Happy New Year

Lydia is always ready for an adventure

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We've put 2013 into the books.  Now on to thinking and planning for adventures and travels in 2014.  Of course, we're about five months away from any major expeditions but it's always fun to look ahead.

Christmas Day

Sunrise on the Halifax, but too late for the really good color.

Seagull version of a Christmas ballet

This Great Egret is starting to show the delicate breeding plumage

White Christmas?? Only in dream time

ORMOND BEACH, FL - -   The tourists are loving our Florida weather.  It's been great for the past few days.  Right now it's sunny;  85-degrees;  quite breezy with gusts to 20mph.  Love it while you can.  Our OB forecast for Christmas calls for some rainy weather with a high of 65-degrees.  But we're not complaining.
     We'll be home in OB this year rather than taking our usual winter camping trip to Fort DeSoto Park near St. Pete.  So, instead of getting rained on and blown around over there we'll be getting rained on and blown around over here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Let's go hunting

Green heron watching, waiting...

on alert and ready to go...

breakfast.  Now, how do I swallow this?

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We spotted this Green Heron in the Spring and were waiting for him/her to return.  We know the location of the hiding place, but it nearly always takes careful examination to spot if anyone is home. 

Making waves

Mr. Merganser followed by Mrs. M. zip along in Merritt Island NWR

This Osprey was resting on a limb, preparing to have a fish lunch.  Then we came along.

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - A Tuesday get away to Merritt Island NWR provided few good photo opportunities.  We did spot some feral pigs 'snouting' around in the bushes plus a lot of the usual suspects.  They all seemed to be aware that if they stayed far enough away that we could recognize them but not get good pics.

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland proved to be a very interesting place to visit.  Like other raptor centers we've visited,  their main function is to receive and care for injured birds.  Unlike most other facilities the Audubon Center has a large hospital / care center which is easily viewed through large windows.  Where possible the injured birds are "repaired" and then after substantial observation and "testing" released back into the wild.  When a severe or crippling injury leaves the bird deemed unable to sustain itself in the wild again, the bird (like the Bald Eagle, above) remains in the sanctuary.
      In addition to info plaques on the housing areas, visitors receive a laminated book describing each species including name/injury/other interesting facts about the bird.  There are also exterior perches for some of the better known raptors which allow photography ...with patience and the cooperation of the bird.
      

Watching and waiting

Lydia gets her beach chair ready

We see cruisers of all types

...plus a variety of catamarans and sail boats

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - About mid-November  the snowbirds with boats plus plenty of money  head to South Florida or the Caribbean for some or all of the winter months.   Quite a few hire a captain (and crew) to do the "Boring and time consuming" job of actually getting the boat to its destination.   In any case the daily procession provides great viewing, especially since we live one block off the Intracoastal Waterway (the Halifax River in our neck of the woods).  Grab a beach chair, a windbreaker, binoculars, a camera, snacks and settle in.