Space Coast Wildlife

So why is it called the Space Coast? The Kennedy Space Centre, that's why. The last time we went to Florida we headed off there one day, but I suggested having a look at the nearby nature reserves, and we never made it! This time we went straight to the Centre.


Nothing was taking off while we were there, but we actually chose to visit on a day a shuttle was landing. We decided to stay outside rather than watch it on the screens in the cinema, but the cloud meant we didn't see anything. The double sonic boom was impressive however. The centre itself is OK if you are into technical things. We aren't really, but the basic tour was quite interesting .......

and the wildlife we saw en route pretty good as well. Like UK military training ranges the whole area is a wildlife reserve, and on our bus tour we saw a raccoon - first ever, wild pigs, alligators and this bald eagle nest and armadillo. Although no eagle was seen there we did have a fly over view from the car later in the day.

Visit done we headed back to Blackpoint Wildlife Drive. Very American - a drive through nature reserve! Last time there was a good level of water and lots to see. This time the water levels were well down, and I began to wonder if we'd see anything. No worries - not so much, but good views again, with some of the birds habituated to cars at least.
Tricoloured heron
White ibis
Snowy egret - like the tricoloured heron using man-made devices for perching - and catching fish two at a time.



Yellowlegs - 'greater' I think

Eastern kingbird


Glossy ibis - as last time they chose to pose directly into the sun, making a decent shot impossible.
The few Americans going round mainly ignore the birds and look for 'gators. This one was so close I couldn't frame it any better!
An armadillo was making the most of the little water in the ditch
We also had the bald eagle flying over, and a glimpse of more wild pigs.
From there it was on to the coast and a cracking beach it was too.

Herring gull
Sanderling
Willet (I think)

To cap the day we stopped to look at a pelican roost and this roseate spoonbill flew past in the evening sun. (Should really have tidied up the dust spot, shouldn't I?).

Otter, Bahama Bay

It's been a while since the last post - how do you keep on top of digital images!! I had previously made a number of oblique references to wearing camo gear at Bahama Bay. Well here's the reason why.
As well as seeing the alligator in the bigger lake I saw this otter working one of the banks. I tried to get nearer, but failed. Walking back to the apartment I was feeling really happy, but to my surprise I found a second otter in the pond right amongst the buildings. Despite appearances it was quite shy, and although I managed a couple of shots I didn't have the chance to really watch it.

Hence the camo gear. Over the next couple of visits - I couldn't get down every day due to early starts going elsewhere - I did manage to watch it feeding, but it took a while to get some more pictures. In time it seemed more comfortable. perhaps it didn't see me - their eyesight isn't meant to be so good - but looking at these pictures I think it is more likely it just decided I wasn't a threat. Like the herons I think it was mainly eating big tadpoles, but it wolfed them down so fast it was hard to see.
The 400D struggles with focus against water, and trying to manually focus in that little viewfinder would be tricky even if I wasn't a speccy-four-eyes. Also the low light and a constantly moving target was tricky. This was the one time I wished I'd taken my other camera body - so the pictures are not as sharp as I would have wished.





I tell you Bahama Bay is a great place to stay! That said the rest of the posts will be from other sites - the Space Coast, some theme parks - never discount them - and my favourite - Bok gardens.

Around the apartment - Bahama Bay

The verandah at the back of the apartment overlooked some lawn, a hedge, and some rough ground, as well as a line of telegraph poles and wires. Overall not perhaps the prettiest view, but actually quite good for wildlife. I missed the armadillo Kay watched one morning, but we both watched the absolutely gorgeous swallow-tailed kite that floated by one day. No pictures - the flyscreen meant they weren't worth taking - but one of those memories that will stick. Probably the most graceful bird I've ever watched.
The Loggerhead shrike used the wires one day.
We saw these red shouldered hawks using one of the telegraph poles as a table for eating the lizards they were catching - and one that got away at the end.
One day the hawks were lower down, in the trees, and to my surprise one let me walk right underneath it as you can see. No need for the hard crop I used on the shrike for that one.
The lizard was at the front door one day.

More birds - Bahama Bay

The little pied-billed grebes were present on a couple of the ponds, but were seriously shy birds. When they dived they were under for quite a while, so this first shot was the result of a quick sprint 15 yards from cover, a dive to the ground and a short wait for it to pop up again. After a couple of shots it saw me and drifted further out. The second (with the one swimming a bit uphill!) was when I had been crouched down in my camo kit - reason yet to be disclosed - for about half an hour.
Next is a mourning dove - superficially like a collarless collared dove,
then we are into the scary bit of American birdwatching - sparrows and warblers. They have so many! I think this is a chipping sparrow .....

this a palm warbler ........
and a common yellowthroat.
Finally the bird I thought was the most amazingly coloured small bird I would see in Florida (I was wrong, but the male is still a real cracker). The male northern cardinal became a must-get shot. You could find them through the song, or more often their hawfinch like 'Tic', but getting close was more tricky. The female was a bit more obliging, but favoured heavier cover.
Eventually the male popped out. What a crazy colour that is. Could anything really be more striking?

Wait for the pics from Bok Gardens .........