A trip to the Canaveral Seashore and Wildlife Preserve offered a glimpse into the swamps of Florida from the mosquito-free safety of my car. While there were bald eagles, kingfishers, egrets, alligators, wild hogs and more, my day was complete when I saw a flock of spoonbills lounging around in the muck and mire.
I have seen these funny pink birds flying over or gathering in drainage ditches, but I wanted to see them in the wild. Now, I have. I also saw some scrub jays – very endangered – but they were hanging out on telephone wires in the neighborhood. Not quite the same.