Orlando Wetlands - I
On a day with alternating periods of sun and rain, Southeast Volusia Audubon members still managed to observe 45 species of Florida’s finest. The shot above is pretty representative of the weather that greeted us when we arrived around 7:15 AM. Under the cover of the overhang of the yet-to-be-realized Visitors’ Center, we managed to stay relatively dry and still observe some of nature's wonderful creations in a wonderful setting.
Among the most sought after sights and photo-ops at Orlando Wetlands are the nesting Roseate spoonbills found at this time of year. I’ve titled this photograph “Spooning spoonbills”, a picture most appropriate for the day after Valentine’s Day! With mating season in full swing for these avian beauties, the plumage of the spoonbill is exceptional with the deep crimson and pinks of their wings which it gets from the carotenoids found in the algae and crustaceans they eat. Over time, these carotenoids “bio-accumulate” meaning the older the spoonbill is, the deeper its color will be. Being breeding season, hormonal changes tend to enhance the vibrancy of the color as well, so these guys are batting 1000 when it comes to color generation!
Speaking of color (or lack of), another one of our most beautiful birds today was the Black and White warbler. In winter, warbler species are fairly uncommon with the exception of Palm warbler, Yellow-rumped warblers and these Black and Whites. The three species show above were among the many different birds we were privileged to observe along the newly constructed boardwalk at the wetlands. Tomorrow’s posting will cover some of the birds we found as we took the tram which volunteers at the park provide for visitors free of charge. All-in-all, the day was very enjoyable and quite productive.
