Ramada Inn - Cocoa Beach Area/KSC

White Ibis

by grandmaR

I spent some time stalking this bird to get a good picture.

The white ibis is unmistakable, and actually is fairly common. It is a sociable bird and often travels in flocks. It eats little crayfish, insects and fish eggs. Immatures also travel with the flocks - they are brown above and white below, with brown bill and legs.

I have seen flocks in the Florida Keys around the Trumbo Point trailers in Key West, and at the Marathon end of the Seven Mile Bridge. I've also seen them as far north as Southport NC along the ICW.

They have been counted for the Audubon Breeding count (in June) all along the east coast from the south border NC south to Florida, and all around the Gulf Coast. The main idenification point is the long, decurved bill white body plumage in the adult (with black tips to outer primaries), with the bill and facial skin and legs (in the breeding season) red or pinkish red.

The name I think of first when I see an Ibis is Curlew, but curlews are much smaller (although they also have the decurved bill).

If you are old enough to remember the L'il Abner Smoo, the body looks a bit like the smoo.

Alma Clyde Field Library of Florida History

by grandmaR

This building at 435 Brevard Avenue houses the Florida Historical Library Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. The Alma Clyde Field Library does not receive any operating funds from the City of Cocoa, Brevard County or the State of Florida. Memberships to the Library are $20.00 and $100.00.

The OPERATING HOURS are 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.
TUESDAY-SATURDAY, so it was not open when we were there. They do have an online bookshop (listed under Other Contact)

Cocoa Florida A Wonderful Place

by VipersVixen

"Cocoa on a whole......"

Cocoa is a small,but beautiful town in Central Florida. It is an enexpensive place to stay that is within anhours or so of many attractions. You have a 30 minute drive to Daytona, a 15 minute drive to Cocoa Beach ( home of Ron Jon's), about 10 minutes or so from Cape Canaveral, and an hour from Orlando. It has wonderful restruants and shopping facilities. Even a wonderful Observatory at Brevard Community College. Lot's of family oreinted places to go. I could go on and on about the wonderous things you coudl do in this town, but I will let you discover some for yourself.