I Wish I Had Four Hands.

High tide wasn’t until late afternoon. What is one supposed to do? Hit the inter coastal. Right before you get to the bridge on Walsingham, there is a turn off next to George McGough Nature Park. We had planned to enter the inter coastal there, but Linda didn’t like the idea. She had a far better one - Keegan Claire Park in Indian Rocks Beach.

It’s not a large park. I think it has 4 parking spots. But it has beach access. We carried the canoe and kayak to the beach and off we went.

(I know. I was in my kayak on Sunday, and now on Thursday, I’ m just getting around to posting pictures. Hey it takes me a while. Sometimes to figure out what bird is which. I sometimes sit here with 3 different books, and still hit the internet to make sure I’ve named the bird correctly. )


One bird I didn’t have to spend time on was the Yellow Crowned Night Heron. He was every where.

Kayaking with a dolphin. That was just fun. I can’t row and take pictures at the same time. He was swimming right next to me. When I stopped to get the camera ready, he took off in another direction. I felt abandoned.

This little Snowy Egret wasn’t angry. It think he was just cold. I was wishing I had brought a jacket. It must have been in the lower 70’s when we first hit the water. (Sorry to offend all of you in the north. That’s cold when you get accustomed to 90 degree weather.)

I never realized how close the 3 nature parks are. We passed McGough, Bonner and Indian Rocks, and the birds were just having a great time. There must have been some good eats in all that mud. I snapped the Roseate Spoonbill swallowing something.


I don’t understand how so many pelicans can sit in the mangroves. I sat in the kayak as more and more of them continued to fly in. The little bird sanctuary had plenty a room in the mangroves for them to spread out, but they just wanted hang out close to each other.

I love the picture of them taking off. Some woman had gotten out of her kayak and walked the sand bar. She got a little to close for their comfort. She did me a favor. I’m always trying to get that shot of birds in flight.

Woodstork were on the prowl for food as we turned rowed toward the Indian Rocks Nature Preserve.

The Gulls were a little feisty. This one wouldn’t leave the poor Ibis alone. The other Ibis hung out together, and no gulls bothered them. This one decided to go it alone, and he was harassed.

I told you it takes me a while to figure out what some birds are. It’s these little shore birds that drive me crazy. The Spotted Sandpiper doesn’t look spotted. The non breeding feathers are just gray.

So are the feathers of the Willet. I’m not completely sure of this bird. But I can’t find anything else he could be.

The identity of this bird was easy. He fits the description. Non breeding: back speckled gray, short straight bill and big black eyes. He was very difficult to get a clear shot. Not that he moves too fast , or that he wouldn’t let me get near him. He blends into the mud. I use the view finder on my camera, and some times I would lose him. The camera’s auto focus often focused in on everything but the bird.

Once I again I left the water as a tormented soul. The call of the Belted King Fisher mocked me. Like the previous weekend, they flew past me at such speed, I had no chance of getting a picture.