Merritt Island NWR, 11/5/2011

Pied Billed Grebe

This morning I went to Merritt Island.  I haven't been there since August, so I wanted see what's new.  I didn't see anything terribly wonderful there, though the Northern Harrier were there in force, as were Pied-billed Grebe and Dunlin.  It was a cold and windy day, so when I made it to the area where the restrooms are, I decided to walk the trails.  I normally don't walk the trails there because the mosquitoes are so bad, but with all the wind I decided to brave it.  There were many Osprey there fishing, as well as a Reddish Egret trying to keep warm.  I left around 11:30am, and right before crossing the Titusville bridge, I decided to see what shorebirds were by the bridge.  I saw many Ruddy Turnstone, a Sanderling and a Dunlin that I was able to photograph up close.

Ruddy Tunestone

Sanderling

Reddish Egret

Green Heron

Snowy Egret

Tricolored Heron

Ring-Billed Gull

Here is a list of bird species I saw today:

Blue-winged Teal X
Hooded Merganser 3
Pied-billed Grebe X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Anhinga 1
Brown Pelican 1
Great Blue Heron X
Great Egret X
Snowy Egret X
Little Blue Heron X
Tricolored Heron X
Green Heron X
White Ibis X
Glossy Ibis X
Black Vulture X
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 4
Common Gallinule 3
American Coot X
Black-bellied Plover 2
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Willet 2
Ruddy Turnstone 10
Sanderling 1
Dunlin X
Laughing Gull 4
Ring-billed Gull 2
Forster's Tern 1
Rock Pigeon X
Belted Kingfisher 5
Fish Crow X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Palm Warbler X
Savannah Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle X
Boat-tailed Grackle X