Viera Wetlands 8/16/12

My son and I took a long overdue trip to the wetlands this morning. I had planned on walking the loops, so I was happy to see the "open to foot traffic only" sign waiting to welcome us. The birds were very active at this early hour, especially with the absence of human activity. The first cell continued to be occupied by a plethora of Great Egrets mixed with a few other waders, including Spoonbills, Snowy Egrets, and Ibises. We saw a large flock of female Red-winged Blackbirds gathered together in the reeds.

Female Red-winged Blackbird

We came upon this young Loggerhead Shrike, a cute little fellow,  standing on top of a headless palm.

Juvenile Loggerhead Shrike

Several cells had very low water levels, which appeared to be attractive to a group of Least and Spotted Sandpipers.

Least Sandpiper

This lone Black-necked Stilt stood nearby.

Black-necked Stilt

The Stilt was soon join by a second Stilt. The Stilts were enjoying the company of one another, until...

Black-necked Stilts

A Tricolored Heron tried to join them. But, as the saying goes, three is a crowd.

Black-necked Stilts & Tricolored Heron

 The pair of Stilts decided to move along.

The action was not limited to just the land; birds were passing by overhead continually.  Unfortunately, I was a little to slow to capture most of them.

Roseate Spoonbill

Little Blue Heron

Viera Wetlands 03/03/12

Limpkin

I didn't have a lot of time for birding this past weekend, but I did  managed to slip in a few short trips the wetlands and Click Ponds. Here are a few feathered friends I caught up with, and one reptile.

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Savannah Sparrow

Hooded Merganser

American Alligator

The Click Ponds: Part I & II

 Saturday afternoon's dreary and dismal weather was a stark contrast to Monday's sunny, blue skies. I went to the Click Ponds, located adjacent to the wetlands, on both of these days. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary on Saturday, but I did enjoy the variety of birds I was able to see.  I spotted two Common-ground Doves in a tree near the entrance. These doves are a bit more interesting than their Mourning counterparts; they have bright chestnut primaries that are visible when in flight. They are also the smallest of the dove family.  The trees and bushes to the right of the ponds were loads with birds. There were large numbers of Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers and probably quite a few others that I missed. Boat-tailed Grackles and Robins were also abundant throughout the area.

Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird
Click Ponds

I also saw two juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds who appeared to be under the guidance of an adult RWBB.

American Robin
Click Ponds

The visiting Robins were on mission to consume every berry in the area and a Green Heron was fishing from some old pipes.

Green Heron
Click Ponds

While I was sitting in my parked car observing some Hooded Mergansers, a Wilson's Snipe flew right in front of my car. It then proceed to loop around me again, land in the reeds right in front of me, and, strangest of all, just stare at me. This is the second one I've seen in the past week.

Wilson's Snipe
Click Ponds

Monday I spotted this American Bittern who was relatively out in the open, for a Bittern anyway.

American Bittern
Click Ponds

Female Boat-tailed Grackle
Click Ponds

As I was watching some Boat-tailed Grackles dance around I noticed a small Sora hiding in the reeds. This is the first time I have seen one here. I wasn't able to get a decent photo as the Sora was doing its best to stay concealed.

Hiding Sora
Click Ponds

This Palm Warbler appears to be developing its breeding plumage noted by the rufous cap that is developing.

Palm Warbler
Click Ponds

This young Mockingbird was waiting at the exit to wish us farewell.

Northern Mockingbird
Click Ponds

Viera Wetlands at Sunset

Changing things up this week, I headed over to the wetlands after work on Monday. I decided to diverge from the usual activities as I noticed the sky displaying some unusual cloud formations. The wetlands is a great place for sunsets, which I thought these clouds might bring.

I saw the usual variety of herons, waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors. I also spotted a Wilson's Snipe, which I have only seen there on one other occasion. This fellow only made a split second appearance and was off. This is a photo of the one I saw at the Wetlands in November of 2010.

Wilson's Snipe
Viera Wetlands

This Hooded Merganser was doing its best to camouflage itself among the hundreds of Coots.

Palm Warbler
Viera Wetlands

Red-winged Blackbird
Viera Wetlands

Most of clouds dispersed by the time the sun went down, but we enjoyed the sunset none the less.

Weekend Trip to the Wetlands

Anhingas
Viera Wetlands

Just a few photos from last weekend's trip to the Viera Wetlands.

Red-winged Blackbird
Viera Wetlands

Nesting Anhinga
Viera Wetlands

Breeding Glossy Ibis
Viera Wetlands

Great Blue Heron
Viera Wetlands

Common Yellowthroat
Viera Wetlands

Viera Wetlands 01/07/12

The herons, egrets, and ducks as well as many other water birds were out in full force yesterday morning at the wetlands. Numerous songbirds could be heard throughout the area as well, with the Red-winged Blackbird's song being the most popular.

Male Red-winged Blackbird
Viera Wetlands

Male Red-winged Blackbird
Viera Wetlands

Female Red-winged Blakbird
Viera Wetlands

Limpkin
Viera Wetlands

This Limpkin was foraging at the wetlands for apple snails.

American Coot
Viera Wetlands

Coots are found by the hundreds at this time of the year. They typically stick close together, swimming and foraging in large flocks.

Ducks seen included Mottled, Northern Shoveler, Hooded Merganser, Ring-necked, and Blue-winged Teal. Nesting Great Blues, Little Blues, and Tricolored Herons as well as Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egret were also observed.