Even when it may be slow due to weather or rocket launches, a trip to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is almost always rewarding.
I went on a recent breezy morning, and the number of birds around was low. But the ones I did get to see were worth the trip.
This included a Merlin — the first I think I have ever seen at Merritt Island — who was busy dining on a dragonfly it had grabbed. There were also several Belted Kingfishers as well as a pair of Bald Eagles. And there were a few little birds flitting about.
From the Black Point Wildlife Drive, to Biolab Road, to Scrub Ridge Trail, to Pine Flatwood Trail to the Haulover Canal, there are so many places to visit to see different birds at MINWR.
Belted Kingfisher, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Belted Kingfisher, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Belted Kingfisher, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Bald Eagles, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Eastern Towhee, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Palm Warbler, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Female Common Yellowthroat, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Merlin (with a dragonfly), Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Merlin, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Merlin, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Belted Kingfisher, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.Belted Kingfisher, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, October 2025.
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.
Like many folks who go on vacation, I take photos. It’s just my photos are usually of birds and fish. That was the case when my wife and I went on a cruise that stopped at Coco Cay in the Bahamas.
