Day 93: April 2nd – A Birthday Challenge

High 80s, Sunny with a slight breeze

       I certainly am one lucky guy.  I am married to a woman who when asked what she would like to do for her birthday replied that she would like to head out to Viera Wetlands to look for a reported nest of a pair of Sandhill Cranes.  Really!  To make the day even more interesting, I proposed that we set our total number of species goal to match her years of age….66.  That’s a pretty good number of species to list in one day, but we set out to see if we could rise to the occasion.

       To summarize the day, we actually broke the goal with a total of 67 species found at Viera Wetlands and Merritt Island NWR.  It really was a great outing with some special sightings.  Among the most prized species of the day were the Crested caracara, Least bittern, Sora, and of course the Sandhills (all heard AND seen).  A special treat was to see the Viera Great blue herons that I photographed building their nests back in January now sitting on the nest feeding their young chicks.  The chicks are almost as big as the parents and surely must be ready to fledge before long.

       Other birds providing us with nice photo ops were the Loggerhead shrike….

       A nesting Red-bellied woodpecker,

       and a fine Green heron.

       An added birthday present for Sharon was a guest appearance by two mammals.  At Viera, a River otter had come out onto the dirt road around the impoundments and was sunning itself as we drove around the corner.  Non too eager to leave its resting spot, we were afforded good looks and a decent shot before it scurried back into the reeds.

        Later at Canaveral National Seashore next to Merritt Island, we found a group of wild hogs bathing and feeding on copious amounts of aquatic vegetation.  The hogs were surrounded by coots, shovelers, Blue-winged teal and various egrets and herons, all more than willing to sit at table as it were with these mammals which were living up to their reputation.  

       

       All in all, quite a way to spend your wife’s birthday.  Do I know how to treat a lady or what.  Birthday?  Take her out to see wild pigs……I am a lucky boy!