TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR (THE CONCLUSION OF THE PINLUSIAVARDNO EXPLOITS)

The days immediately following Christmas Day found me over in Ormond Beach staying with family.  I had two days which I could use at my leisure and I decided to head to some favorite haunts within the area.  My first stop was Ponce Inlet the day after Christmas.  While many people were busy returning gifts, I was still receiving some.

The Ponce Inlet lighthouse with fog retreating

I decided to try and find a Purple sandpiper at the inlet seeing as one had been present a short while before the holidays.  A small cold front had come down from the north and the morning was quite chilly and a fog lingered over the inlet.  The rocky jetty at the inlet is usually a great place to find this type of sandpiper, as during the winter it loves to forage among the rocky outcroppings along coastlines and jetties for small crustaceans and mollusks.  Winter is usually the only time purple sandpipers make their southern range limits into Florida, and the rocky jetty at Ponce Inlet is typically a location they frequent.

A large congregation of ruddy turnstones, a species with similar foraging habits as the purple sandpiper, had me thinking a purple just might be present, but it was not to be.  I searched several times throughout the morning, as it was low tide, an optimal time for finding the species as more of its foraging grounds are exposed.  In its stead, I was treated to some fantastic coastal and pelagic species. 

Ruddy turnstone baths:  Lather,

Rinse,

Repeat.

Time to towel dry

Duck species such as Lesser scaup, Red-breasted mergansers, and Black scoters were present off the inlet.  Black scoters have invaded Florida this year at a record clip.  Last year brought in what was thought as one of the larger amounts of this species in quite some time, but this year has seen just as much as invasion, if not more.  Shorebirds such as Ruddy turnstones, Black-bellied plover, American oystercatchers, Sanderlings, and a lone Spotted sandpiper were also present.  Gulls such as Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring, Lesser black-backed, and Great black-backed gulls were present in strong numbers. Tern species such as Forster's, Sandwich, Royal, and a lone Caspian were present.  An uncommon Common tern and a Gull-billed tern were highlights of the morning.  As the tide lowered even more and increased shoreline was revealed, the numbers of Black skimmer, Brown pelican, and shorebirds, gulls, and terns increased.  Northern gannets were out in full force, circling, gliding, and plummeting for their pelagic prey.  Both adults and immatures were in a feeding frenzy and were quite a sight to behold.

Photo above and below: Brown pelicans flying over and settling in

Double-crested cormorant on the rocks...drying off

Whatchoo lookin' at?

Immature Herring gull and Ring-billed gull

Some of the multitudes of Northern gannets flying and diving about

Royal tern resting

Female Red-breasted merganser in the inlet

Western sub-species of Palm warbler (with facial virus)

I probably stayed too long at the inlet, but since I don't get to spend much time on the coast anymore, I was relishing my time there.  I finally left late in the morning to check out another haunt further south I had enjoyed in the recent past.  However, I was delayed along the Port Orange Causeway due to loads of avian species present just off the causeway.  I couldn't resist pulling over and checking out what species were hanging around.  It was certainly a good call.  A Common loon, American oystercatcher, Black-bellied plovers, Least sandpipers, Sanderlings, and hundreds of Laughing and Ring-billed gulls and Brown pelicans were just lazing about.  Winds were still blowing strong and the late morning was still very cold.  The numbers and diversity of species made it all worthwhile.

Island of Brown pelicans

Wintering Laughing gull

Finally I was able to get on my way to my real destination, the Canaveral National Seashore.  I was venturing to a quiet location in Oak Hill called Seminole's Rest.  In the past I had quite some luck with interesting mixes of freshwater and saltwater tolerant waterfowl, shorebird, wading bird, and passerine species such as Hooded mergansers, Spotted sandpiper, Bald eagle, American white pelicans, Royal terns, Painted bunting, and Swamp sparrows.  Today yielded a different array of species, as I was there later in the day and climatic conditions were much different than in times past. 

I was the only individual present, as has been typical at this location.  It almost pains me to reveal it, but it can be a very interesting spot at certain times.  Other times it may yield not much at all.  But so it goes with birding sometimes.  To digress, my initial feeling was that I had arrived too late and the noon-time species were not going to be plentiful.  But I was mistaken.  After taking my time in some spots, the birds began to reveal themselves to me.  Mottled ducks, Great egrets, Snowy egrets, Ring-billed gulls, American white pelicans, Brown pelicans, Yellow-rumped warblers, Forster's terns, Royal terns, and a lone Caspian tern were flying all around.  After taking some time near the mansion, I spied some Common loons, a lone Red-breasted merganser, and the most Black scoters I have ever encountered at this location, just off-shore.  In the end I tallied 92 Black scoters paddling in the intercoastal waterway, a true highlight.

The following day I decided to head to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) to spend some time in one of my favorite locations in the state.  Even though Snow buntings, a Snowy Owl, and a drake Harlequin duck had been documented in Duval and Nassau Counties, I decided to forgo the twitch, as I figured I could get them shortly after heading to MINWR.  It ended up being a great call because there was just an enormous wealth of avian diversity to be found at the refuge.  The Max Brewer Causeway just outside the refuge was chock full of Lesser scaup and Willets.  Once inside the refuge I head along East Gator Creek.

Smorgasboard of shorebirds, chiefly Dunlin

The area was simply popping with shore and wading birds.  It was the place to be.  I ended up running into a couple of excellent GA birders and we simply stood at one spot and immersed ourselves in the avifauna which just poured forth.  Thousands of Dunlin were foraging and flying to and fro.  Hundreds of Black skimmers stood in-line resting.  Ring-billed gulls were observed harassing shorebirds such as the Dunlin and Willets.  American white pelicans, Reddish egrets, Lesser scaups, boatloads of Snowy and Great egrets, American avocets, Semi-palmated plovers, Greater yellowlegs, Red knots, and Western sandpipers were all busy flying to and fro and foraging for favored prey items.  As with Ponce Inlet, I probably lingered here too long, but how is it possible to pull yourself away from such a scene.  One doesn't simply encounter this menagerie everyday.  These moments are special and should be treasured to the point one lingers far too long.

American avocets!!!

Great blue heron (blue form)

After steeling myself from this incredible scene, I decided to head to Black Point Wildlife Drive to see what it would reveal to me.  It was actually pretty quiet for the most part, and I almost found myself wishing I had stayed at East Gator Creek.  However, I would soon find myself pleased with the venture.  Although the avian diversity wasn't as incredible as in 2012, it was still plentiful.  Double digit Reddish egrets, Tri-colored herons, loads of Glossy ibis, Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged teal, and massive amounts of Northern pintails were present.  The multitude of pintails was simply breathtaking.  I can't recall a larger expanse of pintails as what I was surveying along this drive.  When you end up studying one species for 30 + mintues, you know you're enthralled.  Or hooked.  Or obsessed.  Or all of the above. 

More Northern pintail than you can shake a stick at!

Pintail coming in!

The landing

The Cruickshank Trail was fairly interesting this time around.  An incredibly close adult Roseate spoonbill, Clapper Rail, and both yellowlegs species were foraging about.  The rest of the drive was fairly barren, but a few Killdeer were lingering around.  I then headed to Biolab Road where hundreds of Black scoters and American white pelicans were seen a short distance off-shore.  Numerous shorebird species such as Killdeer, Black-bellied plovers, Willets, Ruddy turnstones, Dunlins, Sanderlings, Western sandpipers, and Least sandpipers were foraging just off-shore and offered great looks at them. 

Adult Roseate spoonbill

Lesser yellowlegs foraging

Clapper rail running out into the flats before fleeing

Glossy ibis foraging...one of many

By the end of the day I attempted to see if the Short-eared owl was present at Peacock Point, but it ended up being a no-show.  As was the Black rail.  I figured it was a sign to head out and be pleased with everything I had witnessed throughout the day.  It was an amazing two days in Volusia and Brevard Counties and uncovering the avian wealth within. And so it goes with the conclusion of the Pinlusiavardno Exploits.  A simply amazing array of avifauna diversity speading from coast to coast just waiting to be found.  Running the gauntlet can be tantalizing, exhilarating, and tiring.  But most of all it is rewarding and humbling, as it should be.