Some pools were so chock-full of the creatures that it was like the water was boiling and a tasty crayfish dish would be ready any minute for lucky swamp predators who happened by. Now, many of the crayfish that were not eaten by hawks, herons, and other predators have disappeared below the surface into their underground lairs that are marked by small entrance holes surrounded by mud. Some species that usually live in the pine-hardwood forests surrounding the heart of the swamp have ventured deeper into the swampy areas because of the dryer conditions. When you walk along the boardwalk, look closely at the tracks in the mud. Deer tracks have become a common sight, and if you are lucky you can see a doe and her fawn maneuvering silently through the cypress knees on a quiet morning.
Nocturnal raccoons move through the swamp, too, as evidenced by their five-clawed footprints.
They seek out those good old crayfish, one of a raccoon s favorite feasts. Turtles also add to this swamp-bottom crazy quilt, with small parallel sets of footprints running in wavy lines under and around the boardwalk. The best swamp sights these days might be the subtle ones. The receding waters have uncovered populations of liverwort on the base of the swamp trees and the cypress knees. This vestige of liverwort, a gray, fuzzy, nonvascular plant that needs to be immersed in water to survive, is a good indicator of the springtime water level.