Checking on the neighbors in Viera Wetlands

Egret trio with feathers fluffed against the cold and wind

Glossy Ibis looking for a parking space

"I'm just ducky, thanks," said the Northern Shoveler

Stealth action by a Forester's Tern in the grey light

Green is the color

Blending in is an art for the Green Heron

Staying alert for any morsel

VIERA, FL - - Our journey to the Space Coast Birding Festival found us doing very early morning rounds of Viera Wetlands on Friday.  Yesterday's sun was replaced by high clouds and intermittent sunny periods.  Despite a steady strong wind, the birds were out...you just had to look hard for them.

Munch

Munch, much

The Great Blue Heron is now the black and white heron

VIERA, FL - - While at Viera Wetlands Wildlife Reserve on Thursday, we spotted this alligator quietly floating while keeping his eyes on everything.  Suddenly, Bam!  He lunged, chomped and apparently didn't come up with anything.  If he did, the morsel is already halfway down his throat.  
     The heron photo looked good in black and white so I posted it.

Show us your belly

Hunting for a home

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - This Red-bellied Woodpecker was flitting from tree to tree in a nearby park.  Rather than wear out its beak hammering away at a tree, this species will grab any empty abode it finds.  So, how do we know the bird has a red belly?  Unfortunately, even if it turned around you still wouldn't see any red....grey feathers covering the stomach area hide the red color.   

Angry anhinga

Go away!!

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We spied this anhinga from a walkway near the river.  The bird was not happy. We had inadvertently upset its precarious web-footed balancing act.

Where is he??

Where is he?

Here I come, dear!

VIERA, FL - -  Nest building can lead to frazzled nerves.  

Rat-on

Sunday Brunch for this Great Blue Heron...

...was a nice, juicy swamp rat.

VIERA, FL - - Sunday's weather outlook was much better than previous weekend forecasts so we headed to  Viera Wetlands.  We encountered more birds than we've previously seen since returning home in October.
     As always, there were plenty of nesting heron couples working on home improvement.  They were also on the lookout for anything tasty for snacks.  I wouldn't call a swamp rat tasty but the heron (above) obviously thought differently.  The photo I didn't get was of the bird swallowing the rat whole in one long gulp.  I had stopped taking photos to check my camera and when I looked back there was a big lump in the bird's gullet.  

Watching and waiting

This Great Egret decided to do something different...

...instead of the usual stand in the water and look for appetizers.

So he looked for food from an evergreen tree...with an occasional break for grooming.

Ms. Merganser was also waiting and watching...for her absent mate.

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - The first decent day of the new year saw some of the usual suspects out and about at a nearby park on the river.