Exploring some new places on Merritt Island

I’ve been going to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge regularly during the past year, but I usually ended up at Black Point Wildlife Drive.

This year, in addition to Black Point, I’ve been trying to explore different areas – including Gator Creek, East Gator Creek and Biolab roads. They offer a great habitat for wading birds and more.

There’s a Northern Harrier that hangs out on East Gator Creek, and I have photographed it a couple of times – including a recent outing where it was flying around clutching what I believe was a shotgun shell casing.

Here are some recent shots from several different trips to MINWR.