Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island is one of my favorite spots to visit, especially when looking for wading birds.
An early morning visit on Saturday, December 9 was incredible. The Roseate Spoonbills were back, as well as Wood Storks, Reddish Egrets, Great Herons, Snowy Herons and lots and lots of different ducks. I even got to see an American Bittern in flight for the first time and watch an Osprey hunt and catch a big fish.
It really was an early Christmas present. I ended up taking hundreds of photos, but I have narrowed it down to this much smaller but still pretty long list of favorites.
Wood Stork, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Roseate Spoonbill, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Great Heron with its catch, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Belted Kingfisher, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Northern Flicker, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Little Blue Heron, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Lesser Scaups, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Caspian Terns, Ring-billed Gulls and Laughing Gulls, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Ring-billed Gull, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Reddish Egret, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Reddish Egret, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.American Bittern in flight, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.American Bittern, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Little Blue Heron, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Meadowlark, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Osprey and its catch, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Common Yellowthroat, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.American White Pelicans in flight, Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island, December 2023.Common Ground Dove, Scrub Ridge Trail on Merritt Island, December 2023.Florida Scrub-Jay, Scrub Ridge Trail on Merritt Island, December 2023.Florida Scrub-Jays, Scrub Ridge Trail on Merritt Island, December 2023.
I saw my first Eastern Towhee at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge back in March, but I’ve seen many more send then at the UCF Arboretum. The scrub bush landscape there is perfect for these colorful orange and black birds.
Even though it’s the slow summer season for birding, I know that a visit to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive will usually supply something memorable. And that was the case when I visited on Saturday, July 22.
