Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Boy is this a day for the birds!

Wednesday December 4, 2013
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Melbourne Beach, Florida

 

 

Wood storks must not be endangered anymore.

 

Or at least they aren’t endangered here.   When I head out for a morning walk to both beaches, the first thing I see is wood storks on the roof of the bathhouse.  Wood storks on a bath house?  Really?? There is quite a large group hanging around the banks of the Sebastian Inlet. 

 

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What a face!A Walk to the other side 006

 

Today David is going over to the town of Sebastian on the mainland to get his blood work done.  He’s also going to the grocery store by himself which he loves since he can take all the time he wants and look at every thing.  

 

I’m going walking.

 

Sebastian Inlet State Park is located on both sides of the inlet.  The bridge across the inlet on A1A connects the two so there is fishing on both sides of the inlet and swimming in the ocean also on both sides.

I start out walking along the inlet on this side.  I’m going at a pretty fast clip but I’ve brought my camera.  Big mistake.

First these two pose for me and I have to stop. The large one is the Great Egret and the smaller the Snowy Egret

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The Snowy Egret has black legs and golden slippers to match his black bill and golden eye area.

 

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With this little Blue Heron it’s the tail feathers and eye/bill area which match.

 

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walking further on down to the pier on this side of the inlet, I find the waves are crashing.  LOVE that sound!!

 

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In one direction I  look back at the inlet by which the campground is located.  The shore in the picture is in the area across the inlet from the campground.

 

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In the opposite direction I look out at the ocean between the two piers.

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Everything looks pretty calm in both directions.

 

 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the top of a Pelican’s head so clearly before.

 

A bridge crosses from one side of the inlet to the other.  Walking across it I look down and see the top of a pelican’s head.

 

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The fishing crew is all down there as the high tide,  presumably filled with fish, rushes into the inlet. 

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Boy there are a lot of fishermen on this bridge.

 

Eventually I stop looking down at the water and look back up at the bridge.  I’m walking on over to the other side of the park when I see this osprey.  I guess he is fishing from the top of the bridge.   He pays me no mind at all when I eventually walk by.  But not before taking way too many pictures.

 

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What a gorgeous day at the beach it is.

When I arrive at the beach, I see the RED caution flag and the PURPLE dangerous sea life flag are out but the wind isn’t blowing at all and the ocean is pretty placid as oceans go.   Guess someone isn’t checking things daily now that “the season” is over.

 

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What a beautiful day for strolling down the beach.  High today is 78 degrees.  What a wonderful change from just a few days ago.

 

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On my way to walk back across the bridge, I check out the lagoon adjacent to the inlet.  

Not sure I’ve ever seen so many birds here. 

 

White PelicansA Walk to the other side 119   

 

Brown Pelicans, Royal Terns and othersA Walk to the other side 123 

 

Cormorants and Pelicans by the dozensA Walk to the other side 136

 

By the end of this day I’ve seen so many birds, I’m beginning to feel like the Bird Lady of Blogland.  If I only knew as much about the birds as she does.

 

Sunrises in the morning, beach hours in the afternoon, sunsets in the evening and birds everywhere all day long.
I’m going to have great days at Sebastian Inlet.

 

PM Tuesday Sebastian Inlet 020A

22 comments:

  1. I really love the bird pictures. You were able to get some terrific photos.

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  2. John and David would get along just fine. When he goes to the grocery with me, I can cover 4 isles as he looks at the first. What is it with men and shopping?

    Lady, you are for the birds! Lovely photos, again.

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  3. Nice to have a day on the beach to yourself, and the birds. You got some really good captures.

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  4. Oh.... pretty shells!!!!
    Loving all the wonderful bird pictures and that last sunset is beautiful!!

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  5. I'm happy for you that you found some good weather and beach time. It is near freezing in San Antonio, I have checked my maps and there is no place close by to escape to. I want to be here for Christmas and don't want to go to far and back again, and it is not good driving weather around here anyway. I am very tempted to head to FL after the holidays.

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  6. Great photography today! Judging by the number and variety of fishing birds here, this must be an awesome place to fish. They might even outnumber the fishermen here, although it might be close. Why are there so few fisherwomen?

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  7. wow! look at the storks…. have I ever seen a stork? surely I have… don't recall one on a roof though… isn't that something. HAHaaa indeed… what a face.. sweet eyes ~ I'm about ready for some sounds of waves… I tell you.. this ice business is for the birds!

    great pictures ~ high of 78? high here of 28 …. right now … it's 27 heading to 16

    oh, man… ? that sunset picture… that's it… I'm fully bummed.

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  8. Glad you had a great day on the beach. Awesome pictures of the birds, I guess that makes you the BUBLOBL (Back Up Bird Lady Of Blog Land).

    Just one question: How do they get the feathers to stay on those wood storks after they are carved from wood??? :cD

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  9. You are in your element:o)) Glad the weather has decided to cooperate!! Enjoy that beautiful beach!!!

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  10. I'm glad you finally got some weather and are back at a beach. I can't remember how long you said you'll be there, but I hope you got a couple weeks this time! Enjoy.

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  11. You got some black skimmers in there too! Wood storks are the birds that started it all for us. After we saw our first one in Florida- we bought a bird book.

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  12. Wow! So many birds..I can see why you didn't have a fast walk :-) Looks like we're getting some nice warm weather this week..love it! (Happy birthday!)

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  13. Happy Birthday Bird Lady of Blogland. Great assortment of birds and great pictures. Was that a falcon you got 4 pictures of?

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    1. Oh no I'm not the Bird Lady, that's Judy. She knows this second more about birds than I could know in a lifetime of trying.

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  14. Wow - great shots! I'll bet David was sorry he missed it.

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  15. I really like that last sunset shot. Wish I had your warm temperatures.

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  16. Love the bird pics. I do appreciate your putting names to them as well. We are presently in Florida too but on the Gulf side, I'm still learning which shorebird is which. Thanks for the help.

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  17. You are doing great at naming all the birds...... I just name them George, Isabelle, Skippo, Clare. You get the picture. Fortunately for me I don't have to know their names to enjoy their presence. I loved all the bird pics and am so impressed. Usually by the time the camera is ready.... I have a great shot of water minus foul.

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  18. Wow. . .that was a really fabulous day. . .jackpot!

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  19. Fantastic pictures - how neat to see a pelican's head ;) Definitely an amazing variety - some prettier than others - lol. Beautiful water - as another commenter said, you are definitely in your element! Dad missed out, although I'm sure he had a blast scanning each and every item at the store - HAHA! Lovely sunset picture - I cannot wait to be there and see it all for myself!

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  20. Boy, that day really was for the birds! Hope David enjoyed his day too studying every single grocery item. ;-)

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