Greys Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 2016

It wasn't really any surprise when we looked up which president had founded the first wildlife refuge. Theodore Roosevelt, by executive order established the first refuge in Florida in 1903. This was Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge along central Florida's Atlantic Coast. As if to celebrate this a male yellow headed blackbird posed atop the Grey Lake National Wildlife Refuge sign, showing us its breakfast of fresh caught dragonfly.

We had hoped to visit the refuge earlier this year in an attempt to catch the birds at the height of their spring colors. Luckily their plumage still showed some of the colorful spring garb although we saw many chicks in a dull brown and grey. To compound our birding the reeds and tulle's had grown tall and so the birds flitted in and out as we concentrated on flying images, ( if you have a camera that takes sport photos you have to switch it to that mode and then try taking images of birds in flight)!

The two birds that dominated the day were the yellow headed blackbirds and the white faced ibis. We were very happy with quite a few of the images. We took over two hundred total, not a really large number for us and thank goodness for digital photography.

We also spotted an immature red tail hawk. It was losing its first plumage and while the red tail hadn't fully developed you could see the promise of its adult color.  Its probably one of the best images we have ever taken of a hawk and definitely the best in flight!

We did see more sand hill cranes, one was a family of two adults and three chicks. They were feeding in the same location as where we had imaged a family group in last years visit. After leaving the image we did a short side trip to check out the Gravel Creek Campground. The mosquitoes were in full attack mode, it has been a banner year for them, and so we ate lunch inside the truck.

It had been a great trip to the Greys Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Thank goodness fro the great leaders our country has usually elected. Presidents who actually cared for the common good. Presidents like Theodore Roosevelt! Clear skies