Actually, according to Bird Fact and others, there are several collective nouns for a group of White Pelicans, including “a squadron, pod, pouch or scoop of pelicans” (and ‘parade’ is not one of them 😉). I was fortunate to witness MANY groups of White Pelicans last week at Merritt Island NWR! They are so fun to […]
Tag Archives: Merritt Island NWR
We saw a clump of these gorgeous flowers growing wild near the water’s edge alongside Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, at Merritt Island NWR the other day. They grow on individual stems, about 15+” tall, each with this incredible blossom cluster about 2-3″ across. I think it’s a Kalanchoe delagoensis, according to the Atlas of Florida Plants, […]
You never know when you’ll be lucky enough to spot a Florida Scrub Jay. When I was at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge this afternoon, I hoped to catch a glimpse of one. Imagine my delight when two Scrub Jays appeared just as I walked along the trail. They entertained me for 10 minutes, flying […]
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 […]
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 […]
Birder's Journey 