Bob Bruce, Deen Copeland, Sandee & Steve Dawdy, Gayle Lafferty, Diane Morgan, Lorraine & Peter Sutherland, Charlie Trippe, John Warner, and I enjoyed an early morning stroll at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (PINWR) on 8-28-2016, shown below at the Viewing Platform trail entrance in a photo kindly shared by Sandee Dawdy.
Through the flowering mangroves, we were smitten to see lots of wading birds, including roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) and tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) …
Overhead we saw a congregation of snowy egrets (Egretta hula), the tiny white flecks in the photo below.
Sleek, new aluminum railings graced the Viewing Tower, which had been closed for renovations.
The early morning was breezy & beautiful, affording a clear view of Pelican Island.
Just below the Tower, Lorraine Sutherland spotted mangrove rubber vine (Rhabdendidia biflora) in flower.
As the weather warmed, the group descended, posing for a quick photo…
Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area 
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