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August Birding at New Smyrna Beach, Florida
by
Andy Tokash
In mid-August I vacationed
at New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Just
south of Daytona, this is on a barrier island shared
with Canaveral National Seashore. In the saltwater
inlet, manatees swam close to the shore, surfacing for
breaths of air. In the park I saw a nine-banded
armadillo and an eastern spotted skunk.
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The beach hosted Willets (Catoptrophorus
semipalmatus), Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria
interpres), Sanderlings (Calidris alba),
and Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula). The
many gulls I couldn’t identify (many gulls
go through three or four different plumage stages). Brown
Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) were common,
usually flying in rows of six or more, or floating
on the ocean.
Willet 
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Most spectacular was the constant presence
of Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus); at times,
I looked up to see three soaring overhead. They
flew over the ocean, then dove down INTO the water
(they are the only raptor that does this). Afterwards
they carried fish in their talons to their treetop
nests.
 Osprey
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At Canaveral National Seashore, an inlet
hosted a large number of cormorants, Snowy Egrets,
Great Egrets (Ardea alba), Great Blue Herons
(Ardea herodias) and two Roseate Spoonbills
(Platalea
ajaja).
Snowy
Egret
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The non-beach
area was mostly low brush. I spotted Northern
Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), Mourning
Doves (Zenaida macroura), Tree Swallows (Tachycineta
bicolor), and two Eastern Towhees (Pipilo
erythrophthalmus). I also spotted a wren
and a finch I couldn’t identify. I was
surprised that there weren’t more birds and
species, and was disappointed that I didn’t
see any Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens).
Great
Egret
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Wings
Over Dutchess, September
2004
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