Birds and Other Nature Sightings

     I have noticed this winter to be a decent year for common mergansers and geese other than the widely distributed Canada goose species.  Common mergansers and other-than-Canada geese are not local breeders and are uncommon or, depending on the species, rare around Ocean County.  There are very few spots in the county to find common mergansers when they are around.  Many times, some of the sightings for common mergansers are incorrect identifications of the much more probable, red-breasted mergansers .  Sightings of the former are up this season.  They have been reported in several locations with as many as 135 at one location.  I saw mine for this year in January while checking a popular waterfowl hotspot at a local retail shopping mall.  While I was scanning the variety of duck species on the water, five common mergansers dropped on the water in front of me.  They were a nice change to see from all the red-breasted ones, and ...

     Last week I traveled down to St. Augustine, FL.  My daughter had a couple vacation days she needed to use and wanted to go back to her college home town.  I took the trip with her and it was my first time back there since her graduation a few years ago.  St. Augustine is in St. Johns county, just south of Jacksonville, on Florida’s northeast coast.  Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States.  The Spanish origins of the city are preserved in much of the architecture and cobblestone streets downtown.  Down on Magnolia Street is the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park where Ponce de León supposedly discovered his legendary fountain of youth.  Over on King Street is the beautiful and historical Ponce de Leon Hall, formerly the Hotel Ponce de León, the centerpiece of Flagler College. Statues of St. Augustine’s most historic figures stand on either side of U. S. 1 at the city’s north en...