19 April 2023 - Merritt Island Black Point Wildlife Drive

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Black-necked Stilt, Lesser Yellowlegs, Boat-tailed Grackle, Forster's Tern, Anhinga, Black & Turkey Vulture, Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Roseate Spoonbill, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Red-winged Blackbird, Alligator.

After watching the rocket launch, we set off to Merritt Island and headed for the Black Point Wildlife Drive.  It was probably a little too late in the day, and the sun was high in the sky, but there didn't seem to be a great deal visible. En route we pulled over at a parking spot by the roadside where several Boat-tailed Grackles were coming close to some people feeding them with biscuits. At the same spot, several Forster's Terns were flying relatively close inshore. At the wildlife drive itself, we stopped for a group of Black-necked Stilts, which were accompanied by several Lesser Yellowlegs, and there were a handful of Black and Turkey Vultures soaring.  Anhingas were present in good numbers and we had brief views of a couple of Belted Kingfishers.  At one point, a Green Heron was sitting in a ditch right next to the track, and although very close, it was tricky to get a good angle for photos.  A number of Tricolored Herons flew over, my first ones, and towards the end of the drive, a Reddish Egret was fishing to the left of the track, jumping and dashing about in the water in search of food.  Towards the end of the drive we encountered some more confiding Boat-tailed Grackles, a few more Alligators and Anhingas, and a Black Vulture perched in a nearby tree.

Boat-tailed Grackle - Male, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1250 (view full size image)

Boat-tailed Grackle - Female, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 800 (view full size image)

Forsters Tern, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 400 (view full size image)

Black-necked Stilt And Lesser Yellowlegs, 1/2500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1000 (view full size image)

Black-necked Stilt, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 800 (view full size image)

Green Heron , 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, 300 mm, ISO 800 (view full size image)

Green Heron, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1600 (view full size image)

Reddish Egret, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320 (view full size image)

Our First Alligator, 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, 363 mm, ISO 640 (view full size image)

White Ibis, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 200 (view full size image)

Boat-tailed Grackle- Male, 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, 128 mm, ISO 800 (view full size image)

Boat-tailed Grackle- Male , 1/2500 sec, f/6.3, 428 mm, ISO 1600 (view full size image)

Anhinga, 1/2500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1250 (view full size image)

Black Vulture, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 500 (view full size image)

Alligator, 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, 145 mm, ISO 500 (view full size image)

Alligator , 1/2500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 800 (view full size image)