Canaveral National Seashore

Just into Canaveral National Seashore is a turnoff with a boardwalk to Turtle Mound. Back about 1,000 years ago the Timucuan Indians called this barrier island home and we are able to climb (on the boardwalk of course for safety and preservation) this large midden. Its basically their trash dump with millions of discarded shells! Beyond you can see the Atlantic Ocean!

Off of this side of the mound is the Intercoastal Waterway a hundred or so feet below!

I also took another turnoff at Eldora Village on Mosquito Lagoon! Not much happenin' here though, but was a nice little hike. And...it was interesting to see the ferns and air plants growing on these old trees!

Shorebirds at Canaveral National Seashore

After getting some well deserved rest..I slept in (until 9) and headed a little north to Canaveral National Seashore to see what it offered. It was rather windy as evidenced by the feathers on this Royal Tern!

I found Apollo Beach to be on the quiet side without much activity. But, on a warm, calm day I bet its loaded!

This was a hard one....rather than drop my Sibley's in the sand (again) I just decided to take a photo of this little guy to figure out later. The verdict.....a Ruddy Turnstone!

I was told this is a Sanderling....he was VERY busy..CONSTANTLY chasing the wave out to feed on critters in the wet sand just brought in on the wave, then waiting until the last moment to run back to the safety of the dry sand just out of the wave's reach! Was quite interesting to see!

And on the way back to the car on the other side of the scrub a Cardinal was singing to me!

Scrub Ridge Trail in Merritt Island NWR

On Monday, I decided to take a mile hike thru the scrub
(which is prime habitat for the endangered Florida Scrub Jay) on Scrub Ridge Trail. I was in search of the elusive jay among other critters, hopefully I wouldn't encounter any gators! Another (loud) group of hikers pulled up at the same time....I made sure I started the loop trail from the OPPOSITE direction!

I didn't see a whole lot on the first part...a Belted Kingfisher, some Turkey Vultures circling overhead..but I could hear the other group approaching. I saw many dead palms along the last half of the trail..some had large holes in them...???nests?? or victim of woodpeckers??? I had asked the noisy group if they saw anything..NO they replied.
After they passed...I saw a Palm Warbler AND as I approached the parking lot....

4 Florida Scrub Jays hopped out of the brush & began chirping & jumping about my feet!! The other group had been so noisy they hadn't even see them!

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

I spent Monday afternoon and evening at Merritt

Island National Wildlife Refuge mostly on the Black Pointe Wildlife Drive. I saw LOTS of great birds...starting at the visitors center...an osprey on a nest!











A beautiful Great Blue Heron

A juvenile Wood Stork wading thru a drainage ditch.

A Tri-Colored Heron in the marsh near sunset...

...that crept across the marsh.

This Loggerhead Shrike nicely posed on the top of a sign.

A flock of American Coot's settled down for the night...their numbers kept growing...there must have been hundreds!

An American Avocet near dusk...

If Animals Could Talk..Starring Ricky & Rocky Raccoon

So here's my take on what I witnessed at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on the morning following the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.....

Ricky: psssst...Rocky..come on...the coast is clear...

Rocky: Are you sure no one is watching Ricky?? I don't want to get caught sneakin' out!

Ricky: Of course I'm sure...except these 3 birders in a government van...are now stopped in the road watching 'ole Gus the Gator over there. Make a run for it....NOW!

Gus: Affirmative little buddies.....Ned & his ladies are TOTALLY transfixed on me & Glenda here....

Rocky:Ok..ok... I'm commin' as fast as I can! The adrenalin is a little low today because that darn rocket scared the crap out of me last night...I nearly fell out of the tree! Are you sure there not watchin' us? Keep' em occupied Gus

Ricky: OOPS! I was wrong! The lady in back has a camera & its pointin' straight at us! Run Rocky RUN!!!!!

Rocky: Way to go dumbo! I thought you said they were lookin' at Gus...and a CAMERA TO BOOT!
Let's hope birdlady keeps this to herself!

Ricky: Sorry 'bout that....now let's see what kind of trouble we can get into in this tall grass!

Cute Little Armadillos

On Monday February 8th I ventured slightly north to Canaveral national Seashore. I found several 9-banded armadillos throughout the day. Cute little buggers!

This one was different though...I found him near the parking lot to the visitors center..I took a shining to him...maybe it was because he was the very first one I got to see up close! I watched from a safe distance as he foraged...never paying the slightest bit of attention to me...He started to come closer and closer and that's when I noticed the anomaly on his head. Between his eyes there was a large reddish raised area...perhaps a hemangioma or something....not sure what it was but I did not see it on any other armadillos! Hope he's ok!

He soon began foraging only a few feet from me..I decided to retreat to my car, I didn't want to trample his lunch...or be trampled either!

Birds of Viera Wetlands

Still feeling a little crabby after being up for more than 24 hours and only sleeping for 4 hours (thank GOD for LATE checkout!), I decided I needed to be away from people and go be with nature! I found a perfect spot...the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Veira, Florida was only about 15 minutes south of Cocoa. The 200 acre wetlands was created by reclaimed water from the Brevard County waste-water reuse system. Sounds gross...but really...no smells...just a very nice nature area! I thought about hiking...until I saw a posting to the tune of..."beware...aggressive behavior...alligator mating season...."that did it. I would just drive casually on the dirt path as others were doing...pulling off at interesting places. Like to view this beautiful Great Egret!

Up the road apiece, I was juggling my camera, binoculars and my Sibley's (large bird book) trying for several minutes to figure out what this red beaked bird was. I thought I was enough off the road as to not block the path of those behind me looking for entertainment on Superbowl Sunday afternoon...when someone in a truck beeped and screamed in my open window "Its a BIRD!"...hellooooooo..its a NATURE TRAIL NOT the INDY 500 I wanted to scream...but he was a few hundred yards away now and I was only yelling at his dust cloud. PEOPLE! Anyway...its a common moorhen I found out later after giving up & asking someone with a spotting scope.

Several others appeared in a big hurry while driving this one way route with several different loops. I just don't get it...why go to a nature preserve if you don't want to take the time and want to see and observe nature things??? Maybe they were just there to show out of town visitors alligators or something. I found this glossy ibis near the egret while looking at BIRDS!

A red-bellied woodpecker flitted by and landed on this tree and drilled for lunch as I was observing the ibises.

Up the road a bit a few Blue Winged Teal swam by.....

Still...a little further... a Great Blue Heron who was in the middle of some sort of molt happened by....

It took me a while to figure out this little guy...the Belted Kingfisher should be called the look quick & raise that camera & I'm outta here bird. I "chased" him from tree to tree for several minutes before FINALLY getting a good look at him as he perched atop this dead palm tree.

Found some endangered Wood Storks laying on this little "island" near some alligators....hope the guys in the speeding truck missed 'em!

An hourish later sound this Tri-Colored Heron along with some Common Moorhens.

Finally....found an osprey atop this dead palm & observed him rubbing and scratching his beak on it as if he was sharpening or scratching it. Was an interesting observation.

This Great Egret appeared to be mimicking the reeds in an attempt to camouflage himself.

And finally...what visit to Florida would be complete without seeing Anhinga's?!

After 3 hours on the trail...I decided to make my way back to Titusville to check into my bed & breakfast in hopes that the Endeavour would launch tonight! (And get some SLEEP!)