This is Bird Night.

It's late winter at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida.

Many birds are finished nesting, and young birds are everywhere.

This morning, wind and tide have conspired to strand schools of fish in backwater

ditches, and the birds are taking advantage of it. It's a feeding frenzy.

White birds short and tall line the banks of the ditch, barely a foot apart. Long beaks

spear tiny fish, and sometimes

jab at a neighbor. Snowy egrets, great egrets, white ibises, and a young little blue heron

that's still white, all feed at the water's edge. Meanwhile, two white pelicans patrol the center

of the ditch, criss-crossing, flushing fish

towards the birds on the bank. They grab gulps of water, shake their heads, and swallow.

A momentary lull. Then a snowy eagret takes off, dragging first beak and then feet in the water.

Is it teasing fish to the surface? It's hard to tell, but the snowies take turns doing it, and the excitement begins again.

Thanks to the National Wildlife Refuge System, these birds and many others can thrive in protected habitats.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.

Support comes from Wild Delight bird food, offering a variety of blends designed to mimic the natural resources wild birds crave.

Available at chewy.com.