So I made it back to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge! Of course, it's a) winter break, and b) winter migrant time, so it was PACKED. Had a great day of birding, though, and a chance to try out my 1.4x extender. Got some great shots, and picked up a few lifers while I was at it! This time, I did Peacock's Pocket Road, the Visitor's Center Boardwalk, Black Point Wildlife Drive, and Cruickshank Trail.

Peacock's Pocket Road
Very narrow gravel road that took me a few extra minutes to find because it's not even marked. Well, I lie: it is marked, but not by the road name, only by a sign saying "Waterfowl Hunter Access." In any case, a nice little road! Some highlights: red-shouldered hawk, glossy ibis, lots of shorebirds and gulls, tricolored heron heaven, and an osprey with a snack and a desire to pose for the camera. Also home to the mourning doves with No Fear. I almost ran them over before they got out of the road. Also, can I reiterate how much I hate gravel roads with a big grassy hump in the middle of the road? I'm always paranoid that my car will ground out. (Total time: ~2 hours)

Visitor's Center Boardwalk
Short, and packed with people. This is like the Trail For Visitors Too Lazy To Actually Walk. Not much in the way of birds, and really, a gator or two got more attention from the guests. I did pick up a couple of woodpeckers here, though. (Total time: ~15 minutes)

Black Point Wildlife Drive
Wow, it was, like, rush-hour! Lots and lots of cars this time. And the migrant waterfowl are here! Woo! Lots of American wigeons, northern pintails, northern shovelers, blue-winged teals, and a few hooded mergansers to boot. Quite a few shorebirds, too. Last time I did this one, the water level was MUCH higher, so it's interesting to see the difference this time. And there were more gators this time, too - at least 4 or 5 that I saw. Finally found the bald eagle nest, too! The stop on the road is marked, but I wasn't sure where to look last time I was here. This time, I asked around a bit and found it - with one of the occupants hanging out in it! (Total time, including Cruickshank Trail: ~4.5 hours)

Cruickshank Trail
So I didn't exactly intend to do the whole five mile loop on this one. I just kind of did. By accident. I started walking. I did what I often do when I walk, and started zoning out and pondering life. And before I knew it, I was passing the 3-mile marker. Might as well go all the way at that point! Lots of yellow-rumped warblers here, and quite a few common yellowthroats and tree swallows. Also spotted a sora hiding in the reeds near the parking area, probably one of my favorite lifers of the day. I got lucky on that one, too, it was hard to spot, and I just happened to glance over at the right moment. (Total time: ~2.5 hours)

So I got most of them covered, but there's still quite a few I'm not sure on. For those, I'll link to a pic, and if anyone can tell me, I'd appreciate it!

* indicates lifer
Italics indicate non-avian species

Main Road
Belted Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Osprey
Anhinga
Red-Shouldered Hawk

Peacock's Pocket Road
Great Egret
White Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Snowy Egret
Anhinga
Pied-Billed Grebe
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Eastern Phoebe
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Common Moorhen
Double-Crested Cormorant
Tricolored Heron
*Glossy Ibis
Mottled Duck
Little Blue Heron
Brown Pelican
Lesser Scaup
American Coot
Ring-Billed Gull
*Lesser Yellowlegs
*Laughing Gull
*Bonaparte's Gull
Common Grackle
*Dunlin
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Savannah Sparrow
American White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Caspian Tern
Common Yellowthroat
American Alligator

Visitor's Center Boardwalk
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Black Vulture
Softshell Turtle
Green Anole

Black Point Wildlife Drive
Tricolored Heron
Black Vulture
White Ibis
Little Blue Heron
Double-Crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Blue-Winged Teal
American Wigeon
Hooded Merganser
Northern Pintail
*Northern Shoveler
Killdeer
Glossy Ibis
American White Pelican
Wood Stork
Pied-Billed Grebe
Greater Yellowlegs
Bald Eagle
Northern Mockingbird
American Alligator

Cruickshank Trail
Osprey
Pied-Billed Grebe
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Tricolored Heron
American Wigeon
(Caspian Tern?)
Tree Swallow
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Loggerhead Shrike
Belted Kingfisher
Ring-Billed Gull
Double-Crested Cormorant
*Sora

Photos happen here!! There's quite a few unidentified, so if anyone can help me out on those, I'd love it! I'm getting better with songbirds, but I still suck ass at many shorebirds. As always, corrections are always appreciated! Or any species I missed in those mass group shots!

A few of my fave photos of the day...


The detail on this one is so sharp that you can see individual barbs on the feathers!


A happy accident! I was taking a normal photo, and he bolted. Too bad it's off-center!


I'm not sure on the species (gah, some sparrows all look alike) but I love that I actually got a good closeup like that on a songbird!


OM NOM NOM.


Pelican party!

Some random observations:

Belted Kingfishers: Guuuuuuh, I love them. They're gorgeous birds, possibly my favorite. But dear lord, they're spazzy! You can't go within a hundred yards without them taking off, flapping and screaming at you. Just sit still, dammit!

Yellow-Rumped Warblers: OWN the Cruickshank Trail. And OMG, they pish up like nobody's business. I felt like the freakin' Pied Piper.

Other People: As busy as it was, that kinda rocked. As I walked around the visitor's center, I heard lots of families talking. And it wasn't just "that place that mom and dad made us go on vacation," it was kids getting really into it. One dad was teaching his son how to identify anoles. Another was teaching his kid about habitat edges. It's just neat to see kids not just enjoying the scenery, but getting excited and learning about it. Also, lots of birders is great. The winter migrants attract a crowd, so I had people to chat with while I watched - confirming species, pointing out birds, etc. And hey, if you see a lot of cars pulled over, it's like a neon sign saying "look here!" ;) I had an older lady grin at me and tell me, "I'm so glad that people your age are into this, watching and identifying birds." Yes, kids, birding is alive with the younger generations. :P