Merritt Island NWR, 9/8/2012

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Sand Crab
This morning I went to Merritt Island NWR and had a wonderful time.  I stopped first just over the Max Brewer bridge in Merritt Island, and there was a nice Black-bellied Plover there just waiting to be photographed with a grassy background.

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Black-bellied Plover
From there I went to Blackpoint Drive.  This area was pretty slow, compared to what I normally see there. Highlights were a Reddish Egret that flew right over me, and about 30 Black-necked Stilts were all flying together.

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Reddish Egret
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Black-necked Stilts (some of them)
From there I went to the Canaveral National Seashore.  The beach was much more crowded with people, and the birds were scarce.  All I saw were Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, Barn Swallows, a couple Royal Terns, and a few Brown Pelicans.  But what I did find was still pretty photogenic.

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Sanderling
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Ruddy Turnstone
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Black-bellied Plover
From there I drove up BioLab Rd.  About half way up the road I ran out of time, but I did find a bunch of shorebirds all in a group with a couple Spotted Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, a couple Sanderlings, Western, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, and a few Short-billed Dowitchers.

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Short-billed Dowitcher
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Short-billed Dowitcher

Comments

  1. So many great captures Scott!!! I went out to CNS yesterday morning too, just after sunrise and it was crowded. So many surfers going out. Unfortunately I didn't see much, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of a Black-bellied Plover, but had to settle for some Turnstones and Sanderlings.

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