David's Images of the Day Photoblog
December Road Trip to Florida in 2011: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
I stopped for a couple of days in Merritt Island, and spent the time at the National Wildlife Refuge. A target rich environment. These are a few images from that day — Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Wood Stork, Alligator, and Sunset. I especially liked the Great Blue Heron doing the “Chicken Dance”.
Great Blue Heron appearing to walk on water as it comes in for a landing along Blackpoint Wildlife Drive. I’ve also included a slide show with some of the other wildlife present that day: Alligator, Anhinga, Black Vulture, Double-breasted Cormorant, Great Egret, Hawk, Orange Butterfly, Osprey, Ring-billed Gull, Roseate Spoonbill, Tricolored Heron, Turkey Vulture, and White Ibis. Note that some of the images are graphic.
Another case of “the best camera is the one with you”. I’d never seen contrails lined up like this before with the added bonus of happening just after sunset. View from the Old Northeast section of St. Petersburg, Florida.
My only view of an alligator on that day was just as I was leaving. All that was visible was an eye and the tip of its snout. It was starting to rain, so I only got one loop on the wildlife drive. Some birds, but not as many as I have seen on previous visits to the National Wildlife Refuge.
Walkabout in an urban farm & garden in St. Petersburg, Florida. After below normal rain at the beginning of the year, they are now in the daily monsoon season — with heavy thunderstorms and rain every afternoon. My troll got a chance to get out and sit on a large mushroom. The red chicken manages the location, as well as providing an egg every morning.
