Merritt Island, 1/2/2012

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Horned Grebe
Yesterday I spent the morning and much of the afternoon on Merritt Island.  I started out the morning at the Max Brewer Causeway and Pump House Loop.  It was cloudy and a little rainy, and there wasn't the diversity of bird species I normally find there.  Highlights of the area were 9 Bufflehead mixed in with some Lesser Scaup and about 50 Black Skimmers in the distance on the loop.

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Black Skimmer

On the way to Blackpoint Dr, I saw a Bald Eagle perched in a tree; I found two more on the drive.  I found the usual assortment of ducks there--Pintail, Widgeons, Shovelers, Bufflehead, and Hooded Mergansers.  The sky gradually began to clear and the sky became increasingly conducive to photography.  By the time I made it to the second parking lot (with the restrooms), the light was quite nice.  I walked back the trail by the lake, and this is where I hit the jackpot.  A Horned Grebe was there actively feeding in a channel right next to me.  Several Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets and other herons and egrets were back there.  I also saw a Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, and several Osprey.  There were also 3 Loggerhead Shrike, and 1 Eastern Meadowlark posed for me.  I found the usual, Common Yellowthroat, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Belted Kingfisher and Royal Tern flew by.  I met another group of 3 that saw a Sora and another rail there, but I didn't see them myself.

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Eastern Meadowlark
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Reddish Egret
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Reddish Egret
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Tricolored Heron
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Northern Pintail
After leaving Blackpoint Dr, I went to Scrub Ridge Trail, where I found 3 Eastern Towhee, 2 American Kestrel and 1 Bald Eagle, but no Florida Scrub Jays.  From there I went down BioLab Rd, where I was able to capture my first photographs of a Red-breasted Merganser (even though they weren't very good) and find several shorebirds, including Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlin and Willet.


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Little Blue Heron

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Osprey
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Osprey

In terms of variety of bird species, this was my best day on the island; I counted a total of 70 species.  I also identified a Collared Dove and 3 Cattle Egrets on the drive to the island, making my grand total for the day 72 species.  I found everything I hoped to see except for a Scrub Jay and White Pelican.  Not a bad way to start the new year.

Here's the list of species I saw on Merritt Island.
American Wigeon X
Blue-winged Teal X
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail X
Lesser Scaup X
Bufflehead 9
Hooded Merganser 11
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Pied-billed Grebe X
Horned Grebe 2
Wood Stork X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Anhinga X
Brown Pelican 1
Great Blue Heron X
Great Egret X
Snowy Egret X
Little Blue Heron X
Tricolored Heron X
Reddish Egret 5
Green Heron 2
White Ibis X
Glossy Ibis X
Roseate Spoonbill 15
Black Vulture X
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Bald Eagle 4
Northern Harrier 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
American Kestrel 5
Common Gallinule 1
American Coot X
Killdeer X
American Avocet 35
Greater Yellowlegs X
Willet X
Lesser Yellowlegs X
Ruddy Turnstone X
Sanderling X
Dunlin X
Short-billed Dowitcher X
Long-billed Dowitcher 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 1
Royal Tern 2
Black Skimmer 50
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Loggerhead Shrike 3
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow X
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling X
Common Yellowthroat 2
Palm Warbler X
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Eastern Towhee 3
Savannah Sparrow X
Song Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle X
Boat-tailed Grackle X

Comments

  1. Sounds like an outstanding day at MINWR! Great photos, I really like the Horned Grebe. Those red eyes are captivating.

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  2. Terrific images, Scott, particularly the Eastern Meadowlark and the Reddish Egret in flight, and of course the Horned Grebe!

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  3. Wow, sounds like you had a terrific day of birding. Your photographs are superb! I'm especially fond of the Horned Grebe and Eastern Meadowlark images, though, all are beautiful. Great post!

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