Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Back to Merritt Island

Hi All,

When we came to the birding festival in late January, there were lots of interesting presentations so we had little time to bird the wonderful Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge so we decided to come back for two days.

The Blackpoint Wildlife Drive was drier with fewer birds but still a great diversity of species. Check out the photos below.

After the wildlife drive we went to the manatee viewing platform at Haulover Canal. As in the case of all our previous visits, we saw no manatee. However, we had an experience that is the highlight of our trip, perhaps the highlight of the winter.

We spotted a dolphin in the canal. As we watched, the dolphin swam in slow circles then rushed at high speed into a nearby cove chasing a fish. As the water got shallow the fish jumped out of the water and the dolphin jumped after it. It happened so fast that it was not clear whether the dolphin caught the fish or not. However, this cycle repeated every few minutes for over a half hour. Watching this hunting behavior was like watching a National Geographic show. A fabulous experience.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

American Avocet Resting

Reddish Egret

Roseate Spoonbill Resting

Mr. & Mrs. Blue Winged Teal

Happy Alligator

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