Roseate Spoonbills are one of my favorite birds to photograph. I spotted some in a pond just off the side of the road while driving back from a photo session at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday.
Of course, I had to pull over, make my way through some brush and photograph these amazing pink birds.
Even though it was about 10 in the morning, the lighting was still good for pictures because it was a cloudy day.
The Roseates – and a few friends – did not disappoint. They were well worth the short detour.
Roseate Spoonbills, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbills, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill and juvenile White Ibis, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbills, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill and Double-crested Cormorant, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbills, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbills and juvenile White Ibis, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Wood Stork, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.Roseate Spoonbill, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, May 2025.
This subspecies of the White-Tail deer has been living in the Keys for hundreds of years, with the first known documentation coming from Spanish explorers in the 1550s.
The Roseate Spoonbills and baby Barred Owls get a lot of the attention, but there are so many photogenic birds at the Orlando Wetlands this time of year.