It’s finally happening. Winter migration is in full swing, and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is teeming with all types of birds.
The sheer amount of birds and the plethora of different species that have arrived is impressive.
On a visit last Sunday I saw my first Roseate Spoonbills of the season, as well as a lot of different duck species – including American Wigeons (above) – and I even came across a wayward Snow Bunting.
The new arrivals join the impressive population of various birds that call MINWR home most of the year.
It sure looks like the next couple of months will be great for birding!
Roseate Spoonbill, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Roseate Spoonbills, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Mottled Duck (center) and Blue-winged Teal Ducks, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Female and male American Wigeon ducks, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Northern Flicker, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Loggerhead Shrike, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Loggerhead Shrike, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Eastern Towhee, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Female Belted Kingfisher, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Royal Tern, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Osprey, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Osprey, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Bald Eagle, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Bald Eagle, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Pie-billed Grebe, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Reddish Egret, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.Reddish Egret, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, December 2024.
Some are returning birds, like the Palm Warbler and the Yellow-throated Warbler. Some are new, like the female Painted Bunting. And some are regulars, like the Northern Cardinal and the Blue Jay.
It was typical 2024 Florida winter weather when I visited Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, Jan. 27. It was sunny, then cloudy, then rainy, then cloudy, then sunny, etc. Rinse and repeat, as they say.
I drove almost 2 hours to a preserve in Hillsborough County to see my Eastern Bluebird. Little did I realize there was a family of Eastern Bluebirds about 15 minutes from my house at the UCF Arboretum.
