Saturday, January 31, 2015

Bird tree tops~

As I walked around the wetlands of Viera…

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I couldn't help but notice that most of the palm tree tops are gone…

Viera Wetlands (68)As I walk…

I wonder why…

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Then …like a light switch a scene unfolds……

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one night…

The eagles,the  kingfishers, the egrets, Ibis, Cormorants, Anhingas and herons got together..

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and rented a chainsaw…..

So that they could be the Palm tree tops…

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Viera Wetlands (31)

 Viera Wetlands (53) Some protested and protected the few remaining Palm tree tops…

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Viera Wetlands (30) Some Ibis preferred another type of tree….

Viera Wetlands (22)and because there are never enough

Palm trees to go around…..

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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

A little bit of white from Florida…

While New England is getting hammered with the Blizzard of 2015

Jeff and I walked the beach..

For a different kind of white..

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The white sand…white surf…

some white birds…

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White buildings…

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and more birds…

some white..some with bits of white....

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I focused on photographing the Brown Pelicans while Jeff took a nap in the sand.

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I love the different color variations..

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Brown Pelican are crazy looking creatures..

check out the feet on the pelican upper right as it comes in for a landing..

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I am fascinated by them.

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P1060529  Look at these two…the color, textures…

gorgeous!

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Enough of the beautiful browns…

here is some more white…

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and a little bit of red…

I hope I didn’t get my friends up north angry with my warm post from Florida..

P1060516Here is some more white…

I know its not like your white…

P1060546But its all I've got…

cause…its not cold enough here for the other white stuff..

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Don’t be haten me because my whites not cold…

Smile

Seriously….I wish you all well up there, please be careful.

stay warm…

Here…I am sending you some warm air…

Do you feel it?

 

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Black point Wildlife Drive and Festival ends..

Today was the last day of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival.

We spent the early morning taking a drive through Biolab road.

I didn’t take many photos as the birds were a bit too far for my camera..

I did find this very cooperative Roseate Spoonbill.

 

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It was a nice bird and let me take a video while it was foraging.

 

 

When we left Biolab road we headed to the festival exhibits to say goodbye to our friends, many of which we will see again at The Biggest Week in American Birding. YaY!

Check out the slide show below to see some of my selfie stick photo with our friends at the festival.

 

After saying goodbye to our friends we headed to Black Point Wildlife drive.

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To see what birds might be around.

Little Blue Heron

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It was another lovely day…in the mid sixties today.

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I walked ahead while Jeff took his time scoping birds.

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I was looking for rails..

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I never did see any rails on this stretch of the drive.

I did see this gorgeous Avocet…

What a beautiful pose.

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A row of Avocet in the distance.

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Everywhere I turned another scene worth a photograph.

 

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Yellowlegs to the right of the tree..

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Snowy Egret and Coot..

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Wood Stork hanging out in the grasses.

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I continued my walk…

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Birds of white…

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P1060470Silhouettes of more assorted whites.

P1060474A Reddish Egret

P1060477Closer look

P1060475Jeff and I took a short path looking for rail and Green Heron.

P1060479We saw both, but not close enough for a photo.

Do you see the bird on top of the building?

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Hand held digiscope of the Kingfisher

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We ended the day with a wonderful sunset as we were driving out of Black Point drive

 

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What a beautiful end to the Festival.

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Birds of the Day

Jan 25, 2015
Merritt Island NWR--Black Point Wildlife Dr.
 
Gadwall
American Wigeon
  Blue-winged Teal
  Northern Shoveler
  Northern Pintail
  Green-winged Teal
  Ring-necked Duck
  Hooded Merganser
  Pied-billed Grebe
  Wood Stork
  Double-crested Cormorant
  Anhinga
  American White Pelican
  Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
  Great Egret
  Snowy Egret
  Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Green Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Sora
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Marbled Godwit
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Forster's Tern
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Tree Swallow
  American Robin
  Northern Mockingbird
  Palm Warbler
  Common Yellowthroat
  Red-winged Blackbird
  Common Grackle
  Boat-tailed Grackle
  Common Gallinule