We set up camp on the forest side as this provides the best chance to spy wildlife. Early one morning, I saw an armadillo cruise the inner edges of our site,resembling an armored opossum. This is quite a treat as they are reclusive & shy. A worker told me they carry a "high incidence of leprosy". Each afternoon, we would watch a black-shouldered kite. Red & black-headed turkey vultures abound, as well as crows & songbirds. The sounds of pileated woodpeckers, hawks, & wrens reminded us of home.
One morning, I went hunting & spied a couple of wild turkey hens. They had young ones hidden in grass under a tangle of twigs. At a distance, I saw a brown movement~ it was a doe. We watched each other for a time. When she finally spooked, I saw that she, too had a young one. Once, at twilight a "silver fox" (we call them "grey"), skirt our site some 30-40 feet away from our quiet, little group.
Night in Ginnie Springs is amazing!!! The stars are vivid, clear and numberless. Each night, we listened to owls calling back & forth. From our camp, the cicada chorus dominated the singing frogs. Nearer the water, it was the other way around. Our last night, we were able to hear the call of coyotes in the night.
Folks drifting on the river told us of seeing a small gator on the far bank. Others saw a river otter. A manatee came up into the Devil's Spring area while we were at another spring. These are on my "must-see-list" for our next journey there !!!
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