Merritt Island NWR

Just rolled into chez Stiteler--how will I ever get all my Florida blogging in before I leave for Atlanta on Thursday? Above is one of the many palm warblers that were flitting around the hotel and just about everywhere else we went in Florida.

Yesterday afternoon we headed over to Merritt Island NWR in Titusville, FL. We pulled over so folks could test out some digiscoping stuff. I was trying to get a photo of some of a shorebird called a ruddy turnstone. Alas, it was too close to get the scope on it! It was just as easy to take a photo the regular way. That's my shadow and the turnstone in the upper right hand corner.

Eventually, I got some distance between the turnstone and me. C'mon, even if you don't care for shorebirds, you have to admit, that's kind of a cool looking shorebird. Look at those bright orange legs!

As we were going down the road, we pulled over for some wood storks. If you look at the tops of the trees, you can see a couple of wood storks. Would you like to see them even closer?

Is it a beauty? What? That's not close enough of that dry, wrinkly skin? You want more?

Almost makes you think that this is what a white ibis would look like at 80 years old. These guys mostly eat fish, but will go for weird things like baby alligators and cow dung. Kind of makes sense with a face like that. You want more of the face?

Breathe in the wood stork, breathe out. Breathe in the wood stork, breathe out. Look at that insane nostril too. Cool bird.

We didn't spend huge amounts of time at Merritt, a storm was rolling in. I was hoping for some roseate spoonbill action in the sun, but didn't see any.

Until the rain came and it got darker, then it was spoonbill city.

Here's a spoonbill mixed in with a bunch of tricolored herons. As I was loading this onto the blog, Non Birding Bill walked behind me and asked, "Is that a roseate spoonbill I see?" I asked how he knew what a spoonbill was and he answered, "Because it's the one bird that actually looks like its name. It's rosy and it's bill looks like a spoon. That must have been the one day Audubon wasn't drunk when he was naming birds."

It's good to be home. Brace yourself for some pretty hot bittern action coming in the next 24 hours.

Birders Help Nail Pelican Poacher

Here's the story from the Tyler Paper:

Audubon Society members bird watching around Lake Palestine Saturday afternoon were shocked when the white pelican they were observing was shot from the sky.

The birdwatchers were parked on County Road 1134 viewing water foul fly back and forth from a private lake to Lake Palestine when they heard a gunshot.

"A pelican they were watching folded and fell to the ground," said Chris Green, game warden for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "They're beautiful to see swimming together. They have a large bucket-type mouth and it's neat to see them fishing. That's why they are protected."

The birdwatchers called Operation Game Thief, a toll-free number where the public can report hunting, fishing and other environmental violations.

Green said he was dispatched to the area and located the shooter and his friends along with the bird that was hidden in a makeshift dumpsite on the property.

When interviewed, the 17-year-old Robert E. Lee student told Green he shot the bird because it was eating too many fish out of his private lake.

"I seized his shotgun and wrote him a ticket for killing a protected bird," Green said.

In he state of Texas there are three classifications for protection. The first is endangered, which includes species such as the whooping crane and brown pelican. The second is threatened, and includes the bald eagle, and the third class is protected which includes owls, hawks, pelicans and songbirds.

"They are numerous, but we still protect them from random shooting, and violators face a pretty steep fine," he said. "(The teen) will be looking at around a $500 fine."

In addition to the fine for killing a protected bird, he was ticketed for not having a hunting license or hunter education.

Green said even though the bird was shot on private property it is still against the law to harm or kill protected wildlife. He added that if it wasn't for the Audubon ladies looking through their binoculars, he probably would not have known about the shooting.

"The women were very disappointed. They came to East Texas to see the beauty of our wildlife and all we can show them are killers," Green said.

Serisously? People still name their kids "Robert E. Lee"?

Great Bird When I'm Away

The meeting that I am attending is a mix of both birders and hunters. Yesterday, as we were reconvening after lunch, I did a quick check of email to discover that an ivory gull was reported in Duluth, MN. I announced that I had to fly home immediately, the guy running the workshop who is also a birder said, "Not unless I can come too!" Most of the birders in the room wanted to go.

This morning when I woke up, Sparky Stensaas had put up a photo of the gull on his site.

Oh well, I have ibises to keep me warm.

Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant

I just thought this was a cool photo of a boat-tailed grackle--almost looks like he has mutton chops.

Tonight we had dinner at the Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, which is a must if you are birding around Titusville, FL or are going to the Space Coast Birding Festival (they were actually having a meeting prepping volunteers for it while we were there) I highly recommend the broiled rock shrimp. Outside there is a small pond full of fish--many huge, some minnows.

In the dark, along the rocks, you could see a green heron fishing for the minnows. For twenty five cents, you could purchase fish food and many of us tried to aim it in the green heron's direction to get the fish over its way, but it seemed to have its own system and ignored our helpful tosses of fish pellets.

Sneaking an Entry During the Meeting

I wonder if anyone caught on that I'm blogging yet?

From the earlier entry, this was the scene not far from our hotel. The double-crested cormorant on the right (just sticking its head above water was stirrin' up some fish and the herons, egrets and ibises followed the cormorant to grab the freaked out fish.

We're here to learn more about optics and talk some digiscoping and when I went out yesterday, Ann came along to try this digiscoping thing. The crazy thing about Florida birds is that the birds just do not care about people and you can get fairly close, which was good for Ann above, she doesn't have an adapter for her camera and she was hand holding her camera up to my scope.

In Minnesota, you can't get that close to a cormorant, unless they are fightless in the nest. I was just fascinated by the detail in the cormorant's feathers.
Their eyes were such a beautiful emerald green, I don't think you can see it so well in this photo, maybe if you click on it, you can see it then.

The birds were diggin' this yellow floaty thing (I think it was damming the water). Up above we have a snowy egret, tricolored heron and white ibises. It must have been kind of a corral for fish, the birds would jump into there and gorge themselves...

and then back up to loaf on the yellow floaty thing.

And it was very much monkey see, monkey do. Once one bird would start preening, the rest would follow suit. It was a kick watching the Dr Suess-like ibis clean is feathers (that's the snowy egret behind it--the bird's yellow toes).

Speaking of toes, check out the freaky toes on this great egret (note how they are all black compared to the snowy egret).

This little group of birds was so great, you could really see the size difference. Look how tiny the ibis is compared to the great egret.

The tricolored heron was a treat, we just don't get too many of these (any) where I live.

It's even pretties on the side.

And I leave you with an ibis, while I return my attention to the meeting.

Cool Bird Under a Benningan's Sign

It is very much like spring here to me. It's green, (whoa, check out all the palm trees) there are warblers chipping in the trees, and it's a mild temperature. Today, I was very comfortable walking around the hotel with light pants and a jacket, not the hot temps I was expecting, but hey, it's not freezing. Across from the hotel is a Bennigan's Restaurant. I noticed a lump that looked birdish, so I set the scope on it.

It was an anhinga loafing under the sign. Sweet. I was also excited that the first bird I saw in Florida was not a house sparrow, staring or pigeon (I have yet to notice one). As the plane was coming in for landing, we passed over a turkey vulture. As we were taxiing to the gate, I saw more turkey vultures thermalizing overhead--what kind of sign is that to see over an airfield? A bunch of turkey vultures? From my hotel window, I watched a bald eagle perched on a dead tree, I would have tried to get a photo, but the window was too dirty.

It's Raining Iguanas, Hallelujah!

Just saw this Florida headline this morning: Cold Snap Causes Frozen Iguana Shower. What the heck am I flying into tomorrow? Apparently, I'm getting in to Orlando way early for the meeting and I'm hoping to do some digiscoping...I'm not sure how the blogging is going to be. I was just reading the hotel's amenities list. Wireless Internet access starts at $10! What is up with that--paying for Internet access at a hotel? I think I can get around that with my bluetooth phone, but I don't know how photos will load. We'll see.

The blog got a nice shout out from Wallace W Hansen's Northwest Native Plants both on their website and in their newsletter (available as a pdf on the site). I think this is the first time the word "intellectual" has been aimed in my direction. It feels weird, and pleasant.

You have a chance to win original International Migratory Bird Day art, while supporting bird conservation. With a minimum donation of just $5, your name will be included in a drawing for the 2008 International Migratory Bird Day art.

All donations will benefit La Tangara, the newsletter of the International Working Group of Partners in Flight. This newsletter and its associated website are recognized as the critical information exchange mechanism for Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation. The goal is to raise at least $10,000.00, which will make La Tangara available to biologists and educators in the Western Hemisphere for one year.

A drawing will be held to determine the winner of the art on February 16, 2008 at the IV International Partners in Flight Conference in McAllen, Texas. You do not have to be present to win. Contributing is easy...just visit www.birdday.org/conservation.php to see the art and to make your donation. Payment may be made by check or credit card. For questions, contact Environment for the Americas at 1-866-334-3330.

Seven Years, Four Months

Just got a report from Mr. Neil. A mouse has been found in the trap under the beehive. The dead mouse was carefully laid on a stump for consumption by any interested predator.

So, I was reading a story about a barn owl being used as a ring bearer in a wedding in Wales, when I realized, hey, time to schedule the next Birds and Beers--Thursday, January 17, 2008 at Merlin's Rest. I'll be just back from Bird Watch America and have tales of what's on the horizon in birding products. Birds and Beers is a gathering of ANYONE interested in birds to have a beverage, maybe a meal and talk some birds. It's a great way to share birding stories, ideas, and meet fellow birders of all levels. If you lead trips or run a bird store and want to promote yourself, please do. If you are working on some project or research about birds--come on down, if you want to know more places to see birds or ask about how to attract more birds to your yard--come on out.

Cinnamon had an appointment today at the vet. As you can see in the above photo, she was not happy. Check out the name tag on her box, she got that from our friend Dawn, who invited us to her office blessing. Everyone had name tags--including Cinnamon. They are huge fans of Cinnamon had Sunshine Travel--speaking of which, we'll be doing some tours through them, one to Harlingen in Texas this fall and one next January to San Francisco.

Check out that furry little chin! I had to give Cinnamon lots of treats after the vet. She's happier when her nails are freshly trimmed, but like most rabbits doesn't seem to like the indignity of having them trimmed. The weird thing was that I finally got a handle on her age. I don't celebrate pet birthdays, I don't like to think about how much shorter their lives will be compared to mine. I have an idea of how old Cinnamon is, but can't remember the exact year we brought her home of the St. Paul Humane Society. When I was paying for her at the front desk, someone asked how old she was, the receptionist behind the desk said, "You've had her seven years and four months." She had Cinnamon's file in front of her and we had brought Cinnamon in for an exam and to schedule her spay right after we got her, so they would have the records. Wow, her HS file said she was just under a year old when we got her, that makes her eight. My, how the time flies.