Field Trip Report
Eleven of us, including two new folks we met at the November meeting, gathered for a relaxing day at Viera Wetlands. The day was mostly cloudy and the high temp was about 80 degrees. The wind was up, probably about 10-15 mph. Great weather for birding. We hadn't heard anything about the Masked Duck that had been frequenting the place for the last couple of winters,so we didn't expect it. But we had hoped to see the Crested Caracara. No joy! Somewhat disappointing. But we did have two really good sightings, a group of Horned Grebes and a Peregrine Falcon. The Horned Grebes took a bit of time to identify. They were a long distance away, even in the scope. There were several thoughts about ducks but Gail saw them in the right light and correctly identified them. The pictures tell the tale.
In all, we saw 62 species. Here is the full list.
| D. C. Cormorant | Killdeer | H Merganser | Ring-necked Duck | Bald Eagle | N. Harrier |
| Black Vulture | Osprey | Red-S Hawk | Wood Stork | Glossy Ibis | White Ibis |
| Little Blue Heron | Tri-colored Heron | Cattle Egret | Horned Grebe | Pied-billed Grebe | Anhinga |
| Least Bittern | Great Blue Heron | Great Egret | Snowy Egret | Green Heron | Mottled Duck |
| Northern Shoveler | Blue-winged Teal | G. W. Teal | Turkey Vulture | Lesser Scaup | Ruddy Duck |
| Am. Kestrel | Peregrine Falcon | Com Moorhen | Am. Coot | Limpkin | Sandhill Crane |
| Gr. Yellowlegs | Caspian Tern | Forster's Tern | Mourning Dove | Eur-Col. Dove | Pigeon |
| B. Kingfisher | R. B. Woodpecker | E. Phoebe | L. Shrike | Am. Crow | Fish Crow |
| Tree Swallow | Car. Wren | Am. Robin | N. Mockingbird | E. Starling | Am. Pippit |
| Yelllow-rump | Palm Warbler | Chip Sparrow | Savan Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | R. W. Blackbird |
| B.T. Grackle | House Sparrow |
CLICK THE THUMBNAILS ON THE LEFT TO SEE THE BIGGER PICS INTHE CENTER.
Tri-colored Heron with Moorhens
Copyright 2011, Donald Picard. All rights reserved.
Birding while eating
Copyright 2011, Donald Picard. All rights reserved.
Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera
Located between the Moccasin Island Tract of the River Lakes Conservation Area and the Brevard Zoo, the wetlands are a popular site for birders, photographers, and eco-tourists. The entire wetland system is accessable by automobile, making the site popular among those who find the rigors of hiking trails and summer temperatures daunting. Even better, viewing the site from one's automobile serves to screen visitors from birds and widlife, enhancing the experience.
The wetlands are an integral component of Brevard County’s water reuse system. Providing increased water quality and savings over traditional water treatment methods, the constructed wetland system polishes reclaimed water for irrigation or overflow into the adjacent Four-mile Canal.
The wetlands consist of 200 acres divided into four cells of approximately 35 acres each, plus a central lake. The cells were designed to maintain different depths of water, reflecting diverse wetland conditions.
The perimeter of the wetlands central lake was seeded with native wildflowers in March 2007. This project was made possible through a grant from the Florida Wildflower Foundation with funds generated through the sale of wildflower license plates. A covered gazebo serves as a visitors information center overlooking the lake. The gazebo is surrounded by a demonstration butterfly garden donated by Rockledge Gardens. More information is available at the Wetlands - Wildflowers page.
Also known as the Viera Wetlands, the Board of County Commissioners designated the sit as the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera in December, 2007, in memory of Ritch Grissom, a longtime employee of Brevard County who worked at the adjacent treatment facility.
In 2008, the wetlands were included in the East Section of the Great Florida Birding Trail.