Thanksgiving at the Wildlife Refuge

First thing in the morning, before putting the turkey in the oven, we set off for a national wildlife refuge. This gave us an opportunity to watch non-basted birds, like this tri-color heron [?]:*


The colors got a bit washed out in the harsh Florida sun, but the roseate spoonbills were pretty cool (they are pink, like flamingos, reflecting their shrimp-heavy diet, but their bills have a distinctive spoon shape at the end):

A little blue heron [?] hid among the mangroves, ready to catch any fish that mistakenly sought shelter in the roots :


At the Mangrove Overlook, we didn't see very many tree crabs, but the red mangroves (which ironically have green leaves) have made a strong comeback. Another tricolor heron [?] enjoyed the shade.
We spent a lot of time at the Mangrove Overlook, looking over a reddish egret (that's the official name of the bird, not a vague description) that was fishing, fluttering, taking off and landing. I think this is a picture of the reddish egret (they drag their feet to stir up the fish):


The mangrove root system, which certainly could have inspired the forest of Fangorn:

On our way out of the Mangrove Overlook, we got a close view of another tricolor heron [?]:


Soon afterward, we came across a real hotbed of activity, a small waterway running alongside the main road. Egrets challenged each other (puffing up their feathers to intimidate each other), jockeyed for position on a favorite branch and prime shore spots, and dragged their feet in the water to stir up the fish. Not many of them seemed to catch and eat fish while we were watching, but they were constantly in motion:



By contrast, a pelican glided serenely through:Despite a number of signs warning us that the last big storms to pass through the neighborhood had decimated the mangroves, leaving them to be out-competed by other, more aggressive plants, there was plenty of new growth:
This great blue heron [?] obviously can't read the sign:


We took a final detour just outside the exit gate of the refuge, to enjoy a stroll along the Shell Mound Trail. You can see key lime trees, gumbo limbo trees, and parasitic cacti. You can also see some cool black-and-yellow bugs on milkweed pods:
This brown anole (a non-native species that is crowding out the green anole, much like the gray squirrels are edging out the red squirrels) apparently likes shady hammocks...
...but then again, don't we all?

My mom cooked a lovely Thanksgiving dinner, with a new cranberry sauce invented on the spot because she forgot one of her usual ingredients. (The replacement ingredient was apricot jam, making for a much thicker sauce than usual.) She also made the pumpkin pie with extra ginger and no nutmeg - it was still delicious!

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FN *: I used to recognize the different types of birds, but now I keep getting all the different kinds of herons and egrets mixed up. So I'm going to need to double-check the bird names.... Where is a Stokes guide when you need one??