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Furry Birds at My Feeder

Posted by Gary on June 16, 2016 in Wildlife

Cardinals, chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, and doves are some of the birds that fly to my backyard feeders to feast on sunflower, millet and other seeds. Every day a big gray furry bird with a long tail and big dark eyes visits the feeders to devour the sun flower seeds. There are conflicts between the feathered birds and this marauder. The blackbirds often chase the stubborn intruder away. At times I find it more entertaining than TV and an escape from watching the horrible news stories. Nature brings me peace and tranquility. The world might be a better place if people would take time out to immerse themselves in nature.

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No Stone Left Unturned

Posted by Gary on June 5, 2016 in Shore Birds

Walking along the shore of Cocoa Beach, I see a bird foraging in the wake of the waves washing up on the sandy beach. It is the beautiful ruddy turnstone. In the shallow wake water it flips shells, small pebbles and natural debris to find mollusks, worms and other invertebrates. Although you can find this bird here in Florida, it does not nest here; it nests in the arctic tundra of North America. As I approach the turnstone, it flies further down the beach. I walk up away from the breaking waves so I do not disturb this beautiful bird.

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The Skimming Black Skimmer

Posted by Gary on May 27, 2016 in Shore Birds

Black skimmers are  common on many Florida beaches. When this bird forages, it flies near the ocean’s surface with its longer knife-like lower mandible slicing the water to snatch small fish to eat. When its lower bill comes into contact with a fish, the upper bill snaps down seizing it. Sounds like a good science fiction creature to me.

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Giant Fleas at Cocoa Beach!

Posted by Gary on May 20, 2016 in Uncategorized
Willet eats sand fleas.

Sand fleas, the size of your thumb, live in the wake zone where ocean waves break along the sandy beach. These creatures are not really fleas; they are a species of crab called mole crab or more appropriately named the Atlantic sand crab. Mole crabs live buried in the sand facing the direction of the waves where they filter plankton (micro-organisms) from the sea water.

Shorebirds, seabirds and fish eat these small crabs. Sand fleas are often harvested by anglers for bait to catch ocean faring fish. Some people eat them too. Yummy!

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Ghosts of Cocoa Beach

Posted by Gary on May 17, 2016 in Uncategorized, Wildlife

Walking along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean at Cocoa Beach, Florida, I sense something crawling on the sand out of the corner of my eye. I stop, stoop down, and survey the sandy beach, but I see nothing. I continue my walk and again catch a glimpse of something scurrying on the sand, but it disappears. I begin to think that my eyes are deceiving me.

In the wake of the waves lapping the shoreline a small group of people gather around something that they are curious about, yet afraid of. I go to see what it is and I see an Atlantic Ghost Crab. It is a feisty creature raising its claws to defend itself. A wave washes over it and it vanishes into the sand of the beach.

Later, when I leave the seashore on a trail through the dunes, I finally see what is disappearing into the dunes. It is sand colored ghost crabs retreating to the safety of their boroughs. The crabs blend in so well with the sand and move so quickly that it is easy to miss them. Now you see them, now you don’t. They truly are the ghosts of Cocoa Beach.

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