headed back towards Terrapin, we could hear Oscar barking. Oh-oh. So, we took turns walking along the creek. The sky was an impossible shade of blue, reflected in the calm-as-glass water and TG got some beautiful panoramas.
Multiple herons, vultures,
cormorants, and ibis sat basking in the morning sunlight.
TG and I have never been ones to wallow in misery for the sake of a few dollars. He likes to say, “shift your paradigm or shift your venue.” So, while I hiked along the creek he hopped on-line and found two nights available at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State park beginning that afternoon.
We pulled up stakes and were set up in site #32 at Kissimmee by 1:30pm.
We’ve been there enough times now it’s starting to feel like home and I took a short hike while TG started the fire. The forecast that night called for temperatures to dip and we wanted to be ready for the cold front.
I walked the Prairie Loop Trail into the oak hammocks. As I was about to head back to camp, I heard the unmistakable call of a barred owl. I stopped still in my tracks, waiting to hear it again.
Sure enough, I was able to follow the sound to a cabbage palm just as two burst from beneath the fronds and flew to a nearby oak tree.
By the time I got back, TG had a roaring fire going and we enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner by firelight.
After dark, the owls started calling from the hammock so of course I went to look for them. I was past the slough when I heard, then saw, two large wild hogs. They stopped their foraging long enough to growl at me and since I didn’t fancy them coming between me and my way home, I turned around and headed back as quickly as possible.
Christmas morning, we woke up to cold and I’m not talking Floridian warm-weather-wimp cold. It was 38 degrees! We had planned on a sunrise hike but decided on a drive instead. We did not see much in the crisp, clear air but enjoyed it, nonetheless.
After we got back I wanted to look for “my” owls again, so I headed out on the Prairie Loop Trail. On my way I spied a pair of red-shouldered hawks
And an Eastern phoebe.
It took me no time to find the owl, sitting quietly in a tree above me, but the midday sun made photography challenging. I simply admired his beauty and tried instead to capture one of the three species of woodpeckers that were busy pecking away: pileated, downy, and red-bellied.
I came home to a roaring fire and deer wandering around our campsite.
After lunch I wanted to share the owls with TG, so we walked back to the spot. It took us a few minutes but between the two of us, we managed to spy one yet again.
As we watched in the golden afternoon light, two men came along the trail, speaking very loudly in Spanish. I whisper-called “Senores, tranquilo por favor, hay un buho!!” They stopped and looked where I pointed. Turns out it was a family from Miami: a dad, mom, daughter and son-in-law and the nicest people you’d ever want to meet.
They were as thrilled as we were to see the owl and like me, tears filled their eyes as together we marveled at this beautiful gift. To spy an owl in the daylight is rare and this was their first trip ever to KPPSP — and the first trail they had chosen to hike!
What a Feliz Navidad it was for me to share this, not only with TG, but also with this wonderful family.
Later that night the sky was filled with stars and the air filled with a cacophony of owl hoots and calls. I set up for a star stack, a continuous set of photos shot over an hour or more and then “stacked” together in a special program.
While my camera clicked away, I walked in the dark back towards the calls while also on guard for any lurking hogs.
I thought I saw the silhouette of an owl on a tree limb just above the slough. A young couple happened to be walking towards me and I called “guys, I don’t want to be rude and shine this flashlight in your eyes but I think there’s an owl right above your heads.” “Oh! Shine the light,” they said, and sure enough there he sat, looking down at the three of us before flying off into the darkness.
Saturday morning TG was up for the sunrise.
Later we took another drive on CR724, the “Magic Road,” and happened upon a northern harrier. This medium-sized raptor is extremely hard to spy, let alone photograph, as it flies low and swoops across the fields.
But this one was close to the road and TG was able to capture a wonderful set of images.
Back at the campsite one last chance to say Thank You and Good-bye to the owls before packing up to head home.
As we drove out of the park, a caracara was on the platform near the entrance
And it was my turn to climb up into Terrapin’s rooftop basket to take a few shots.
We pulled into our driveway around 1:30pm. This was our longest trip in Terrapin to date, and we can’t wait to get back on the road again!
On The Road with Tall Guy & JET 