Birds at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge: March 2014 Florida Visit

I’ve been up to (over to? across to?) Titusville several times in the past, either to visit the Kennedy Space Center or to watch shuttle launches, but I’d never been birding in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. My father and I went there together, and I got to see another bird I’d been hoping to see.

We paused along a pull-off point because I saw a few birds standing together and wondered what they were. The day was extremely windy, and taking in-focus pictures was a huge challenge. The birds were about the size of a heron, with pink feathers and a long, strange bill with a circular curve at the end.

They were roseate spoonbills. I had never seen one before nor even heard of them.

The spoonbills eventually flew off, and almost right as they did, a tricolored heron flew in and began to hunt. I was so pleased! Little did I know that I would be seeing more tricolored herons in the future, and in Dallas.

We tried the Atlantic side, hoping for brown pelicans, but there was almost no birds and LOTS of people. We turned away from the Atlantic, and that’s when we started seeing more birds.

Little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) perches on a dead tree at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

Oh, Little Blue, birdie, I love you, Little Blue.

Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) lands on a tree at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

Nice of you to drop in, madam!

The tricolored flew in right as my father and I were turning back from a trail that had ended in muck. As we would walk closer to the heron, she would fly and land just a little in front of us.

Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) perches on a branch at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

Just gorgeous.

Finally she got tired of us always catching up with her and flew off for real.

Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) in flight at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

BYE, HUMANS!

We went by a location that was frequented by manatees, so we decided to drop in and look. We didn’t find manatees . . .

Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) soars through the air at the Merritt Island Natinal Wildlife Refuge in Florida

The turkey vulture, one of my father’s favorite birds.

Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) flies above water at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

HELLO, AGAIN!

The adult brown pelican was initially loafing on a railing in a restricted part of the river. She dove into the water, floated for a while, then took off and began flying in circles. A juvenile joined in on the flying fun.

Juvenile brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) poops while flying above water at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

Pooping birds crack me up. I don’t know why.

Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) flies above water at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

ZOOM!

We went on a walk in an area of pine habitat, where we saw some scrub-jays and an immature bald eagle. Overall it was a good visit, and I hope that the next time I go to Florida, Q will come with me so we can check out the refuge together.

Brown Pelicans Flying Over the Atlantic: March 2014 Florida Visit

A while ago I talked with J R Compton about what he thought were the two main types of birders: watchers and listers. Watchers, he said, are pretty much happy with whatever bird turns up, while listers know what they want to see and seek out their target.

I had a boss who was a lister. She asked me if I had a birding bucket list and seemed surprised when I said I didn’t.

In general I consider myself a watcher. I like pretty much all birds, and they can all be interesting. I even like grackles and gulls! But there were a few birds that I really hoped I could see. One was a tricolored heron. Another was the brown pelican.

Since I was going to be in Florida, I thought I might try looking for some brown pelicans while I was there. I found a likely spot in New Smyrna Beach, and off my mother and I went to find the birds.

The only problem was that I never found the turn-off that would take us northwest to where the birding location was, and we found ourselves going southeast along A1A, which runs along the Atlantic Ocean. My mother didn’t have a physical map, and my phone was refusing to reload any imagery of the map I had up. We talked about pulling over randomly and walking out to the beach, just to find out if we could see anything, but before we could decide to do that, I saw a sign for the Great Florida Birding Trail.

“Let’s follow that and see where it goes,” I said.

It went to the Canaveral National Seashore.

We spent a little bit of time on the Indian River side before going out to the Atlantic to look for the brown pelicans.

Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) standing on a sign post at Canaveral National Seashore

Not a brown pelican, but welcome nonetheless.

There were a few birds hanging out on the beach.

A royal tern (Thalasseus maximus) on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

All the Forsters Terns at White Rock Lake will see this pic and begin to mournfully sing, “And we’ll never be royals . . . “

A ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

Ruddy Turnstone among shrimp.

Then my mother spotted a group of brown pelicans. Several small groups came through in waves, and occasionally a loner would fly in by herself. The pelicans were flying from south to north. Because I was so used to white pelicans, the coloration of the brown pelicans shocked me; they looked as though they had painted their faces with garishly colored make-up.

Four brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

 

Two brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

When I would watch groups of pelicans fly into Sunset Bay to loaf, I would hum the opening to Holst’s “Mars.” I did this with the brown pelicans. My mother tried to compete with me. She began humming Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” despite my protestations and explanations why “Mars” was clearly the better choice. She won. I started humming “Ride of the Valkyries” with her as the pelicans soared over us.

Juvenile brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

Juvenile brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

Brown pelican flying (Pelecanus occidentalis) over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

Four brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

We decided that we’d had a good outing and that we’d let one more flock of birds go by before we left. After all, we had driven much further than we’d anticipated and still had to get back home.

Three brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Canaveral National Seashore

Good night, and thank you.