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| Little blue heron with fresh catch atop limestone boulders |
The islands are man-made, created to help clean the Lake Worth Lagoon and provide a fish habitat. I read about the $18 million project that involved 28,000 tons of limestone boulders installed to stabilize the 11 acres of mangroves planted and the 1.2 million cubic yards of sand that filled the deep trench along the city's golf course.
But I wanted to see what the area looked like for myself. I longed to walk on the relatively new boardwalk to the gazebo and satisfy my curiosity about the type of wading birds attracted to the area. I once was an avid nature photographer back in the days when cameras still used film.
Prime viewing
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| View of Palm Beach from gazebo |
On that chilly morning, the gazebo provided primo views north to West Palm Beach and east to Palm Beach.
It was a picture-postcard kind of day, with billowy clouds suspended in an azure sky. The white of the buildings contrasted with the deep green of the palm tree fronds on Palm Beach. The lapis water of the lagoon seemed to gently lap against the shore of the island.
This is what paradise looks like, I thought.
Birding haven
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| Green heron on limestone boulder, in front of mangroves |
As I walked back along the boardwalk, I stopped to watch a little blue heron as it fished. The bird hopped from boulder to boulder, stopping every now and then to dip its beak into the lagoon water below.
I was lucky enough to see it after catching a small fish. The heron paraded around, from boulder to boulder, while holding that fish tightly in its beak. Another bird, a green heron, perched motionless nearby on a limestone boulder.
Soon it was time for me to return to my car. I felt refreshed by my nature break, grateful to add 2,360 steps or nearly 1.2 miles to my daily total.
And now, for my numbers
I had my best walking day last week on Friday, November 9, 2012, when I walked:
Steps: 12,956
Miles: 6.5
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