Skip to content
Roger Simmons Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

  • Home
  • All Posts
    • Orlando Wetlands
    • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
    • Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
    • Joe Overstreet Road
    • UCF Arboretum
    • Fort DeSoto Park
  • My Bird Catalog
    • All Birds Catalog
    • American Flamingos
    • Bald Eagles
    • Barred Owls
    • Belted Kingfishers
    • Black-and-White Warblers
    • Eastern Bluebirds
    • Florida Scrub-Jays
    • Green Herons
    • Little Blue Herons
    • Northern Parulas
    • Ospreys
    • Reddish Egrets
    • Red-Shouldered Hawks
    • Roseate Spoonbills
    • Sandhill Cranes
    • Whooping Crane
  • Orlando TV News/History
    • Orlando TV Schedules
    • Florida TV History
  • About this Site
Roger Simmons
Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

Expected and unexpected birds at Merritt Island

Roger Simmons, July 30, 2023August 5, 2023

One of the things I love about visiting the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is you never know what you might see. On Sunday, July 16, I saw some birds I expected and one that was unexpected.

That seem appropriate since I wasn’t planning on heading to Merritt Island. As the sun was rising, I was heading east to the Orlando Wetlands. But after a brief stop there, I decided to keep heading east to Titusville and then on to Merritt Island.

Two of the spots I regularly check out at MINWR both have drivable routes – Black Point Wildlife Drive and Biolab Road. And I saw some Snowy Egrets, Green Herons and a surprising appearance from an Eastern Meadowlark.

This Snowy Egret grabs a little snack from a swampy area along Biolab Road in July 2023.
I love the leg coloring on Snowy Egrets, with their black legs and yellow feet. This one was on Biolab Road in July 2023.
This female Red-winged Blackbird blends in well with the vegetation in a swampy area along Biolab Road in July 2023.
This Green Herons tries to blend in with the green of the mangrove on Biolab Road in July 2023.
I’ve seen a lot of Green Herons on Merritt Island, but never saw one sit like this along Black Point Wildlife Drive in July 2023.
The last time I saw an Eastern Meadowlark was in Osceola County, so I was happy to see this one on Black Point Wildlife Drive in July 2023.
This Eastern Meadowlark is greeting the mid-morning sun with a song along Black Point Wildlife Drive in July 2023.
Share on Social Media
x facebook reddit email
Birds Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Eastern MeadowlarkGreen HeronRed-Winged BlackbirdSnowy Egret

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

All

Super Sunday for raptors: Kestrel, Eagle, Osprey and Hawk highlight big day

February 16, 2024February 25, 2024

While the Chiefs and 49ers were getting ready, I was busy photographing four species of raptors at the Wetlands: American Kestrel, Osprey, Bald Eagle and Red-shouldered Hawk.

Read More
Birds

Wonderful world of warblers in Lake County

September 15, 2024September 15, 2024

I came across five different types of warblers during my visit to the Ferndale Preserve on the west side of Lake Apopka.

Read More
All

Expected and unexpected birds and more at Merritt Island

August 26, 2024August 25, 2024

A couple of trips to different spots at Merritt Island — Gator Creek Road, Black Point Wildlife Drive and Scrub Ridge Trail — gave me some expected and unexpected subjects to photograph this month.

Read More

Latest Posts

  • Fun to find new birds to add to my life list
  • Visiting Lake Marian and its birds for first time
  • Florida Snail Kites bouncing back but still in peril
  • Crested Caracara is a beautiful Florida ‘scavenger’
  • Late summer at Orlando Wetlands: Hot but rewarding

Top Locations

Orlando Wetlands

Posts about visits to Orlando Wetlands


UCF Arboretum

Posts about visits to UCF Arboretum


Merritt Island

Posts about visits to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge


Lake Apopka

Posts about visits to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive


Fort DeSoto

Posts about visits to Fort DeSoto Park


Galleries

Roger's Favorites

An ever-changing collection of my favorite pictures


American Flamingos

Photos of American Flamingos in Indian River


Belted Kingfishers

Photos of Belted Kingfishers across Central Florida.


Oystercatchers

Pictures of American Oystercatchers at Fort DeSoto Park


Spoonbills

Pictures of Roseate Spoonbills in Central Florida


Whooping Crane

Pictures of one of the last Whooping Cranes in Florida


MORE GALLERIES


Topics

American Flamingo American Kestrel Anhinga Bald Eagles Barn Swallow Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Black-and-White Warbler Black-Crowned Night-Heron Caspian Tern Common Gallinule Common Yellowthroat Digital TV Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Limpkin Little Blue Heron Northern Cardinal Northern Parula Orlando Wetlands Park Osprey Palm Warbler Prairie Warbler Purple Gallinule Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-shouldered Hawk Red-Winged Blackbird Reddish Egret Roseate Spoonbills Sandhill Crane Savannah Sparrow Snowy Egret Tricolored Heron Tufted Titmouse WESH-2 WFTV-9 White Ibis WKCF-18 WKMG-6 WMFE-24 WOFL-35 Wood Stork WRDQ-27

©2025 Roger Simmons | All Rights Reserved