Wildlife in the swamps and in town

This bittern was gone in an instant

Copyright 2009 Lydia Hinshaw

COCOA, FL -- Attendance seemed poor at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Sunday.
There weren't as many birds as we expected, but we did see some unusual ones, like this American bittern. My bird book describes this bird as "secretive and more likely to be heard than seen."
I was lucky to spot this one beside the wildlife drive, and even luckier to get the camera up in time for this one shot. As soon as I tripped the shutter, the bird vanished into the weeds.
Later, we drove south to Cocoa for lunch in a sidewalk cafe in the historic district. While we were there, a gentleman brought his pet monkey to the park across the street.
The little critter put on an acrobatic show for us while we ate.