Moccasin Tract

Moccasin Tract Jubilee

       Earlier in this year's postings, I talked about the great birding found at Viera Wetlands.  Adjacent to the Grisham Preserve at the wetlands is another area that can be productive called the "River Lakes Conservation Area-Mocassin Tract".  The first part of this ride is actually an extension of Wickham Road which leads from I-95 to the Viera Wetlands.  Just before entering the wetlands, however, Wickham becomes a dirt road and turns to the right.  Following this extension down through the Duda Sod Farm property is often very birdy with sparrows, hawks, waders and flycatchers possible.  As we began our trip down this 3.3 mile tract, we came upon what we refer to as the "Niagara of Florida".  A drainage canal running parallel to Wickham flows over a 2 to 3 foot man-made spillway, lofty heights for this part of Florida!  The "falls" churns up the crustaceans, other arthropods, small fish and whatever other food-stuffs can be found in a drainage canal, and it is a veritable buffet for shore birds and waders.  Noted Florida naturalist Archie Carr referred to such areas as "Jubilees" and the birds were certainly celebrating the glut of food provided here this morning.

     In the photo at the top of this entry you will find this morning's attendees at the Jubilee.  They include Great Blue heron, Great egret, Snowy egret, Double-crested cormorant, Wood stork, Little blue heron, White ibis, Glossy ibis, and a pair of Mottled ducks.  Not too far off in the distance was a Limpkin whom we assumed would soon join the party.


     As we continued down the dirt road, things quieted down considerably.  We did find a non-avian creature enjoying the mid-day sun.  Anytime you have fresh water bodies in Florida, you have to be aware of alligators.  As we get into April and the breeding season for these reptiles, they will become more mobile and more aggressive.  During the early winter months, however, they are a bit more sedate as long as you don't trespass too far into their territory.  This fellow was quite content to lay along the bank and enjoy the warmth of the day.

     We were getting into the heat of the mid-day and we have had record high temperatures for February here along the Atlantic coast.  Birds were becoming fewer and farther between, but we still had a few really nice photo ops ahead of us.  An osprey had just finished his meal which he secured from the canal and was preening and enjoying the warmth of the sun.  One of the most striking parts of the osprey's anatomy are his yellow eyes.  I generally aim for the eye of a subject when getting in focus, and the eye of an osprey is an easy target.  This subject was even so kind as to turn his head back to where the sun would catch the radiant glow even more.

     As we came out of the Duda farms, we made a quick left down the road to what are referred to as the Click Ponds.  These are retention ponds which are part of the wetlands complex across the street.  It is usually a hit-or-miss proposition when visiting these ponds as they can be very active or very quiet depending upon the depth of the water.  The last time we were here several weeks ago, there were almost no signs of bird life.  When they drain the ponds down to their lowest levels, waders and shorebirds show up in large numbers.  Today was a "fair to middling" day with no ducks to speak of but some nice herons, egrets and cormorants to view and photograph.

Spotted sandpiper

     The best in show today, however, was a handsome little Spotted sandpiper which was perched on a small snag in the water adjacent to the dike.  While not exactly rare, they are uncommon in these parts and to find one so willing to be seen and photographed is a real treat.  Of course, this bird was not yet in breeding plumage as their time for such activity is still some time away.  Unlike most sandpipers which breed in the far northern parts of North America, this bird is found throughout most of the northern half of the country during the summer months.  It's journey north, therefore will be quite abbreviated compared to other sandpipers, heading up only perhaps as far as North Carolina or Virginia.

     Leaving the Click Pond area, we did decide to make a quick loop around the impoundments of the Viera Wetlands.  I mentioned in my last posting that spring was in the air, and many of the birds have started to pair up and in many cases are already on the nest.  The Great blue heron always gets a jump on things, however, and her offspring are already getting close to fledging!

     One more sign of spring as we come to the conclusion of today's posting is the White ibis.  In an effort to attract his mate, the male ibis will turn up the heat and become more colourful than ever.  Although his plumage is still bright white, his eyes and legs become the center of attraction and they become a deep brilliant red.  Sadly, in Florida, the white ibis is declining probably to loss of habitat.  Elsewhere, the ibis seems to be holding its own, but we certainly hope that the continued development of property down here in the Sunshine State slows down a bit and allows the ibis to reestablish itself to its former numbers.

   Tech Tip of the Day:  Just a quick tip about photographing birds to which I alluded earlier.  When photographing these subjects, it always a good idea to concentrate on focussing on the eye.  Other parts of the bird may or may not be in perfect focus, but our attention is drawn to the eye.  Also, on a day of brilliant sunshine and clear blue skies like this, set the ISO to a low number like 100 or 200.  Using "Auto" may work, but often, the camera will default to a higher ISO giving you more "noise" or graininess that is preferred.