Birding in a new spot: Smyrna Dunes Park

Having extra days off over Christmas week gave me time to explore some new birding locations, and one of them was Smyrna Dunes in Volusia County.

This 184-acre park is on a peninsula between Ponce Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean at the north end of New Smyrna Beach. You can walk along the water or on the more than 2 miles of elevated boardwalk at the park. More about the park here.

I went hoping to see White Pelicans, and I did — but they were pretty far off in the inlet. But I was able to get some photos of some other shore birds, and a (seemingly) roaring gopher tortoise.