Tue 8 Jan 2008
On December 28, 2007, I decided to traipse the trails of Brooker Creek Preserve in search of the perfect photo. I left my house at 7:45 a.m. and drove the 7 miles over to Brooker Creek. The preserve is located at the northeastern corner of Pinellas County in west central Florida and comprises approximately 8500 acres. The land was set aside by the County to “provide sound stewardship to its wild lands.” It offers miles of scenic trails to hike and your outing can be guided or unguided (trail map). Brooker Creek Preserve Education Center sponsors many interesting public events and classes, most of which are free. For more information, call (727) 453-6800.
When I arrived at the public parking area, I took off my sneakers and put on my hiking boots. All of the trails are fairly level but you may occasionally encounter standing water across some trails. Being prepared with good foot gear can help you navigate these areas without getting your feet wet. Since I was mainly interested in photographing the wildlife at the Preserve, I attached a 70-200mm lens to my camera. This lens is just barely adequate for wildlife photography but if you’re able to approach your quarry with any degree of stealth, you can succeed in getting a good shot most of the time. If you can afford a longer lens, by all means get one.
As I walked over to the trail-head, I noticed movement in the treeline. I stopped and remained motionless until two deer emerged from the vegetation. It was the same doe and fawn I had seen many times before in this area. They are almost tame, having become accustomed to the traffic and hikers that frequent their feeding area. Slowly, I walked over towards them to see if I could get close enough for a good picture. Surprisingly, the doe didn’t show much interest in me and let me get within 30 feet of her. I raised my camera and started snapping away. The fawn seemed to be more cautious and headed for a creek-bed a short distance away. Meanwhile, the doe was happily munching the grass as I took her picture… until two people came down the trail and spooked her.
Before I headed on my way, I spoke with the two hikers. They told me they had seen an otter in the creek a little earlier but it had taken off into the woods and disappeared. I’ve known that Brooker Creek is home to a few otters, but so far I haven’t been lucky enough to find one that I could photograph.
I headed out on the Education Center Trail which crosses Brooker Creek. The trail winds around swamps and oak hammocks and takes you to a more open area called a pine flatwood. As I walked along the trail a pileated woodpecker swooped in from an oak hammock nearby. The pileated woodpecker is a very rare bird in these parts and I was lucky enough to see three on this trip.
About a mile into my hike I found the Blackwater Cutoff Trail. Hikers will find alternating wet and dry areas on this trail along with monstrous mosquitoes. A portion of this trail crosses Channel S, one of the 13 channels of Brooker Creek. The trail wanders through dense vegetation, and at various points the vegetation almost engulfs the path. I’ve traveled this trail many times before and have yet to see any wildlife. Perhaps, it’s because you can’t see more than 10 feet to either side of the trail!
At intersection 6 on the map, the Blackwater Cutoff veers right and joins the Wilderness Trail at intersection 4. Turning right on the Wilderness Trail will take you back to the Education Center. Aside from the mosquitoes, no other wildlife were seen… or felt, but as I approached the Education Center Trail again, I found a few cardinals and one downy woodpecker flitting around in a tree. I snapped a couple of photos, but the birds never sat still long enough for me to get a good shot.
Well, that was my Friday. I returned home to develop my photos and write of the day’s adventure.
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