Okay, you guys are going to have to help me some with the birds because you know I'm still new at this. I put numbers before each comment so you can refer to the number when you reply. Most of the time, I was quite far away. Also, a moving truck has a way of scaring birds.
I'm going to post them in the order I saw them, so there will be some repeats. And some multi-bird photos. I want to mention a couple of birds we talked about, but I didn't get pictures of. There were tons of Savannah Sparrows. Also, we didn't see him, but there is a known area where a Vermilion Flycatcher hangs out. Some of the people had been there before and had seen him. But all the serious birders agreed that Merritt Island was "the place" to go birding. Dad agreed, but that's because he's hunted them there before. Seriously, as we were going through my photos, I had to tell Dad to stop telling me the bag limit for each bird.
1. I think this first shot was purely accidental. Is that an Anhinga?
2. I'm pretty sure this is one up in a tree, though.
3. Great Egret (By the way, tell me if I'm wrong on anything.)
4. Something large and black in a tree. Don't remember anyone saying anything. Could easily be a vulture.
5. Dad thinks this is a Kingfisher but I have no idea. I have better Kingfisher pics later.
6. I learned that the white-nose ducks are Coots. Also, I apparently enjoy the noise they make. There was one point where all these Night Herons were moving from one tree group to another and I was like, "Listen to the noises they make." And some guy was like, "That's the Coots." So apparently, I like Coots. And I'm proud of it!
7. I think these are Black Bellied Whistling Ducks. Neat!
8. I "think" this might be a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron. I mean, I'm pretty sure it's a Heron.
9. We'll see more of these, but I think this is a Purple Gallinule. A lady had a helpful tip and told me to look for their white butts. People seemed pretty excited to see these. There were lots of them, too.
10. Black bill means Snowy Egret (see, I'm learning).
11. I'm pretty sure this is a Limpkin. I'm pretty certain that's what the other people were saying at this time.
By the way, I did offer to trade butterfly tips for bird tips. But bird people are a lot like orchid people - insane! Stay out of their way and just go along with them and nod your head a lot.
12. I really like when the Anhingas pose like this.
13. Great Egret trying to hide.
14. Snowy Egret on left.
15. Great Egret and if you look to its left there is some kind of bluish-gray bird. Maybe the Great Blue Heron in the next picture?
16. Great Blue Heron and Great Egret.
17. People on the tram said this was a Red-Shouldered Hawk. Dad noticed I got photobombed by a plane in the background.
18. Lots going on in this one frame! Aren't you jealous? I don't know what the white thing in the back is, but you got a Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, and Purple Gallinules in the front.
19. The bird people said this was a Royal Tern.
20. I must have turned around and taken another group shot. But now you can see a Coot in the front left.
21. Anhinga and Snowy Egret
22. This White Ibis was playing peek-a-boo with me.
23. We saw some Wood Storks but the only one I could get a picture of was while we were driving. Oddly enough, on the way back, Mom and I stopped in Lakeland to eat. While we were getting back to the interstate, I saw a Wood Stork just standing by a fence!
24. Vultures. Not a "flashy" bird, but they serve an important purpose.
25. I think this was a group of Purple Gallinules I was trying to find among the vegetation.
26. Not sure who this is. Guesses welcome!
27. Great Egret
28. This one you just have to trust me on. I don't know what the blue thing is, but the pink spot right in the middle is a Roseate Spoonbill. A lady with binoculars spotted two of them, but I grabbed Mom's binoculars and only saw this one.
29. Hey, it looks like one of those Purple Gallinules got close.
30. If I did that with my neck, I would be dead. Or in "The Exorcist". But I guess this is normal for an Anhinga.
31. I think Coots are cute!
I just told Dad that and he told me that as many as he saw, he never shot one. His friend, Tom, took two, just to try them. I asked what he thought and Dad said, "He said he'd never waste another shell on them."
32. This is from far away, but everyone was looking at the blue thing (in front of the middle cypress tree), and I was like, "Isn't the brown thing to the left a Limpkin?" And then they were all like, "Look at the Limpkin!"
33. There were tons of Glossy Ibises which was cool because I don't see them around here. But we kept scaring them with the truck. Don't worry, we'll see some later. But I think I managed to get one flying here.
34. We were driving and I just snapped this shot. Not sure what it is.
Okay, we got off the tram, ate some snacks, and walked around a bit.
35. Another hawk.
36. Some of my regular White Ibis friends.
37. And the Glossy Ibis showed up! At first I was like, "How do you tell the Juvenile White Ibis from the Glossy Ibis". But the Glossy is really dark and well, glossy!
38. Anhinga again.
39. I think this is a Tri-Colored Heron. It didn't look the same as the Great Blue.
40. Glossy Ibis dunking for a snack.
41. Anhinga. Those tail feathers look weird.
42. Finally, a Little Blue Heron! He flew over to the tree.
43. A Kingfisher! I think these guys are so punk rock. Like, if I had a band made of birds, I'd want a Kingfisher and a Hooded Merganzer.
44. I could hear a bird yelling from a nearby tree, and it took me a minute to find it, but I did! Is this another Red-Shouldered Hawk? They're the only type of hawk I see so I'm afraid I won't realize it if I see a different one.
45. There's a nice Glossy Ibis!
46. And now he has a Snowy Egret friend!
47. Now there's two Glossy Ibises and a Snowy Egret!
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You are right. Black Bellied Whistling Ducks. Good job!
