Feb. 16, 2016--Tree Tops Park:

Woke up early this morning to quite the lightening storm!  It even spawned 3 tornados.  That makes 5 in the last couple weeks here in SE Florida.  I knew there could be hurricanes here, but didn't know there would be so many tornados!  Anyway, by the time I got up for good, it was sunny and another pretty day.  So I decided to check out another "birding" park here in Broward County.  This one was called Tree Tops Park and was in the city of Davie---about a 25 minute drive from our apartment.   I wouldn't say it was a great park for birding, but it was pretty.   I loved how ferns grew all over the branches of the oaks.

 That bridge led to a pretty good size lake.  It even had paddle boats for rent. 

 One of the many interesting wild flowers.

 I believe this is yet another yellow rump warbler.  There seem to be a lot of them all over S. Florida.

 close up of the ferns and other plants growing on the tree branches.

 some of the interesting undergrowth.

 In otherwards---don't eat anything that grows wild out here!

 I climbed the tower to view the birds at eye level, but none bothered to show up.

 more wild flowers.

 more of the forest

 Came across this butterfly that I had never seen before.  I believe it is a Malechide Butterfly.  Never knew there were green butterflies before!

There are some huge banyon trees around here, too.

 I thought this oak was interesting.  It's alive and growing along the ground with branches coming up from it like trunks.

 wild oranges, I presume.

 I'm guessing these are Surinam Cherries.  I was introduced to some that looked like this in Hawaii a couple years back and was surprised at how terrible they tasted.

 wild flowers growing in the trees.

 more berries that are probably poisonous.

 Eventually I came to a boardwalk over a marsh.  There I saw this lone great blue heron and a lone coot.

 and whatever these wierd water "lily" things are.

 Couple days late for this leaf---happy Valentine's Day a little late.

wide angle views of the marsh

 and another

 another with part of the boardwalk showing.

 Looked like a good place to find birds, but I guess the storm a few hours before scared them all away.

back into the woods and back towards the parking lot.

 now I know these are Rosary Peas and are poisonous.

 almost ran into a couple of these guys.  They are huge!

 First male northern Cardinals I've seen in S. Florida.  Always a favorite of mine!

 He deserves another shot.

 a wise dove.

 another gigantic spider!

I went here because it was listed on the Broward County Birding Trail, but I didn't see many birds here.  But it was a pretty park and it was a beautiful day to walk around in a pretty park.