Since returning from Spain we've stayed on a pretty good schedule. Our schedule has been something along the line of in bed by 9:30 and up by 5:30 or 6:00. It's a pretty good routine and it allows us to enjoy a real treat out here on the island every morning.
We get our coffee and tea and head out to the lounge chairs out on the canal. Often times we're out there before the sun comes up and this past week we were treated to a beautiful full moon for several days.
At the first crack of dawn the show really begins! Anna Maria Island (AMI) is home to a ton of birds of all shapes and sizes. In addition to the average "run of the mill" birds that you can see pretty much anywhere there are some really fabulous coastal birds such as pelicans, ospreys, herons, egrets, wood storks plus some really loud wild parrots that call the island home.
The action picks up quickly as the birds start their daily routine of gathering food usually in the form of some unsuspecting fish in the canal or a bug or worm from the grass. The feeding frenzy is in high gear when Captain Matt who lives next door comes back to his dock after catching bait for his daily charter fishing trips.
It's not unusual for him to have a dozen or so pelicans and egrets riding along with him on the boat as he comes down the canal. These guys and the others that are waiting on the dock, sea wall and boat lift know that a feast is on the way.
Matt always catches plenty of bait mainly because the lifespan of some of these baitfish isn't too long. So the rule of thumb is catch plenty, there'll be some floaters before you know it. These floaters may not make it on the hook and into the belly of a fish but they do become part of the food chain as a tasty breakfast treat for some bird.
Watching them jockey for position, fuss at each other and fight for a tasty early morning treat is a pretty darn good way to start the day.................AMI, hard to beat!
