Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, White Pelicans and Coots

 I lied in yesterday’s blog post. For some reason I though Linda didn’t have her camera. I asked her if these were the only pictures she had of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, and she said yes. BUT she had a SD card from her camera. She thought I her meant on her phone.  Now today she hands me the camera with many more photo, and many better photo’s. She said we only forgot the binocular.  I’m wrong again, just ask her and she’ll tell you, it happens all the time.

 

Woops, how did I get in here. That car almost ran over me. Idiot..See my pretty ears

 

 

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

We were in for a treat  We never saw white pelicans. We also saw 1000’s of coots (mud hens).   We took a ride out to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to see some of the migrating birds and ducks fleeing the cold north. We hit it big, the first time for us. The preserve has 140,00 acres. The refuge shares a boundary with NASA's Kennedy Space Center. We were on our way to the manatee viewing deck at  Haulover canal when we spotted the pelicans and the coots. Of course we didn't have the  camera which is usually attached to Linda's arm and the binoculars. So the pictures are from her phone. The refuge also borders the Canaveral National Seashore. Our neighbors went to the refuge two days latter and saw very little. The birds and waterfowl have a very large area to travel in.  

 

The white pelicans

The coots

Follow the leader

A floating island of ducks. We saw groups this large on both sides of the gravel road we were on.

They wrap around the back of the island