Green Cay, Friday evening

August 15 - Evening is more humid. Not many people want to visit in the evening so during last Friday's visit I didn't run into walkers. Saw an alligator on the lake swimming across with his mouth open. What a big, pink mouth! Don't know whether he was cooling off or trying to take a big drink. Then I saw 2 whistling ducks on the log where we usually see turtles or baby moor hens. They were twins, perching in the same position. And they have very, very pink feet!

As I was rounding the curve toward the cut back to the center, there was a raccoon ahead of me on the boardwalk. He looked back & kept trotting forward. I slowed down but did not stop. Eventually he or she slipped through the slats on the railing and disappeared. He was bigger than my cat.

I almost decided to call it a night & not do the small loop, but I did anyway and was rewarded with a close sighting of a young spoonbill. He was standing on one leg, with his bill tucked into the pale pink feathers on his back near the gazebo on the small loop trail. As I watched, he opened his eyes, lifted his bill, looked around, then went back to napping. It was getting late and the sky was darkening, so I quickly finished walking the loop & headed home.