Whenever I visit Orlando, Florida I always make time to stop at Arbor Lakes Park. It’s a small park about five minutes from the Orlando International Airport.
The park is west of Semoran, off of North Frontage, behind the mass of hotels. You’ll find a fun disc golf course, a playground, and nice soccer fields where I usually see kids and adults playing.
But the reason I go to the park is to see the wildlife. There’s a boardwalk that leads out to the water’s edge, where I can look for birds, turtles, and fish under a covered pavillion.
When I walked out to the end of the boardwalk, the Great Blue Heron was fishing nearby, slowly stalking the wetlands searching for fish. I didn’t see him catch any but it was fascinating watching him slowly walk through the water.
At one point the water almost completely covered his legs. His next step took him to a higher ground, as if he took an elevator a foot up out of the water.
If you visit Arbor Parks, look up at the lights in the parking lot. At the top of one light, you’ll find an Osprey’s nest. I saw one of the young birds poking his head out of the nest, but couldn’t get a clear sighting of the bird.
