Myakka State Park

After waking, we had morning beverages, did our language lessons and reviewed the protocol for leaving the Airbnb. After showering, we put all the towels in the washer, stripped the beds and put the linens in the hamper. We took the garbage and recycling curbside then loaded the dishwasher after our breakfast of cold cereal.

We loaded the truck and left the house a little after 8 am driving to Myakka River State Park. Mary and I had been here in 2021 and really enjoyed it. Unlike when we were here five years ago, we were too late to get passes to the Deep Hole, a remote lake with limited access where a lot of wildlife can be spotted. Only 30 passes per day are issued for the 4.5 mile hike out and back to the lake at Deep Hole.  A helpful volunteer at the visitor center gave us great tips on there we might have the best chance of seeing wildlife.

Mary & Cindy on the Canopy Walk

We started at the Canopy Walk Trail where we went across a suspended walking bridge between two towers. We found a couple of “gadget geocaches” that require some problem solving to access. At the weir area we saw several wading birds including three roseate spoonbills. We also saw a wild pig along the edge of the water. We drove on to Lake Myakka near the end of the road where we walked along the edge of the lake where we saw thousands of dead armored catfish, like the algae eating Plecostomus found in many freshwater aquariums. We later learned that cold water temperatures in early February had killed these invasive fish.

Cindy with a geocache we found

As we were leaving the park we decided to check the area near the park entrance where we had learned that caracara had been spotted. We walked around the area with no luck. We chatted with a couple who were also hoping to see and photograph the caracara. After about an hour of looking, we gave up and walked to the truck. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, a caracara flew over the truck. We were thrilled to see the large bird.

As we left the park, we decided to drive through Sarasota National Cemetery where we heard that sandhill cranes were seen. While taking a loop drive through the grounds we saw several small groups of the cranes walking through the gravesites and wading in the pond.

Sandhill crane at Sarasota National Cemetery

Our time in southern Florida was over, so we started driving back to Homosassa, arriving around 6 pm. We had garden salads with strips of steak leftover from Monday’s dinner. Mark’s vizsla, Sage, hadn’t been feeling well while we were gone. The dog sitter, Ian, said that she has been a little lethargic. It turns out that she had a badly infected right ear. Mark treated the ear with antibiotic ointment and drained the sore. We watched women’s curling at the Winter Olympics before turning in.