On Sunday, January 11 we packed a picnic lunch and headed north to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. We drove the Black Point Wildlife Drive which is about 7 miles long through one of the best wildlife viewing areas in the refuge. There is a guide book which lists the 12 stops along the way.
Merritt Island NWR was established in 1963 when NASA created Kennedy Space Center.
The 140,000 acre refuge provides a buffer for space operations while also protecting key habitat such as wetland, hardwood hammock and scrub.
Here, I believe, is a Great Egret. (I'm not very familiar with Florida birds!) A wide variety of habitats exist on the refuge providing a diverse landscape for over 330 species of birds, 31 species of mammals, 117 species of fish, 68 species of amphibians and reptiles, and over 1000 species of plants. The most productive and therefore diversified wildlife areas are the marshes.
A pristine roadway meanders throughout the 7 mile drive. Winter is the best time to visit with peak bird populations occurring in January or February. The migration north usually begins in March.
I spotted these unusual trees growing in various areas of the refuge. They appear to be standing "on tiptoes" to keep their branches out of the water.
This is, of course, what Florida is famous for - the American Alligator. This one we spotted along the side of the road in a narrow canal was about 12 feet long. Mom said later, that this was a small one. It was big enough for me!! He was basking in the sun, sound asleep.
This is called the "Mud Flat Cafe". The mud flats provide optimum habitat for shorebirds, as it is teaming with various worms, clams, snails and crabs buried underneath a blanket of moist mud that provides a smorgasbord of food. Most shorebirds feed by sense of touch, using their sensitive bills to probe for and gather food. Overhead you can spot gulls, terns, skimmers, and kingfishers scoping the area for fish stranded in isolated water pockets.
Here is just a small flock of the thousands of birds that spend the winter. The refuge is home to winter populations of 50,000-70,000 puddle ducks, 70,000-200,000 diving ducks, 100,000 coots, 12,000-14,000 gulls and terns, 2000 raptors, and an enormous number of songbirds.
The 140,000 acre refuge provides a buffer for space operations while also protecting key habitat such as wetland, hardwood hammock and scrub.
Here, I believe, is a Great Egret. (I'm not very familiar with Florida birds!) A wide variety of habitats exist on the refuge providing a diverse landscape for over 330 species of birds, 31 species of mammals, 117 species of fish, 68 species of amphibians and reptiles, and over 1000 species of plants. The most productive and therefore diversified wildlife areas are the marshes.
A pristine roadway meanders throughout the 7 mile drive. Winter is the best time to visit with peak bird populations occurring in January or February. The migration north usually begins in March. 
I spotted these unusual trees growing in various areas of the refuge. They appear to be standing "on tiptoes" to keep their branches out of the water.
This is, of course, what Florida is famous for - the American Alligator. This one we spotted along the side of the road in a narrow canal was about 12 feet long. Mom said later, that this was a small one. It was big enough for me!! He was basking in the sun, sound asleep.
This is called the "Mud Flat Cafe". The mud flats provide optimum habitat for shorebirds, as it is teaming with various worms, clams, snails and crabs buried underneath a blanket of moist mud that provides a smorgasbord of food. Most shorebirds feed by sense of touch, using their sensitive bills to probe for and gather food. Overhead you can spot gulls, terns, skimmers, and kingfishers scoping the area for fish stranded in isolated water pockets.
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