Space Coast Birding festival~Viera Wetlands

Howdee all,

We had a great time at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife festival.

One of our first outings was to Viera Wetlands.

Located between the Moccasin Island Tract of the River Lakes Conservation Area and the Brevard Zoo, the wetlands are a popular site for birders, photographers, and eco-tourists.  The entire wetland system is accessible by automobile, making the site popular among those who find the rigors of hiking trails and summer temperatures daunting.  Even better, viewing the site from one’s automobile serves to screen visitors from birds and wildlife, enhancing the experience

Our alarm didn’t wake us and we missed the bus..but luckily after some scrambling around to get directions we made it to the wetlands just in time to start the Bird outing with the group.

Our group leader was the very knowledgeable and friendly Laura Erickson.

Fourth from the right..

We joined the group in the bus which took us to various spots on the loop road..

A beautiful sunrise

Tree swallows land on grasses…White IbisBirders shadows…A palm warbler…Oh..what’s this? A lovely Limpkin…

Lovely Limpkin with Laura Erickson speaking with the birders

Common Moorhen with its candy corn bill….It was a chilly morning and my fingers were cold and numb…in our rush to get ready I forgot my gloves…

Limpkin and Little Blue HeronBeautiful surroundings….for a water treatment plant..

I highly recommend birding here…Wonderfully scenic…

And great birding!Common Yellowthroat

A raft of Coot

These photos below were digiscoped by Jeff

American BitternBlue-winged TealSleeping..Sandhill CraneGreen Heron

A great morning of Birding!

More of the Space Coast Birding Festival to come….

The festival is over…Jeff and I are in Mims for a few days then we head south to Lake Worth for a few weeks..after that we haven’t decided where to go.

If anyone is interested in getting together for some birding..let me know..I am trying to get a group together…have a few birders interested already.

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Harris Neck NWR day 2

Howdee all,

Another cold morning in Georgia…I put on my down coat and went for a morning walkA mist of cold above the water…Here we sit…our windows face the lakeThe car was frosty..The Eucalyptus tree …reminds me this is a warm weather area..

Jeff and I left the RV park after it warmed up..and on the way in a side ditch..note the beer bottle in the water….was a beautiful BirdAmerican Bittern

On the way to the park we noticed this Clever sign…hee hee

Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge

Harris Neck NWR was established in 1962 by transfer of federal lands formerly managed by the Federal Aviation Administration as a WWII Army airfield. Located in McIntosh County, Georgia, the refuge serves as an important link in the chain of refuges along the Atlantic seaboard, and is the inland base for two neighboring barrier island refuges, Blackbeard Island and Wolf Island refuges, both located southeast of Harris Neck.

Harris Neck’s 2,762 acres consists of saltwater marsh, grassland, mixed deciduous woods, and cropland. Because of this great variety in habitat, many different species of birds are attracted to the refuge throughout the year. In the summer, thousands of egrets and herons nest in the swamps, while in the winter, large concentrations of ducks (especially mallards, gadwall and teal) gather in the marshland and freshwater pools.

We scanned the river for birds..

Only a few Egrets…in the grasses Palm Warblers

OH NO!This tree was yelling something…Do you think there is a bird in its mouth?I don’t know why it was yelling…maybe I just startled it…Or MAYBe it was surprised how chilly it was for a January day in Georgia.Second stop…. the birdie Bluebill PondLots of Cooties…I loved the green muck in the water…Isn’t it beautiful?

We saw at least eight Snipe…More coots..we did see many other ducks here…List at the end of this post..The Coots were the only birds that got close enough…For my point and shoot camera to photographIts times like these I wish I had a big lens DSLR

Instead I will be happy with what I can capture with my point and shoot…Ohh..lookie here..Red-shouldered Hawk..And another coot…Two more Coot..We left the pond and drove a bit further checking out the water areas along the road..We parked the car and took another walking path to a few small ponds..A Possum crosses the road…Small ponds..hard to see the birds..mostly Coot..and too far away for photos…So I take a few shots of cat tail..I really liked the fuzzy seed heads…We walked further….And one of those Walking helmets cross the road.A great day….

Jeff and I are now in Sunny Florida..well not too sunny today..its overcast, breezy and beautifully warm..73 degrees. Tomorrow is the start of the Space Coast Bird and Wildlife festival…We have a 4:30 am start to the day..Early to bed for me tonight!

 

Birds of the Day

American Bittern

Palm Warbler
Tufted Titmouse
Mourning Dove
Common yellowthroat
Yellow rump warbler
Northern cardinal
Great egret
Snowy egret
Turkey vulture
Red bellied woodpecker
Hermit thrush
Ruby crowned kinglet
Gadwall
Green winged teal
Coot
Wilsons snipe
Killdeer
Ring necked duck
Common merganser my bad..meant to put Bufflehead thanks Scott for the heads up
Hooded merganser
Pied billed grebe
Lesser yellowlegs
Eastern Phoebe
Blue wing teal
American pipet
Swamp sparrow
Song sparrow
Red winged blackbird
Carolina chickadee
American goldfinch
Downy woodpecker
White ibis
Red shouldered hawk
Eastern towhee
Pileated woodpecker
Eastern bluebird
Savannah sparrow
Northern harrier
Pine warbler
House wren
Wood stork

Common Moorhen..thanks Hap. I forgot to add

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Harris Neck NWR

Howdee all,

After a rather uneventful two nights in Savannah in a Walmart Parking lot..(Jeff was sick with Vertigo) We did do a quick tour of Tybee and Skidaway Islands.

We spent the last two nights at Macintosh Lake RV park near Harris Neck NWR.

A fellow blogger, Lydia from Costal Georgia Birding suggested we see Harris Neck NWR and a facebook friend and part time Park ranger also said she liked the park. So we went to check it out.

Our campsite overlooking the lake. When we got settled into our RV site we decided to take a drive thru the park.

The park has a four mile loop road thru the park.

If you had a bike there are many other trails to wander.

Harris Neck NWR

Lots of these funny helmets that move:)Very cool old treesSpanish Moss draped treesSpanish MossWe took a quick walk to the first lake.Lots of Coot and DucksWhite Ibis Hooded Merganser FemaleWe didn’t stay long…as we were planning a full day on Sunday to bird here.We then drove to another pond…for a quick look… Lots of Cypress Knees?Not as many ducks here…….I liked this seed pod and took a few photos..I don’t know what it is ..Anybody know?It is tall…about five feet. ??

Its Monday now..Yesterday we toured and birded the park..I hope to have a post of the birds seen soon…

Its chilly here…and We are ready for some Florida Warm..Lets hope we get what we want..You don’t want to hear me WHINE

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