I got up early Thursday morning and checked the weather. The maps (both Radar and IR clouds) were clear. This isn’t a strong sign for a good sunrise, but I was itching to photograph something and I was already packed, so I went on over to MINWR to check activity there. My first stop was East Gator Creek Road – one of my favorite sunrise locations. The sky was mostly clear about 45 minutes before dawn and with plenty of stars out, it was beautiful.
The stars above: Gator Creek Road in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, before dawn.
The bugs were bad and it was hot and humid too but I stayed for over an hour and enjoyed watching the sky change over time. I only saw two other people: Someone in a pickup truck looking for a spot to fish and a jogger. Neither slowed down – I hope they appreciated the sky too. In spite of the earlier weather map, clouds developed on the horizon and with no wind, the reflections were lovely.
Clouds and reflections at dawn: Along on Gator Creek Road
After Gator Creek, I headed to Black Point Wildlife Drive but found it closed due to heavy rain. I didn’t think to check for news / closures before I went.
Since I couldn’t explore Black Point, I stopped briefly at Bio Lab Road, Scrub Ridge Trail, and Haulover canal. The Haulover canal bridge was still closed, although it was supposed to re-open on 9/13. I watched two Manatees near the Bairs Cove Boat Ramp for a few minutes. They seem to like this place – I think I’ve seen them every time I’ve been by.
eBird has a handy new Hotspot Explorer site that shows birding hotspots all over the world. It lists species seen and how many were reported at each spot by month. Here’s the specific page for MINWR. September is normally the slowest month and I didn’t see anything to contradict this when I was there. Activity should ramp up beginning in October.
So … a pleasant trip. I came back with two captured moments. I wouldn’t have seen them if I hadn’t gone, and I couldn’t have shared them either.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos! And share them!
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