H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

During my last vacation in Florida past October, my family and I visited several locations in the surrounding areas of Sarasota, pretty coastal city facing the Gulf of Mexico.

Boardwalk and view point veranda —Notice benches

As is our planning, we usually take a hotel room near the beach of our preference and from that point we visit different locations that may offer a good beach or bird hot spot.

In one occasion, according to our plans we were to visit a bird hot spot early in the morning for several reasons, one is to beat the traffic, two is to reach the refuge early to avoid other visitors, three is to find more variety of birds when is early meal time.

We drove to this place, a protected Bird Refuge that extends to over 300 acres of wetlands the part where we go is divided by a double road in one side there is a large swamp and a long hill but not very high, more like mound.

Across the double road there is a boardwalk on stilts that extends to the middle of a large pond, there are abundant variety of aquatic plants and reeds along the perimeter of the pond. The boardwalk end in a roofed veranda that serves as a view point for visitors. It has long benches for resting also.

Tyler is ready to go up the hill

Our vehicle was parked across the road which has parking space for visitors and it has a large wooden gazebo for resting and some picnic tables.

Flock of Boat-tailed Grackles flying over the hill

Lucy and Tyler went to climb the mound which has an easy trail to get to the top, from there you are able to see the whole area of the refuge. I decided instead of climbing with them to walk across the road try my luck for finding birds at the pond, I took my camera and headed toward the boardwalk, I looked to both sides of the boardwalk seeking for any kind of birds. Soon I reached the end of the boardwalk, I took one look toward the view point veranda saw not one bird but suddenly I heard voices talking but I didn’t see anybody so I took a few more steps and I found myself facing one of the benches and I saw this young couple both aged mid 20s and they got startled when they saw me. The surprise was mine too, they were “getting whoopee” and it became “coitus interruptus”. Oops! They jumped off the bench and while they got dressed they were apologizing. I told them that I was leaving and I did. I walked back and got near the entrance when I see an older couple of tourists getting ready to enter the boardwalk, the lady looked at me with my long lens camera and asked me after saying good morning: “Did you see any interesting birds?” to that I answered with a smile “Yes, in fact I did, I saw a couple of love birds” she answered back “Love birds?” then I proceeded to explained what I really meant by my answer and I really saw and they both laughed. She then told her husband while she headed toward the boardwalk: “Honey, we better hurry up”

Tyler is back from his hike to top of the hill. He’s refreshing in the gazebo.

Later I told my wife the story and right at that moment I see the young couple with empty wine glasses in their hand getting ready to get in their sports car at the parking lot. I told Lucy “There they are, the love birds!”

These Boat-tailed Grackles on top of the gazebo, calling each other.

Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101