Nesting season has begun on Bird Island. Kayaking out to the perimeter of the island is pretty much the only way to see all the birding activity, especially at low tide, as we experienced this morning. There is a huge sand flat all around it and we were barely floating at times. We stayed outside the preserve signs, but could still see lots of pelicans, wood storks, and even quite a few roseate spoonbills in the trees and bringing sticks in to make nests. As we paddled to the eastern side of the island, we came across several of the spoonbills feeding in the shallows and storks lined up in the trees. I wish my photos showed how pink the spoonbills were.
We then took a lap around Boy Scout Island and suddenly had storks swooping down to the beach and mangroves. We stopped to watch what they were doing, and they were looking for sticks to bring back to Bird Island for their nests. It was funny to see how picky they were.
This one succeeded in finding just the right branch to bring back to its mate.
We will have to go back in a few weeks' time to see how the birds are doing. It is even more fun to hear all the babies yelling for their parents to bring food. We are so glad this island phenomenon is protected and no one is allowed to even come close to the island. Plus it is so close by to kayak to from Sewell's Point Park.
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