Shiloh Marsh

     We took a quick ride down Shiloh Marsh Road as we made our way to the Space Coast Birding Festival in Titusville.  We had eBird reports of a Black rail being heard at the barricade of the access road and wanted to see if we could find the bird.  A Black rail would be a "lifer" for me, and as these diminutive skulkers are extremely difficult to see I had made an executive decision that hearing this bird would constitute a "life bird".

Shiloh Marsh, Merritt Island NWR

     The road through the marsh is unfortunately shortened as the condition of the dike further along the access is degraded and closed to traffic.  The ride out can be productive, however, and is always worth the effort and time to scout it out.

Pied-billed grebe

     The marsh is part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge but is an area not visited nearly as much as the better known Black Point Drive or the Visitor's Center.   As you first enter the drive, a canal runs parallel to the dirt road and provides interesting habitat for waders, waterfowl, and rails.  The area is a haven for Pied-billed grebes, Snowy egrets, Green herons, and American coots.  As is true throughout most of the state of Florida, Yellow-rumped warblers and Palm warblers are seen on a regular basis.

     As you continue along the road, the water to the right opens up larger ponds upon which more water fowl, Little blue heron, Great Blue herons, Roseatte Spoonbills, and Tricolor herons are common.  One of the best photogenic birds found on the ponds today was a lone White pelican.  Generally, these birds are found in large groups.  They are very large birds....far too large to feed in the plunge-diving fashion of their Brown cousins.  These birds swim along sweeping their large bill back and forth reminding us of an old Ogden Nash limerick that goes something like this.......





"A wonderful bird is the pelican

His bill can hold more than his belly can

He can hold in his beak

Enough food for a week

But I'm damned if I know how the helican"
 
     When we came to the end of the road at the barricade,  we searched for the elusive target bird, the Black rail.  Sorry to say that every chase does not end as hoped.  I hiked out the dike in the vicinity where the bird had last been heard and came up empty.  The habitat was promising but the wind was howling and we were at the peak of the day -two factors that do not foretell of success in looking for this bird.  There was still plenty to see and photograph, however.  A pair of Greater yellowlegs were in reasonably close and could be identified as "greater" by the slightly upturned thicker bill and slightly more barring on the sides.Another excellent view was of the Little blue heron.  

Greater yellowlegs

     Last year, it seemed that every other little blue we encountered was in the juvenile white plumage.  This year, we are finding many more in the adult total blue hued feathers.  Tricolored herons were also present and added to our total count for the day.  While we were a bit disappointed in the failure to find the targeted Black rail, we will be happy with the excellent views we had of these other southern birds.  Just another reason to come back to Shiloh Marsh in the near future!

Little blue heron