Florida Trip - March 2011

Sharon and I decided to take a trip to Florida to visit the keys and southern Florida. Well, plans changed, and we are now going to meet our daughter-in-law and grandson and spend time at Disney World. But at least we can bird on the drive down and back. Our first stop was at Santee NWR in South Carolina. Already we are finding reptilians giants as pictured below.

American Alligator at Santee NWR

We managed to get to St Augustine the second night just after sunset, and as we were watching Black Skimmers and Great Egrets flying up the channel at Velenzo Beach we noticed a strange light in the southern sky. As pictured below you can see a Delta Rocket which was launch from Kennedy Space Center about 100 miles south.

Delta Rocket launch

The third day found us at Lake Woodruff NWR north of Orlando. What a great place to bird. I never saw so many Blue-winged Teals in one place. Coots and Common Moorhens were everywhere also. Large waders were present in large numbers also including Herons, Egrets, Sandhill Cranes and Wood Storks.

Snowy Egret, White and Glossy Ibis

Wood Stork (Click on images to enlarge)

As we were walking around the dikes the local Black Vultures were acting like toll collectors and we were having trouble trying to pass them.

 Black Vultures

Other birds seen at the refuge were Sora Rail, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Caspian Terns. Tomorrow we head for Disney so that's all for now. Good birding.