St. Lucie Audubon Society

Three spotting scopes and lots of expert guidance meant extra close-up views of many species, including ducks, grebes and wading birds.

Dorothy SchultzNOV. 6, 2010, SLAS FIELD TRIP REPORT
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY WETLANDS TREATMENT CENTER

 Our 24 participants included four photography students from the Lifelong Learning Institute at Indian River State College. We spent 2 ½ hours birding at this wetlands off I-95 in Vero Beach. Cool temperatures made the sunny day comfortable for walking the impoundments. A total of 44 bird species was seen (including one Arlene Brooks photographed and but was missed by others).

 Thank you to Dan Walma, Hart and Jewel Rufe, and Sam Fried for the guidance. And, it was great to have the extra spotting scope SLAS now has for use on all trips !                      Submitted by Dorothy Schultz

44 species seen: 
  • Mottled Duck
  • Gadwall
  • Green-winged Teal
  • Northern Shoveler
  • Blue-winged Teal
  • Pied-billed Grebe
  • Anhinga
  • Double-crested Cormorant
  • Black-crowned Night Heron
  • Green Heron
  • Tricolored Heron
  • Little Blue Heron
  • Cattle Egret
  • Snowy Egret
  • Great Egret
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Wood Stork
  • Glossy Ibis   
  • White Ibis     
  • Roseate Spoonbill
  • Turkey Vulture
  • Black Vulture
  • Northern Harrier
  • Bald Eagle
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk
  • Red –shouldered Hawk
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Sora
  • Common Moorhen
  • American Coot
  • Sandhill Crane
  • Least Sandpiper
  • Short-billed Dowitcher
  •  Tree Swallow
  •  Bank Swallow
  •  Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  •  Barn Swallow
  •  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  •  Gray Catbird
  •  Yellow-rumped Warbler
  •  Palm Warbler
  •  Common Yellowthroat
  •  Red-winged Blackbird
  •  Boat-tailed Grackle

Non-bird species:

  • American Alligator
  • Otter

Photos by Arlene Brooks & Anjula Smith (Click thumbnails for larger versions)
Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill (Brooks)

Roseate Spoonbills (Smith)

 Wood Storks

Wood Storks (Brooks)

 Wood Storks

Wood Stork (Smith)
Swallows

Barn Swallows (Brooks)

 Blue-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teals (Smith)

 White Ibis

White Ibis (Smith)

 White Ibis

White Ibis (Brooks)
Immature Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk, immature (Brooks)

 Cattle Egrets

Cattle Egrets (Brooks)

 White Peacock Butterfly

White Peacock Butterfly (Brooks)
Queen Butterfly

Queen Butterfly (Brooks)

Watching and photographing (Smith)

 Cattail

Cattail going to seed (Brooks)

 Bird Count at end of trip

Checking bird list at end of trip (Brooks)