Oh, I look sooo good

Of course I look good...I'm prime steak

We can't stop talking about how cute 'junior' will be

You can't beat meadow lark yellow for being cool

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Viera wetlands, about 100 miles south of OB, has usually been a good spot to find our feathered friends.  However Thursday was cool and windy with only some nesting sandhill cranes loudly hailing to us from a socially distanced location.

     There's another birding location nearby, but it's mainly only cattle grazing.  Sometimes the beef on the hoof even check to see what / who might be wandering down the trail between the fields.  And there, perched on a fence post was a meadowlark resplendent with lots of yellow styling.  So, you might ask, isn't it just another fancy bird?  Well, yes. Except it's the first one we've ever spotted.  And it seemed like he / she was ready to pose until we got a good photo.

Discover a waterfall in OB

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Who knows what you might discover on an early morning walk in OB.  Having lived in OB for 30 years, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the sound of lightly cascading water and there,just off the side street I was on was a waterfall.  The Ormond Memorial Art Museum
grounds include a 'Memorial Gardens' walk which will take you into lushly landscaped areas and includes a Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  We've walked it before, but never noticed a waterfall. 

Heading home from work on Friday afternoon

 ORMOND BEACH,FL - - The weekend is only a few hours away for this individual and the crew awaiting him.  He was about to pass under the Ormond Beach Bridge and dock at the fishing pier complex to unload / reload this work barge for another dock building / repair job. 

A Royal kind of morning

Classic ballet moves by a small group of Royal Terns

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Sunday morning, on our beach walk, seemed like a special time for our avian crew to congregate.  There are always packs of seagulls with lots of small water birds scattered in hoping to be taken as part of the crew.  Normally, the 'tern gang' is a small group hiding among the 'gulls.  Not this Sunday, although when a large flock decided to take off directly at me I only caught a tern six-pack practicing their sort-of flight plan.   
 

A gathering of egrets.....and lift off!!

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Initially, Tuesday seemed like a promising day to head to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. To get there when the light is right at sunrise we have to leave at 6am.  We noted the overcast conditions and no stars visible,  but weather forecasts noted it would clear up "some.

   It didn't. Everything was dull and grey.  And, it appeared the birds had been warned we were coming.  Finally, we headed for our last 'good' location to spot birds:  Black Point Wildlife Drive. For the first time we didn't even need to drive through the entrance gate.  

   The top photo shows a huge gathering of egrets waiting...for something.  And below it's mayhem as we get out of the Honda to take some photos. Of course, almost all settled back down just a little bit farther away.

 

Rest stop

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - No, these fine vessels aren't part of my 'toy' collection.  Although one can dream a bit.  Anyway, the city of Ormond Beach decided two years ago that The Granada Pier needed some some high class dockage to go with our 'trailer-in; trailer-out' facility.

     So, about $400,000 in tax money has provided us with a fancy Rest Area.  The only problem is that hardly anyone stops by to tie-up; spend the night and / or walk to nearby restaurants.  Luckily I was on my almost daily library walk (the fishing pier; bait shop; boat landing and "boat parking area" is right across the street) when I spotted this traffic jam.  

     The folks in the larger (about 60') craft are from Charlotte, NC and headed slowly south.  The sailboat's crew of two can be seen tying up.  They stopped here on info from the power boat owners.  After 3 days in St. Augustine it was time for more wandering to warmer locales as it was 27-degrees when they left northern Virginia.   

Welcome to the new year

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - The leaves are falling off our maple tree while on other bushes they've turned a dull reddish color and are curling up.  Yet, other plants haven't given up ... or haven't checked the calendar.  Since we have five or six different types /colors of hibiscus it seems that when one or two shrivel up another one or two are blooming.  So, while some folks can't tell where their flowering shrubs might be in their snowy yard we have bright reminders.