St. John's River with Halifax River Audubon

     Had a great day on the St. John's River with Blue Heron Ecotours captained by Josh.  The trip was sponsored by the Halifax River Audubon Club and organised by our good friend Celine.  The three hour trip featured a wide variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles all set in one of the most idyllic areas of Central Florida.  With so many eyes and a wealth of knowledge of the area between the Captain and the club members, we knew we were in for a wonderful day.

     It's the time of year for birds to be pairing up and getting on with the business of replenishing the population with new chicks and we saw numerous signs of such activity as we motored up the river.  Osprey nests were commonly found high in the trees as these raptors began setting up "house".  Cruising by this handsome bird, we were treated to a close-up encounter as he left his perch and flew overhead.  One of the most prominent features of these birds is their glowing yellow eye, and this bird was in perfect light to display this feature as he cruised on by.

     I was surprised by the number of Limpkin we encountered along the river's edge.  Normally rather reclusive, we had great sightings of a number of the birds seeking out and feeding upon the favorite item of their diet, Apple snails.  The St. John's is an ideal habitat for Limpkins which can be found throughout the tropics, but are only found in Florida and southern Georgia in the continental US.   Surprisingly, they were very quiet today and we never did hear their call which Kaufman refers to as that of a "wailing banshee"!

Limpkin

     Among the mammals seen today were a marsh rabbit and thankfully several manatees.  The water has finally warmed up and we found the gentle giants feeding on the vegetation along the water's edge.  Unfortunately, the most exposed manatee did not care to look in our direction as he was busy grazing and could care less about the tour boat out on the river.  Another of his kind did swim up behind the vessel and poked his snout up for a quick breath.  Even then, if you look closely you'll notice that he had his eyes closed!  No interest in us what-so-ever!

     Reptiles in the form of turtles were also omni-present as we glided along the river.  The sunny skies were a welcome sight for many of the yellow-bellied sliders and an occasional Florida Redbelly which had hauled out of the cooler water onto a convenient log to bask in the light of the sun.  Many would dive awkwardly back into the water as the pontoon boat approached, but this Redbelly was not phased and gave us nice looks at close range.... a case of who's looking at whom?

Florida Redbelly

Swallow-tailed kite

     Probably the most rewarding sighting of the day was a true sign of spring in Florida - the return of the Swallow-tailed kite. Our first sighting was of a single bird soaring high above with its gliding motion and barely a wing-beat.  It's color pattern, graceful shape, and effortless flight make this bird one of the the most mesmerising of all birds to watch and study.  Normally, I've found that these birds appear overhead, offer a brief and memorable flight above, and then disappear over the trees. Today, however, the kite (or kites) continued to swoop down close the the water's surface and along the riverbanks.  Repeatedly it swept back and forth, soaring at high speed as if with little effort.  What a joy it was to watch for an extended period of time as it would occasionally bank into the direct light of the sun with a flash of its bright underside.  Suddenly, it would all but disappear as it turned its darker back to us and blended into the foliage.  Indeed, the term "worth the price of admission" was never more aptly applied than it was today.  A fitting end to a fantastic three hour trip on one of the most beautiful and bountiful bodies of water in the entire continent ..... the St. John's River.