Some of the mangrove keys here are night spots for pelicans, ibises, frigates, and roseated spoonbills. The diversity of birds here is fantastic since there are so many different ecosystems. At sunset on a day when the tide is right so we won’t get stuck we go out to one of the keys and wait for the birds to come in.

Soon flocks of birds fly in and nest in the trees. They raise a boisterous cacophony as they settle into their night time perches. We always stay on the lookout for the rare but elegant South American pink ibis. Now we have two shows, sunset to the west and the low flying squadrons of birds before us.

Probably the same white pelicans between feedings. One year a white pelican was injured and remained after its flock flew North for the summer. Brown pelicans dive for food and stay for the summer. White pelicans herd their food by rounding them up in a circle and then diving for them and leave for the summer. Well the white pelican learned to dive for food and became part of a brown pelican group.

Raccoon tracks in the sand.

The roseated spoonbill.

There's an Osprey in there. They are common here and their shrill cry will waken you in the morning in the winter. They fly away with these monster fish for their size.

My mother used to recite this poem to me when I was young as her family has a house, what used to be a boy scout cabin in the 19teens on Lake Pelican, Minnesota. 40 yrs later here I am staring at pelicans in gulf coast Florida.

"A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican.
He can take in his beak,
Food enough for a week,
But I'm damned if I can see how the helican".

OK, so my mother also recited the following song which is about sturgeon a fish not found here but I can't resist.

Virgin Sturgeon

Caviar comes from the virgin sturgeon,
The virgin sturgeon's a very fine fish,
The virgin sturgeon needs no 'urgin,
That's why caviar is my dish.

I gave caviar to my girl friend,
she was a virgin tried and true,
Ever since she had that caviar,
There 'aint nothing she won't do,

I gave caviar to my grandpa,
Grandpa's age is ninety three,
The very next time I saw my grandpa,
He'd chased grandma up a tree.