Gone to See America. January 2013 Florida Road Trip. Day 7: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Morning drive through Biolab road in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Just showing one image for each bird species. More can be seen in the slideshow at the end of the post. Back they you could drive both directions on Biolab road. Now it is one-way. The road is not as well maintained as Black Point Wildlife Drive, but there is less traffic other than the north end where several folks will be parked and fishing in the pond. Birds observed (with images) include Pied-billed Grebe, Greater Yellowlegs, Gulls (not identified), Double-crested Cormorant, American White Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, and Belted Kingfisher. I found the best way to get an image of a Kingfisher is to observe the two or three places that it perches before going out to fish. The Kingfisher typically uses the same perch, so I then set up a camera focus on that spot, and wait for it to come back.
Pied-billed Grebe. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 140 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)Greater Yellowlegs. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)Three Gulls. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)Double-crested Cormorant. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)Large Group of American White Pelicans in a feeding frenzy. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)Great Blue Heron in flight. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)Great Egret. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 450, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)Three Snowy Egrets, Four Little Blue Herons, and Redish Egret. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 450, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)Tricolored Heron. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)White Ibis. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)Osprey with a fish for breakfast and two Roseate Spoonbills on a dead tree. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon N1 camera, FT1 adapter, and 180 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 180 mm, f/2.8, 1/4000 sec). (David J Mathre)Belted Kingfisher. Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8G VRII lens and TC-E 2.0 III teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
I am a scientist by training (Eckerd College, BSc; Caltech, Ph.D.). I worked for 27 years as a Chemist in the Pharmaceutical Industry developing processes to manufacture medicines for human and animal health. I now spend my time as a photographer and world traveler. My interests include the natural world, wildlife, landscapes, sky, and seascapes, travel, and astrophotography. I look for unique ways of viewing the world and presenting my images. I have traveled to over 55 countries in six continents, often on Semester at Sea voyages. While at home in New Jersey, I spend time on home renovation and expansion of a wildflower garden/meadow.
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