As the summer temperatures soar higher, the number of flamingos at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge appears to be going lower.
When I visited them in early July, there were still 14 hanging around Bird Island in the Indian River. Online posts say there were just seven as August began.
That’s not totally unexpected. I seem to recall the flamingos’ numbers falling over the summer last year but rebounding in the winter and spring. I hope that’s the case again.
As we’ve seen at Merritt Island, American Flamingos are liking Florida again. Back in July a flamboyance of 115 birds was spotted in Florida Bay in the Everglades — it was the largest group seen in the state in more than a decade. The group grew to 125 not long after that.
Researchers have also observed the birds migrating between Florida and nesting sites in Mexico. The missing Merritt Island birds might have gone to the Everglades or to Mexico — or they might still be here, just in less visible parts of the refuge.
For now, let’s just enjoy their presence while we can. Here are some of my photos from that early July visit.
