Last time we traveled to Merritt Island NWR, I went to some of the usual locations where we’ve seen Florida Scrub Jays in the past. I was about to give up when I decided to try one more very likely spot, the Scrub Ridge Trail. I walked half-way around the 1-mile loop without seeing or […]
Tag Archives: Merritt Island NWR
I was out alone on the Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island NWR looking for Scrub Jays, but having no luck. Then, halfway along the trail, I heard a lovely song coming from deep in the thick scrub right next to me. It didn’t sound like a Scrub Jay, but I had no idea who […]
This Black Vulture above, at Merritt Island NWR Nature Center, appeared to be drying off his feathers in the manner of Cormorants and Anhingas. Another visitor said he’d seen the bird emerge from the water just beforehand – a behavior I have never observed, though Black Vultures are very common here in Florida. But the […]
Actually, the first day was completely overcast, quite chilly and very windy – but beautiful nonetheless! We were treated to sightings of many of the Merritt Island ‘regulars’, only a few of which are pictured here. White Ibis and Cattle Egrets like those above were ubiquitous, and groups of Roseate Spoonbills gathered in the shallow, […]
Adult Roseate Spoonbill above and his younger juvenile friend below were in attendance. You can easily tell who’s who by the differences in the colors of their heads, necks, bills, and the intensity of their pink plumage.They always make quite a showing at the Space Coast Birding Festival💕. These lovelies were all seen on Black Point […]
I attended the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival for the second time this year, one of the largest birding festivals in the U.S. Much of the Festival takes place close to one of my favorite birding spots, Merritt Island NWR, near Kennedy Space Center and Titusville, Florida.One of the birds frequently seen along Black Point Wildlife […]
This pair of young Roseate Spoonbills looked quite relaxed as they strolled through the marsh at Merritt Island NWR. These unique pink wading birds use their spatula-shaped bills for foraging in the shallow water, catching their prey by tactolocation.Audubon.org calls Roseate Spoonbills “Gorgeous at a distance and bizarre up close.” The young Rosies are distinguished from older […]
I was all alone on Black Point Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge one recent chilly morning, when this lone White Pelican suddenly swooped in overhead.As they migrate south over Florida during the winter, these huge Pelicans are most often seen in groups, sometimes filling the sky as massive flocks glide by over the water. With a […]
This charmer was seen wading – and posing – at Merritt Island NWR. Of the world’s six species of Spoonbills, the uniquely beautiful Roseate Spoonbill is the only one found in North America – and the only one that is pink! Like many other wading birds, Roseate Spoonbills were victims of the plume hunting trade in the […]
I recently posted about the heavenly Roseate Spoonbills, and the elusive Florida Scrub Jays we saw at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Now I must include one last post about this natural treasure. We saw Northern Shovelers, Avocets, Greater Yellowlegs, and more – What a visual feast! And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, scores […]
Birder's Journey 