Merit Island National Wildlife Refuge & Orlando Wetlands Park Report

This is a list of birds, which we saw while vacationing in Florida this Janaury. Most of the birds were seen at Merritt Island NWR, near Titusville, Florida. We did take a side trip to the Orlando Wetlands Park, near Christmas, Florida.

This was our third visit to Merritt Island NWR. It is my most favorite place to go birding, perhaps because this is where I first discovered my love for birding. It is part of Kennedy Space Center. The Canaveral National Seahore is here as well, and has probably ruined all other beaches for me. It is beautiful, and I highly recommend it to anyone who will be in the area.

Here is what we saw:

Loon, Common Grebe, Pied-billed Pelican, Anerican White Pelican, Brown

Cormorant, Double-crested Anhinga Heron, Great Blue Egret, Great

Egret, Snowy Heron, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Egret, Reddish

Egret, Cattle Heron, Green Ibis, White Ibis, Glossy

Spoonbill, Roseate Stork, Wood Mallard Pintail, Northern

Teal, Blue-winged Shoveler, Northern Gadwall Wigeon, American

Scaup, Lesser Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Duck, Ruddy

Vulture, Black Vulture, Turkey Osprey Eagle, Bald

Harrier, Northern Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Kestrel, American

Rail, Clapper (A LIFE BIRD) Sora Moorhen, Common Coot, American

Plover, Black-bellied Killdeer Yellowlegs, Lesser Willet

Godwit, Marbled Turnstone, Ruddy Sanderling Sandpiper, Western

Dunlin Gull, Laughing Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Ring-billed

Gull, Great Black-backed Tern, Caspian Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich (A LIFE BIRD)

Tern, Common Tern, Forster's Skimmer, Black Dove, Rock

Dove, Mourning Owl, Barred Kingfisher, Belted Woodpecker, Red-bellied

Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Flicker, Northern Woodpecker, Pileated

Swallow, Tree Jay, Blue Jay, Scrub Crow, American

Wren, Carolina Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray Robin, American

Catbird, Gray Mockingbird, Northern Shrike, Loggerhead
(A LIFE BIRD) Starling, European

Warbler, Yellow-rumped Cardinal, Northern Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song

Blackbird, Red-winged Meadowlawk, Eastern Grackle, Boat-tailed Cowbird, Brown-headed

Sparrow, House

We also may have seen a Solitary Vireo, but couldn't confirm it. For me, the most exciting bird to see was the Loggerhead Shrike, which I correctly identified all by myself, much to Russell's chagrin.

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Loon, Common	Grebe, Pied-billed	Pelican, Anerican White	Pelican, Brown
Cormorant, Double-crested	Anhinga	Heron, Great Blue	Egret, Great
Egret, Snowy	Heron, Little Blue	Heron, Tricolored	Egret, Reddish
Egret, Cattle	Heron, Green	Ibis, White	Ibis, Glossy
Spoonbill, Roseate	Stork, Wood	Mallard	Pintail, Northern
Teal, Blue-winged	Shoveler, Northern	Gadwall	Wigeon, American
Scaup, Lesser	Merganser, Hooded	Merganser, Red-breasted	Duck, Ruddy
Vulture, Black	Vulture, Turkey	Osprey	Eagle, Bald
Harrier, Northern	Hawk, Red-shouldered	Hawk, Red-tailed	Kestrel, American
Rail, Clapper (A LIFE BIRD)	Sora	Moorhen, Common	Coot, American
Plover, Black-bellied	Killdeer	Yellowlegs, Lesser	Willet
Godwit, Marbled	Turnstone, Ruddy	Sanderling	Sandpiper, Western
Dunlin	Gull, Laughing	Gull, Bonaparte's	Gull, Ring-billed
Gull, Great	Black-backed Tern, Caspian	Tern, Royal	Tern, Sandwich (A LIFE BIRD)
Tern, Common	Tern, Forster's	Skimmer, Black	Dove, Rock
Dove, Mourning	Owl, Barred	Kingfisher, Belted	Woodpecker, Red-bellied
Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied	Woodpecker, Downy	Flicker, Northern	Woodpecker, Pileated
Swallow, Tree	Jay, Blue	Jay, Scrub	Crow, American
Wren, Carolina	Kinglet, Ruby-crowned	Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray	Robin, American
Catbird, Gray	Mockingbird, Northern	Shrike, Loggerhead (A LIFE BIRD)	Starling, European
Warbler, Yellow-rumped	Cardinal, Northern	Sparrow, Savannah	Sparrow, Song
Blackbird, Red-winged	Meadowlawk, Eastern	Grackle, Boat-tailed	Cowbird, Brown-headed
Sparrow, House