Merritt Island NWR ~ Blackpoint Wildlife Drive

Just mosey on over ~ White Ibis with several Roseate Spoonbills

Northern Shovelers

Hooded Merganser

White Ibis

Little Blue

American Alligator

 

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

Anhinga

Cattle Egret

Glossy Ibis

Common Gallinule

Reddish Egret

Blue-winged Teal

Ruskin, FL ~ Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve

This was another spot we birded at back in 2013.  today we arrived early and were able to climb the hill looking down over the water areas.  Not the largest amount of birds but still nice.  We were happy to see the Cattle Egrets catching and eating the dragonflies along with an American Kestrel doing the same thing.  For me there were some new butterflies which was exciting ~ A Giant Swallowtail did a fly-by and a mangrove Skipper posed happily on some Lantana.

Mangrove Skipper

Mangrove Skipper

Gulf Fritillary

Cattle Egret with bug

American Kestrel

Delray Beach, FL ~ Wakodahatchee Wetlands ~ Love is in the Air

Wood Storks

Anhinga's

Cattle Egret in Breeding Plummage

Displaying Great Egret

Double-crested Cormorant & babies

American Alligator & babies

(Close-up)

Merritt Island, Fl ~ Exploring the Byways

Barred Yellow Butterfly

Today before I left the yard I saw an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly.  Yesterday, I found 2 new species at the Viera Wetlands- Barred Yellow and Monarch. Then I stopped first at the Information Kiosk area that has been so productive with butterflies.  I found 2 new species there - a Queen & a Red Admiral.  Then when I was walking the Scrub Jay Trail I found a little Duskywing which has been ID'd as a 'Florida' Sleepy Duskywing so another life butterfly.  This brings my trip total to 29 species thus far.  Some new birds for today Cattle Egrets and a flyover White Pelican but no Scrub Jays. Drat!!

Queen Butterfly

Queen Butterfly

Red Admiral Butterfly

Red Admiral Butterfly

'Florida' Sleepy Duskywing

Cattle Egret

White Pelican

FL ~ Driving along FL's roadways

Cattle Egret

Great Blue Heron with snake

Tricolored Heron

White Ibis

Orlando, FL ~ Gatorland

Cattle Egret Breeding Plumage

Our last stop on our trip was Gatorland. This is a wild alligator breeding marsh with a bird sanctuary that is the largest and most easily accessible wild wading bird rookery in east Central Florida.  I had heard many great things about the rookery at Gatorland where egrets, herons, anhingas, wood storks and cormorants have nests.  The birds display in the spring, build nests, lay eggs and bring up their babies in the rookery.  The great part about this is that Gatorland has built a boardwalk across from the nesting areas which allows you to look into the nests and take pictures,  It was an awesome place where we saw baby birds of many ages.  I would love to come in March when the birds are displaying and building nests.

Double-crested Cormorant on nest

Great Egret chicks

Tricolored Heron  in breeding plumage

Tricolored Heron chick

Wood Stork and chicks

Anhinga feeding chick

Viera Wetlands Park & Click Ponds, Viera, FL

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks ~ Viera Wetlands

Another highly recommended birding site is the Viera Wetlands so it was our first stop today. It is water treatment plant and it allows birders to ride, bike or walk along the berms looking at all of the species of birds that call it home.  We had heard that it was a great site to see Least Bitterns which would be a life bird for both of us.  It was great even in the off season so I can imagine how wonderful it must be in winter and spring.  We were excited to see 2 Least Bittern at Viera Wetlands and then another one at the Click Ponds.  Seeing the ducks up on the dead palms was cool especially when a second duck came out of the top. There were lots of butterflies over at the Click Ponds in addition to the birds.

Cattle Egret ~ Viera Wetlands

Least Bittern ~ Viera Wetlands

Queen Butterfly

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly