Merritt Island NWR, 1/5/2013

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Merritt Island NWR
This morning I went to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and I had a fantastic time.  I went to Parrish Park (just past the bridge), Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, and Canaveral National Seashore.  I brought my new Canon Powershot S100 camera with me and took the above photo with it.  I'm pretty impressed with the camera so far.  Other highlights were seeing many Belted Kingfishers, a few Reddish Egrets, lots of Yellowlegs, and both Least and Western Sandpipers.  There were many ducks and shorebirds there, but nothing too out of the ordinary.  When I stopped by the restrooms to walk the trails (near where I took the above picture), I saw a Sora and a Clapper Rail.  The Clapper Rail was not acting much like a rail.  It spent a considerable amount of time out in the open--always near cover, but in plain sight.  These are my first sharp photos of a Clapper Rail.

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Belted Kingfisher
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Reddish Egret
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Least Sandpiper
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Greater Yellowlegs
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Sora
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Clapper Rail
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Clapper Rail

Comments

  1. Dig it Scott, nice work.
    Those Rail shots are really something to rail about, and those Sora shots ain't nothing to be Sore about either! Those Least Sandpiper shots aren't last or Least, and the Yellowlegs is Great!
    Have no regret about the Egret and...well, your Kingfisher is is...crowning achievement.

    ok I'm done

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  2. Great comparison sora and clapper. Thank you.

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  3. Great comparison sora and clapper. Thank you.

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  4. Wow, great captures. I've only SEEN sora once, but certainly will never forget it. To this day when I return to the site I gaze longingly at the same reedy spot, willing it to reappear in perfect light. Of course, I had no camera at the time. But a sora AND a clapper rail, wow! =) I'll have to look up the reddish egret, 'cause I've never seen them so pale, tho' I've only seen them v. infrequently, as well. Good work!

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  5. Thanks! What was really strange is I photographed both in the exact same place. So weird.

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  6. Wow. That's an extremely high percentage of puns in one paragraph! I like it... Thanks.

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  7. Love the reflection on the Clapper Rail, Scott! Nice work!

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