Bird Island
An oasis for nesting and roosting
In order to have healthy populations of coastal birds, it is important to dedicate land areas where they can safely nest and roost at night, away from human disturbances as well as land predators such as raccoons, snakes and rats. This small mangrove island in the Indian River Lagoon near Merritt Island was being used in January as a gathering spot for roosting at night.
I am guessing this island might be manmade, built up from dredging activities or at least has rip rap in parts to stabilize the shoreline. Creating and preserving these small areas of protection can be a very beneficial investment for bird populations without costing an enormous sum of money.
As our boat was leaving the island, we spotted an unusual bird for this area, a female common eider. Common eider are sea ducks that live in the cold waters of the far north. They rarely winter south of the mid-Atlantic states so this female was definitely out of range. This was a new lifer bird for me, not a species I would ever expect to first encounter in Florida!
