Out with the old….
We are almost into April and the birds have gotten the message that it is time to head north. We cruised through Merritt Island NWR today with the plan of concentrating on Black Point Drive. As we turned off Kennedy Pkwy (City Rte 3) onto Rte 406 which leads down to Black Point, we passed by a small pond we usually glance at to check out the Coots and Gallinules usually seen there. To our surprise, the pond was playing host to a feeding frenzy attended by a number of of different species. Snowy egrets, Great egrets, Tricolor herons, Common gallinules, a Little blue heron and a Roseatte spoonbill, most visible in the shot above, were all sharing in the feast. Only a small section of the pond is seen in this shot, so we were quite optimistic about our chances of having a banner day recording species and shooting some nice wildlife photos when we got to Black Point.
One of the Tricolored herons found in the pond was in beautiful breeding plumage. The base of the tricolor’s bill is normally yellowish throughout most of the year, but when the hormones kick in, the yellow turns bright blue as seen here. Most of these birds will migrate north after breeding season has past, but some remain here in Florida as permanent residents. March being the “dry season” here in east-central Florida, the ponds are usually low allowing for concentration of small fish and crustaceans , critical for allowing the breeding adults to acquire food without excessive exertion.
We moved on eager to see what the Drive had to offer. Well, apparently it was not only us who “moved on”. We've come to expect fewer birds at the refuge impoundments as we get into spring. Many of the ducks tend to move on to their breeding grounds to the north in late March and April and this year is certainly trending in that direction. In the past, we have had no trouble recording a minimum of 50 different species as we cruise around the 8 mile drive, but today, we failed to reach 30. Ducks? The last trip around the drive in early March, we had Blue-winged teal, Green-winged teal, Northern shovelers, American wigeon, as well as scaup, and literally hundreds of American coots. Today? Zero! So it is apparently “out with the old” in anticipation of “in with the new” which will bring the warblers and other northern bound migrants.
Some of our birds which we have seen regularly at Merritt Island will simply stick around. The warm climate, abundance of available food, and lack of competition in many cases is simply too good to leave behind. So some, like this baby Bald eagle on its nest along the road leading into Merritt Island which we have watched for two months now, may well be in the same area when we return next year. One of the “rules” in biology is that the larger the bird, the longer it takes to fully develop to an adult. While some small birds may be ready to fly only a couple of weeks after hatching, the eagle takes almost three months. Even then, the youngster may remain around the nest for a month or two longer!
Another resident we came across today was the Reddish egret. This bird is easy to identify from a distance simply by observing its behavior. This bird has the reputation of being “hyperactive” on the water. Running through the shallows with its head tilted sideways, staggering at times and leaping in the air in search of small fish, this egret makes itself conspicuous . Other times, the reddish will “hood” or spread its wings to create a large shadow which attracts small fish to within reach. The Reddish is pretty much a resident throughout southern Texas, Louisiana and Florida.
It’s time to start keeping an eye out for our migratory birds as they pass through Florida on their way to points north. Some will end up in the northern reaches of the US, but many continue on into northern Canada or even Alaska. It certainly ia a time for “out with the old and in with the new “.
