FLORIDA BIRDS ~ Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

When I lived in East Central Florida, ten years where spent in Cocoa and ten years were spent living on Merritt Island.  I cannot count the number of times over those years that I drove the Black Point Wildlife Drive at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.  I drove it in all seasons, at all times of day ~ at sunrise, at sunset.  I drove through when it was overflowing and flooded from tropical storms and I drove through during times when the marshes were little but dry mud flats.  It was a changing landscape of plant life, an abundance of water birds, alligator moving slowly from wind swept marsh grass in search of a spot to sun themselves.

Last weekend, before my flight home to Maryland, we enjoyed yet one more drive here.  A brisk, light jacket kind of day under a sun filled blue sky.  The waters were high.  The air to chilled for alligators this day, but the birds were out, everywhere, busy with morning fishing.  If you'd like to read more about the refuge, click here.