A purple gallinules walks across floating lily pads in the freshwater marsh of Taylor Slough along the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park on Feb. 21, 2023. With strong legs and long toes, purple gallinules can forage on land and through marsh vegetation or waterside shrubs.

A close-up view of a double-crested cormorant who sits perched on the Anhinga Trail boardwalk in Everglades National Park on Feb. 21, 2023.

Double-crested cormorants and a heron hang out on a pond apple tree as the sun sets along the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park on Feb. 21, 2023. These small trees are native to wetlands.

One of the most iconic wading birds of the Everglades, a great blue heron, stands tall and still just off the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park on Feb. 21, 2023.

A double-crested cormorant propels out of the marsh of Taylor Slough near the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park on Feb. 21, 2023. These large water birds are found in both marine and freshwater habitats.

A double-crested cormorant (left) and a juvenile great blue heron fight over a branch on a pond apple tree in the freshwater marsh of Taylor Slough near the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park on Feb. 21, 2023.

A great egret moves slowly through the sawgrass prairie off the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park on Feb. 21, 2023.

An American alligator rests on the shore of a pond along the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Alligators are a common sight in the Everglades and they are considered a keystone species in the national park.

A Florida red-bellied cooter dines on a yellow pond lily for a at the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park on Feb. 21, 2023. This native species primarily eats rooted aquatic vegetation.

As spring approaches, now is an ideal chance to take a trip to Everglades National Park before the oppressive heat of summer descends. Our multimedia producer, Leah Voss, took a recent walk along the Anhinga Trail, where she encountered scenes alive with activity as she soaked in the warm glow of a late afternoon. She captured those moments in words and images: 

“Far south of the bustle of Miami, tucked inside the protective boundaries of Everglades National Park, the sun sank lower toward the horizon, blanketing the freshwater marsh of Taylor Slough with a golden light. Purple gallinules hopped across lily pads. Cormorants squawked and jostled for positions on tree branches. Alligators began their nocturnal hunt. Herons and egrets stood still, soaking in the last of the daylight. And tourists, with camera phones and long lenses, circled the boardwalks of the Anhinga Trail, watching these animals in wonder.”

Enjoy more of Leah’s images from Anhinga Trail above.