Wandering the Wetlands

A pair of Black-necked Stilts had been tending to a nest over the past month at the Viera Wetlands. Last week all four eggs hatched! She was still sitting on the fourth egg the one morning I was there, but it hatched soon after. They are on the other side of the pond, so these images are very heavily cropped. 

Mama Black-necked Stilt & 2 of her chicks

The next day I went back and didn't  see any of the chicks. A little while later, I saw this adult Stilt with a few extra legs!

There are several Mottled Ducks and Mottled families around the wetlands right now.

 This Tricolored Heron was snapping up some breakfast...

...as was this White Ibis!

There are so many species of dragonflies and butterflies every where!

Four Spotted-Pennant

I loved the appearance of eyes on the back of this dragonfly's head.

Spicebush Swallowtail

Coming & Going

Traffic at Click Ponds can be quite minimal at times. A handful of common herons and egrets and Coots are always a guarantee  Yet, I find myself  there each week as it's quiet and peaceful and there's always a chance of finding something out of the ordinary. For the past two weeks, though, the ponds have been packed; I've probably seen more species in these past two weeks than I have over the past two years.

The White Pelicans have definitely been a highlight for me. With the ponds being so small, I've had a chance to watch these huge birds in action at close range. These migrating groups are most likely passing through as they make their way north. The first day I saw about 35 of them, a few mornings later there were over 150. By that same afternoon, they were just about gone. I arrived early on this past Sunday morning to find just this low key trio. I did wonder why they didn't leave with the large group.

No sooner did I look up to see a new group arriving. They flew past me to the west.

Then made the turn back towards the ponds...

and down they came.

I often saw the pelicans paired up with their fishing partners, Double-crested Cormorants. Check out the size difference in the bills of these two species below.

I'm pretty sure the White Pelicans wiped the ponds clean of all fish!

Many different species of ducks have also stopped by.

Mottled Duck and ducklings

male Ruddy Duck

Ring-necked Duck

American Wigeon pair & Coot

Killdeer

The lower water levels have attracted some long legged friends.

Black-necked Stilt & Lesser Yellowlegs

Thanks to this Stilt I was able to see just how shallow these ponds are.

There was even a pair of Bonaparte's Gulls hanging around. They seemed to be struggling to "fit in". They first to try to join this group of ducks, but that didn't go so well. Where did everyone go? Was it something we said??

Bonaparte's Gulls

The gulls thought maybe they would fit in better with the pelicans.

Many species are now displaying their breeding plumage.

Great Egret in breeding plumage

Tricolored Heron in breeding plumage

Anhinga in breeding plumage

Viera Wetlands




Viera Wetlands at dusk





The Viera Wetlands, located at the end of Wickham Rd. in Viera, Florida, is one of my favorite and most frequented birding locations. The loop can be explored on foot, by bike, or in the car. A typical visit allows for the viewing of many of the "regulars" that are found in abundance at anytime of the year. A few of these include Great Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Great White Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Sandhill Cranes, Pied-billed Grebes, American Coots, Common Moorhens, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Anhingas, and Osprey. Others that I've seen frequenting the wetlands on a fairly regular basis throughout the year include Bald Eagles, Crested Caracaras, a variety of Hawks, Black Crowned Night Herons, Green Herons, Limpkins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Belted Kingfishers, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mottled Ducks, and Blue-winged Teals. Other wildlife found at the wetlands include deer, raccoons, alligators, turtles, snakes, and otters.



Black-bellied Whistling Ducks



Great Blue Heron

American Coot





Tricolored Heron



Snowy Egret

Anhinga

Sandhill Cranes

Mottled Duck



American Alligator