Today was the first of two trips we made over to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and on the drive over Swallow-tailed Kite, Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Meadowlark and Wild Turkey were all seen from the car, along with a group of 2 Caracara's, a Black Vulture and a Bald Eagle feeding on a bit of road-kill.
Arriving at the causeway over to Merritt Island from Titusville, the first Willet of the day was noted feeding on the waters edge before flying off revealing its striking black & white wing pattern. Calling in at the visitors centre a Tufted Titmouse was watched in trees in the car park along with a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The v.c trail was fairly quiet aside from both White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo's and a pair of Northern Cardinals. Gecko's/Lizards of various sizes and colours were seen everywhere we went during the trip, with this one having a peek out from its hiding place.
A walk round the scrub ridge trail failed to produce any Scrub Jays with the search being curtailed due to the mosquitoes deciding it was lunch time, so we cut our losses and headed for the 7 mile long Black Point Wildlife Drive, but not before a Pileated Woodpecker flew across the road on the way.
The pools along the wildlife drive produced a host of species including both Brown and American White Pelicans, and a small flock of American Avocets.
Pied-billed Grebes and American Coots adorned the pools along with Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged Teals and Lesser Scaups.
Waders included more Willets, along with Dowitchers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer and Dunlin, and a few Reddish Egrets were performing their famous dancing feeding action as they chased fish around the lagoons.
All the other usual Herons, Egrets and Ibis were well represented too including the Tricoloured Heron and Snowy Egret below.
A couple of Northern Harriers were watched quartering the marshes and a Roseate Spoonbill was also noted flying over.
Caspian Terns and Ring-billed Gulls were noted roosting on one of the pools, and a walk along one of the side trails produced a Sora feeding along a ditch.
Further along the ditch a Green Heron was flushed, but co-operatively only flew a short way along and landed in the vegetation on the waters edge.
Last highlight of the Wildlife Drive, and of the day, was this Belted Kingfisher perched up on a bush overlooking a pool alongside the track.
