If you’ve held off visiting MINWR or BPWD because you were uneasy about hurricane damage and lack of wildlife – stop worrying. The place is rapidly getting back to normal and there’s every reason to get out there and witness some of Central Florida’s beauty.
Whether you’re familiar with the area or not, this would be a very good half day route to see the highlights at MINWR. And this is a wonderful time to go – there’s a lot of birds and other wildlife around, and the weather’s great.
I spent last Wednesday morning at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I hadn’t been in a while and I enjoyed seeing what’s going on over there.
We’re finally getting some cool weather here in Central Florida. In addition to making it even more pleasant to be outside, the fall and winter months bring some changes to our area photo opportunities.
Black Skimmers… I’ve never seen so much skimming. Long graceful glides over flat water with an uncluttered background, sometimes fairly close to shore. They use their longer, lower bills to slice through the surface searching for fish and write a sharp wake behind them. Wonderful to watch and with such good light, and a near perfect opportunity for photographs.
I went over to Merritt Island this morning with Kevin K. and Kevin M. It was a crisp, clear morning, so there weren’t many clouds to enhance the sunrise, but we enjoyed watching it and making some photos anyway. … It really did turn into an interesting morning.
Ducks are there in huge numbers, both in the water and flying overhead in vast formations close enough that the sound of their beating wings is quite loud. The larger wading and shorebirds are also there in force.
I think I’ve confessed here before that I’m just a beginning birder. I enjoy identifying the birds I see, although sometimes it’s tough for me to figure out ones that I don’t see very often. Gulls and Terns seem especially hard. Anyway, I photographed this bird last weekend at MINWR and it took me a while to sit down and research what it is.
…this is a wonderful time of year to visit MINWR. There are lots of birds around, including many winter visitors and if you’re lucky you can see other wildlife too.
The spring migration has made the last few weeks an intense time for birding in Central Florida. There was a fall out in Fort Desoto in late April where my friend Kevin M. sighted 110 different bird species in one day! As those migrants moved on, other locations have also seen quite a few visitors, especially smaller birds.
The activity at Blackpoint Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Orlando Wetlands Park, and Viera Wetlands is slowing down from the peak nesting and breeding season. Most of the young ones are hatched, grown, and fledged, although you can still find some amazing sights such as a White Eyed Vireo nest next to the boardwalk at the MINWR visitors center.