Beach crabbing, er, birding at Canaveral National Seashore
Roger Simmons,
Just before Hurricane Debby visited Florida earlier this month, I took at trip to the Canaveral National Seashore to do some pre-storm birding.
Conditions at Playalinda Beach were starting to deteriorate, with the wind and waves picking up and the clouds moving in. But I was able to see some cool shore birds – and even a ghost crab – on the beach.
Across from Playalinda at Eddy Creek, I came across a young Yellow-crowned Night Heron, some manatees frolicking in Mosquito Lagoon and some other fun finds.
It was a very refreshing 66 degrees on Saturday morning when I arrived at Orlando Wetlands, hoping the cooler weather was attracting some returning birds.
While the Chiefs and 49ers were getting ready, I was busy photographing four species of raptors at the Wetlands: American Kestrel, Osprey, Bald Eagle and Red-shouldered Hawk.
Some Black Terns recently showed up at Orlando Wetlands. It’s the first time I have seen or photographed these new-to-me birds, so I had to do some research to find out more about them.