| L Pond Road MINWR |
 |
 |
 |
| As we drove along the dike road a pair of common ground doves kept taking flight just to land a little further ahead of us. You can just barely see the bit of rufous on the wings as they flew off. |
 |
| Willets stood as sentinels on snags in the shallows of Indian River Lagoon. Fishermen with cast nets were busily capturing mullet and bait fish at many of the wider points on the dike road. A few families were gathered around the water control structures along the way gethering blue crabs. Anglers with fishing poles also seemed to prefer the water control structures. Snowy egrets were at the culverts that the fishermen had not chosen to use. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| There were of course other egrets and herons about as well as the usual year round birds. Tourists stopped to admire gators. Butterflies and dragon flies were busy visiting all the wildflowers that are blooming in abundance. Willets and black-necked stilts could be heard giving their alarm calls to warn their young to stay in hiding. Red-winged blackbirds sang their songs while flashing those bright epaulettes for all to see. Kingbirds and flycatchers found an abundance of food. |
| Two Reddish Egrets stood in a small cove. One took flight as I got out of the car to get their picture, the other just preened, and showed off its lovely plumage. |
| Grey Kingbird |
| Eastern Kingbird |
 |
| We had entered L Pond Road at SR 3, as we arrived at the juncture of Black Point Wildlife Drive, I got out and walked a ways on Black Point Wildlife Drive. When I returned Cary signaled he had a different bird. It was a Great Crested Flycatcher. When I got close I saw two birds fly. Both appeared to be GCFC, one flew down into the scrub beside the road the other flew a short distance away and perched for me to take this photo. It was a nice end to a very pleasant day at the refuge. All seasons bring wonderful sightings of wildlife on the refuge. One of the advantages of visiting in the summer is that there is a bit less traffic on the dike roads. |
| Links: My Page about MINWR Missippi Kite Visits Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Spring Ducks |
| June 5, 2005 My husband and I checked for the Mississippi Kite at the Visitor Center at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge though the center was closed. The kite had not been seen since the rain stopped on Saturday. It has probably moved on. We then took a drive on L Pond Road, a dike road that leads north just after Stop 12 on Black Point Wildlife Drive. It was a lovely day and I am including here some pictures of my favorite sightings of the day |