Introduction
Welcome to my summary of our latest photography adventure in Delray Beach, Florida! This is a bit of a sequel since we visited here back in February of 2023. That adventure was called Wakodahatchee and Green Cay Wetlands. I thought about naming this one Wakodahatchee and Green Cay Wetlands Part II, sort of like The Godfather Part II or Back to the Future Part II, but it was going to be a really long title and probably wouldn't have fit on a phone screen very well (but I'd always recommend using a computer screen or projecting from a humongous projector to get the full effect of the awesome images, ha ha). The Delray Beach title is a lot simpler than those other options, it's easier to say, and fits better on the little screen for those of you who have to view this on your phone so we're going with it!
I would never recommend that anyone watch The Godfather Part II without first watching The Godfather, or Back to the Future Part II before Back to the Future, so if you missed the Wakodahatchee and Green Cay Wetlands adventure from last year you might want to check it out to catch up. It's definitely not required, but at least you'll know how to pronounce Wakodahatchee.
Green Cay Wetlands
"I may need some answers"
The first of our two favorite locations for wildlife in the area is called Green Cay Wetlands. Green Cay used to be farmland owned by the Winsberg family and back in 1999 they sold 100 acres of the property to Palm Beach County at a huge discount with the stipulation that it be converted into a wetland. Palm Beach County dutifully transformed the property into a water reclamation facility and wildlife paradise. We've visited Green Cay several times in the past and were able to photograph there again a few times during this adventure.
Sometimes Tammy and I will hang out together once we hit our photography location for the day but most of the time we split up pretty quickly and go separate ways. It's a little less exciting when something cool happens and you're able to get a great picture only to find out the person standing a foot away from you has the same shot. Unless your shot is better. Then it's ok. But this time we split up to get our own shots. After a couple hours I usually open up the "Find My" app on my iPhone to check on Tammy's location and make sure she hasn't been eaten by an alligator. This time when I checked her location I was surprised to see that it showed her off in some neighborhood rather than in the 100 acre wetland where we were supposed to be. I'm thinking I may need some answers. Below are some of my favorite shots from Green Cay Wetlands.
Delray Beach
"Being nice when things go wrong is the real test"
After our first day in the wild we checked into our favorite hotel on the beach and as we approached the check-in counter I recognized Drew, who checked us in last year. Drew is a happy-go-lucky guy who is very professional and also helped me resolve a billing issue when we were checking out last year. Seems that somebody used the name "Smith" with the valet parking guys and the charges got billed to our room instead of where they were supposed to go. Can't imagine how that could have happened.
As soon as I recognized Drew I told him how great he was, how much he helped us last year, and how much fun it must be to work in a hotel on the beach with a great view from his desk. I suspect he didn't remember us at all but I got him laughing while he was going through the check-in process and letting us know about the pool, restaurant, beach access, etc. I guess he must meet a lot of grouchy people because he made some comments about how much fun it was checking us in and how nice we were. I gave him some quick life advice, letting him know that it's easy to be fun when you're arriving for your first day at the beach but being nice when things go wrong is the real test. He looked up and paused in thoughtful reflection and just said "yeah, I think you're right". Then I reminded him that he never gave us our room key.
Wakodahatchee Wetlands
"If you want to be a bird photographer you'll have to put up with some crap"
One thing you learn pretty quickly about bird photography is that you're going to get crapped on from time to time. And it's always disgusting. But here are a couple tips. First, wear a wide brimmed hat. Not only does this protect you from those dangerous sun rays, but it protects your head from the strategically aimed white blobs falling from the sky. My hat's been hit a few times but most memorably it was hit during it's inaugural debut at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine. I was excited to try out my new hat and about 5 minutes in I got bombed with a huge one right on top. I was a little disappointed, but I'd be more disappointed if it hit me square on the head. Now when I look at the faint remains of that stain on my hat it just feels like an old battle scar.
Oh, but I said there were a couple tips. Here's my favorite. When you're at one of these wildlife preserves and there's a boardwalk going through the woods, keep your eye out for the large groupings of bird poop on the boardwalk and don't stand near that. The birds seem to have favorite places and those groupings are a telltale sign of where one of them is. I know, I know, it sounds stupid. You can thank me later.
I was imagining that the Wakodahatchee Wetlands were named after an Indian tribe or a famous Indian Chief from the eastern part of Florida but apparently that's not the case. The word wakodahatchee is actually a Seminole Indian phrase that means "created waters", and when the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department created the wetlands as part of it's water reclamation efforts they used the Seminole word to name it. Now if that ever comes up in a trivia contest you'll be the hero of the table! Below are some of my favorite shots from Wakodahatchee Wetlands.
Another Great Adventure!
Thanks for following along on our adventure! I hope you enjoyed it. If you missed any of my other photography adventure summaries you can find them here. If you want to see more of my images you can check out my photography Portfolio Page or follow me on Instagram or Facebook. See you next time!