15th SPACE COAST BIRDING FESTIVAL, FLORIDA - DAY 1

American Bittern, Titusville

AFTER SETTING UP THE STAND FOR THE START OF THE SHOW, Matt and I had still had some time for a bit of birding on the outskirts of Titusville at the Blue Herom Plant, the highlights of which were: a couple of obliging American Bitterns; Tricoloured, Great and Little Blue Herons; numerous Common Gallinules and American Coots; Anhingas and Wood Stork (three over). The bushes around the marshy tanks were full of Yellow-rumped Warblers, together with a few Palm Warblers, Grey Catbirds and a Swamp Sparrow. Tree Swallows buzzed overhead and two alligators lurked in the shallows. American Ospreys ar amazingly conspicuous around the town and we saw around ten today, including on the Day's Inn motel sign and even from inside the Subway at lunch (adding to my growing Subway raptor list). The exhibitors part of the festival kicked off this afternoon and we got to meet a whole bunch of folks, mostly from FL but some as far afield as Canada. The next few days promises to be a lot of fun! Especially with an unusually large influx of American Bitterns to the area, maybe owing to the drought in most of the southern USA recently.

From top: American Bittern; American Coot; the Birdquest booth at Space Coast and bottom; time for some more homework at the world famous Dixie Crossroads seafood restaurant