Devil's Garden Bird Park

Don't let the name fool you, it comes from Florida's history, but Devil's Gardens has a rich ecological feature!  Birds are very prevalent all over the gardens, which has hammocks (diverse hardwood forests), shell mounds, forests and prairies.  I even saw a banyon tree growing within another that resembles an octopus.

Further into the tour, the area opened up to the prairie area.  Here is where I saw many types of birds (so many that I didn't know but am learning about slowly). Whether gathered in a tree or on the wet grassy areas, these birds were incredible to watch.  The snail kite was prevalent, which searched for snails that were scattered all over the area.

 Devil's Gardens offers air boat and swamp buggy tours as well. It should be a great way to get up close and personal with the birds and even a gator or two.  I left the tour with a sense of wonder at all the species of birds and plants in this world, and felt very peaceful with a few hours away from it all in the middle of God's creations.