Gobble, Gobble.

Well, that was a surprise.

I left work just before sundown. There are few open places in the industrial space where our office is located but there is a pond nearby that I check from time to time. As I approached it tonight I noticed a large shape near a hedge surrounding a parking lot. I slowed and drove closer and discovered it was a female Turkey!



The bird moved under the hedge so I drove into the parking lot for a better view. Then I saw another turkey. Then another. Then another... Six in all, including two Toms. The birds moved back across the road and into a grassy area. It took me a while to get into a good shooting angle but I finally got one of the Toms in the light.



Beautiful feather colors that you don't think about. Turkey are rather abundant in Florida just not usually in such urban areas. Go figure.

Increased Activity at the Eagle Nest

The eagles are spending more time at the next recently. Could be a sign of chicks to come! This is Dad coming back to the nest tree.



If I could only get more time in the daylight. Busy, busy...

Quick Check on the Mergansers

Stopped by the Merganser area after banding and found a few hanging out. Kind of liked this female taking a stretch as I approached.



I was trying to get some shots of the other birds when a lawn maintenence crew parked right near the pond and scared the flock. Ended up with a flight shot but then they were gone.



Fewer birds but always a joy to watch.

Black Point Drive, Part 2

Now that I had gotten my target bird, Gadwall, I continued my tour of the loop at Black Point. I wanted to try and make it around to the entrance again before dark so I made my way down the road, stopping briefly to get some other shots along the way. Just past Stop 7 I spotted a small flock of American Avocets resting in the shallow water.



To the right, a Belted Kingfisher watches for its next meal.



Some of the driving was slow as tourist stopped in the middle of the road to stare at something they have never seen before like this gator drifting up near Stop 10. "That's a baby!," I told them as I passed them on the left.



Back to the entrance and back to Stop 4 to see if the Gadwall had come closer to the road. Nope. Oh, well. I had the ID shots I was after so now a I could take a casual drive as sunset approached. There were not a lot of shorebirds around only a Semipalmated Plover...



...and a few peeps on the mud flats.



I relocated the Reddish Egret that was posing during my last trip. This time it was dancing around and fishing.



Drifting by in one of the impoundments, a male Northern Pintail. Such an impressive duck.



Approaching the Avocet flock again, I found a Snowy Egret cruising the edge of the road.



As the last of the day's sunshine finally breaks through the clouds a Pied-billed Grebe chugs along.



Nearby, a pair of Hooded Mergansers looks for a place to rest for the night.



Finally, a flock of Roseate Spoonbills glows in the waning light. One even yawns as I make my way towards home.



12 hours and 300 miles later and I can get some sleep myself. A long day but an inspiring one. I love Black Point Drive.

Black Point Drive, Part 1

Since I had the Jay Watch luncheon just to the north, I planned to go home via I-95 so I was able to swing through Black Point Drive on Merritt Island hoping to get my latest Nemesis Bird, the Gadwall. This duck is reported nearly every year but I never seem to find them. I had direct sighting locations all week from the locals so chances were good i could get it this time.

Black Point is now charging $5 for a single day visit, so plan accordingly. Yearly passes can be purchased, too. I paid my fee and headed around the familiar curves and soon found a Great Egret where they almost always are just past Stop 1.



Nothing of real interest was at Stop 2 but the American Coot numbers really picked up by Stop 3. The Sun was beginning to drop low in the sky so I had to keep moving if I was to fined the Gadwall.



By the time I looked up the road toward Stop 4 I could see that there must be something good ahead. Cars were parked all along the shoulder. I arrived in the area and raised my binoculars. Just next to the American Wigeons was my target. Gadwall!



The drake and 2 hens feed alone but near the Wigeons. Interesting shape to their heads.



Not bad. Target bird checked off and the ponds were full of birds. Most I have seen in years. Thousands of Coots, many species of ducks, and in the back of the pond White Pelicans gulped down fish under the watchful eyes of Roseate Spoonbills.



Several Coots were diving near the side of the road when, suddenly, a Ruddy Duck popped up between them. Haven't seen a lot of them around this season.



As I was photographing the Ruddy Duck i saw a bright flash to my right. A Horned Grebe! Blink and you would miss it, and I could only manage a blurry shot before it dove back underwater over and over.



A bit farther down the drive, a Reddish Egret posed in the waning light.



Another species at Stop 4 was a large number of Northern Shoveler.



The plainer females and juveniles are fun to watch but seeing the males in bright plumage is striking.



Finally making my way past Stop 4 I glanced to my left and saw some other species in between the mangroves. Northern Pintails and Mottled Ducks rested apart from the bustling pond.



I decided to hurry around the rest of the loop and circle back around to see if the Gadwall would move even closer to shore before the light disappeared. Up in the larger impoundments the Coot numbers were staggering. In one stretch a large raft of them were streaming around the mangroves in a huge line before dispersing into the open water. I didn't even try to count them.



Part 2 will highlight the rest of my findings but for now, I have to hurry back to the entrance!

Gull and Dove

Before I get to the Merritt Island post(s), I forgot about a couple new birds for the year. The first bird I saw when I got to the Jay Watch luncheon was a Bonaparte's Gull that was hanging out on a sand bar. They are one of our Wintering birds and are sought after by birders every year. Didn't even have to look hard for this one.



Leaving the luncheon, I stopped by a little park along the highway just to check it out. As soon as I stepped out of the van I saw two birds in a tree. That position is contrary to their name: Common Ground Dove.



You can find the tiny Ground Doves in various habitats but they are very skittish and are difficult to photograph. I was happy to get them in a calm mood for once. Such a cute little thing.

Smyrna Dunes

I had to drive up to a Jay Watch event north of Daytona Beach and decided to try for a couple of Life Birds on the way home. First on the list was a reported Purple Sandpiper at Smyrna Dunes. I had never been there, though I have been right near it many times in my years. I headed along the long boardwalk toward the beach and ended up taking a wrong turn and ended up on the beach on the wrong side. Dang.

Now I had a long walk through soft sands but my time was limited so I stayed on that course. Fortunately, it provided me with a nice surprise. The water roiled just off shore so I waited to see what might be causing it. The bird surfaced right in front of me. A Common Loon! Not all that common to me.



When I got to the jetty, it was crawling with people fishing. They nearly covered the entire structure! Even with all the activity, dozens of Ruddy Turnstones ran around the rocks in search of food.



No sign of the Sandpiper. However, there was another bird that caught my attention.

Sanderlings are very common in Winter along the beaches but I had not been able to find a single one this year. This one was so concerned with feeding that it basically let me approach slowly and I got my favorite shot of the year, so far.



This bird has very worn feathers but is still a beautiful creature. Now off to find the other Life Bird I was after. The next post might be rather long. It has been awhile since I was at Merritt Island.

Our Indigo Bunting Returns. Again!

I was doing dishes when I noticed a speedy streak zip through the branches outside the kitchen window. The next time I looked up, a male Indigo Bunting was at the feeder! I ran to the camera and hoped it would stay for a minute or two.



Though not a clear shot, since it was taken from inside and through the window screen, it is easy to see our Bunting has returned. This is at least the third year in a row. I will have to keep my eyes open.

Now if those Goldfinches would return...

A Little Walk Around Lake Davis

Took a few minutes to count the ducks out on Lake Davis, as I usually do nearly every day. Same bunch is still out there. No new excitement but they had been dispersing to other nearby lakes and just about leaving Lake Davis completely. Now the flock of nearly 300 is back.

American Coots also come in during the Winter. One year we had one individual that stay the entire year. Really atypical. Coots gather in the thousands on the coasts of Florida and are a favorite food of hawks and Bald Eagles. Gotta love the color combination.



I walked past the Coots and looked over the edge of the culvert and surprised a Green Heron from its feeding spot. Then it surprised me by flying into a nearby Cypress Tree!



Usually, a Green Heron will take off and get as far away from you as possible but this one must have thought the branches would conseal it well enough. Nope. Fine by me. A great chance to really see that beautiful feather pattern.



As I was snapping away, I heard a chip to my right. A Myrtle Warbler was looking for bugs in the adjacent tree and was making a direct line toward me and the heron. When smaller birds are concentrating on food they will usually ignore you or let you have a closer look if you stay still and let them figure out you are not a threat.

Myrtle Warblers are the Eastern variety that most folks call Yellow-rumps due to the yellow patch above their tail feathers (you can see it in this shot). The Western version is an Audubon's Warbler and have a more yellow throat. Since I band and record data on them I stick with Myrtle. Especially since that is where you often find them. In Wax Myrtle trees.



Not bad for a quick check of the lake. New lens is doing fine.

Pine Warbler

Armed with a bit more confidence again, I tried another warbler shot as we were leaving our banding site. Sometimes you forget about these guys until their numbers appear again in the Winter. They are residents, for the most part, but usually stay high in the trees and when the Spring returns they are harder to spot.

You get a bit confused when you suddenly see a Pine Warbler. Most birds with yellow on them are migrating through.



Then you get the "Oh, yeah." moment and they are quickly gone. Some males get so yellow it is blinding.

A Nice Walk Home

Had to take the van in for brakes and the wife had to head to work. The garage bays were so backed up they couldn't even look at it until another 2 hours. It was a nice morning, around 50-ish degrees. I decided to walk 2.5 mile home. I had wanted to stop by a spot, anyway.

Along the way back I found a few Mourning Doves on the fence around the local airport.



There wasn't much around the park I checked out. Just some Palm Warblers and Gallinules. There were a couple of Glossy Ibis that flew in which was special but otherwise...so I headed home and decided to check out the wetlands along the way.

The flock of 30 or so Ring-necked Ducks were still there and I was able to get a singled out shot of one of them. Like this one a bunch.



Right after that shot I headed in the direction of the house and noticed a lot of movement near the larger pond. Seemed a big feeding flock was moving through. Mostly Palm Warblers. Armed with the new lens, I tried for a shot or two. I was not disappointed.



Palm Warblers are nearly ever-present during the Winter. They flit back and forth all over the place in most habitats, including urban settings. Funny thing is, most are Western Palm Warblers like this. The Eastern, or Yellow, version is found in much smaller numbers and usually out in fields. I love Palm Warblers.



I was happy with that Palm shot so I headed down the sidewalk. Then I saw the Tri-colored Heron lurking in the reeds. Alright.



Yeah. I am going to enjoy this lens. And more birds along the way.

End of Year Coyote Sighting

A little 2011 close-out. It has been just short of a year since we discovered a Coyote in the cemetery. Now it was 2 days before Christmas. I drove through tonight to check on the eagles and found our canine again. A year later and still looking very healthy.



It was just as wary of the van as it was way back then and decided to wait me out by finding the one open section in the area.



Even though it was nearing dark, that coat was beautiful. Sure I will see it again soon.

Revisiting Greenwood

In the past, I used to go down the street to the Greenwood Wetlands a lot. Some of my 'getting serious' about trying to photograph birds days. Once our first son was born and walking, I used to take him over there and we would walk the loop. Until the visiting dogs scared him. I still ventured over from time to time until they started dredging the small pond near the road. Then the eagles in the adjoining cemetery grabbed more attention.

On the way to the store, I noticed something new in the pond. A bunch of Ring-necked Ducks! They haven't been there in ages. I decided to stop by on the way back. Any excuse to try the new lens some more.

Over 30 ducks were there. Probably part of the larger flock from the Lake Davis crew. It is only a few blocks away. Here is a good shot of a male and female together. Hard to get a shot of individuals as the flock usually sticks close together.



Not much else around that I noticed right away. Until I looked up. I totally missed that there was a Wood Stork right above me in a pine tree!



My first memory of Wood Storks was while driving home to Key West and my Dad pointing out a few of them in a ditch along the turnpike. He mentioned they were a rare sight back in the 70s. They are now doing quite well in the state and can be found readily all over, especially in the Winter when they flock to smaller lakes to feed.



Wood Storks are cool.

Let the New Year Begin!

Happy New Year!

Got a spiffy new lens for Christmas. Just like this Great-blue Heron, I am looking into the rising Sun and looking forward to a great year of birding and photography.



Let's get out there!!