By Rey Wells
Each year the Citrus County Audubon Chapter ( citruscountyaudubon.org ) travels to the east coast of Florida. We gather early in the afternoon at Orlando Wetlands Park in Christmas. There, we board electric trams for a birding tour along the dikes. We also hike out to a boardwalk where Roseate Spoonbills and Great Egrets nest in the nearby trees.
All birds preen. Last year I was able to capture this spoonbill doing so near the boardwalk. That was in late January. Spoonbills did not have chicks yet.
This year we visited in early March. More than one spoonbill nest held chicks. Here is one sleepy nestling with a parent hovering over it and its sleeping siblings.
A wading bird that is slightly smaller than the Great Blue Heron is the Great Egret. I asked our driver to stop because a Great Egret off to our left had caught a Siren. Sirens are snakelike amphibians that can grow quite long. Here is the egret seemingly considering how to swallow it. It did so after a few more seconds without any apparent difficulty. The green coloring on the bird’s face occurs only during the breeding season.
Having moved closer to headquarters because of an approaching storm front, someone sighted an American Bittern just off the trail. They are typically difficult to see because of cover and their unique posture. But here it is. Instead of being concerned by all the attention, it actually took a few steps toward us. Living in a spot that is heavily visited likely made this bird somewhat comfortable with the presence of humans. It was still there when we drove away.
After the storm passed, I visited with a new Sandhill Crane family that was busily foraging in the headquarters area. Here is one of the two colts trying to take advantage of the efforts of one of its parents.
The day ended with an enjoyable dinner at the Dixie Crossroads in Titusville. We would gather again the next morning at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.