Florida’s Space Coast Is Bird Photography Paradise

Florida's Space Coast Is Bird Photography Paradise and I'm going to tell you all of the amazing places to visit for great bird photography. However, before I do, I feel that I must comment on the current dangerous political situation in Florida.

Choosing To Visit Florida At This Time

It was not an easy decision to travel to Florida at this time knowing that we'd be adding revenue to their government. We did so for several reasons unrelated to simply vacationing. I was able to safely visit Florida with little fear for my own life being a straight white cis man born in the US. However, I was worried the entire time about my wife, a foreign born woman of child baring age.

Florida is a bird photographer's dream but the current government in Florida is a nightmare for most everyone with a conscious. They are exceedingly hostile towards women, LGBTQI folks, immigrants, and many other minorities/protected classes of people.

Read about the urgent need to embrace diversity and inclusion in ornithology

I had a very uneasy feelings the entire time knowing that the governor of the state espouses views that can only be described as fascist. Now, if that word bothers you then I encourage you to push past the unease and ask why people such as myself are describing him as such rather than dismissing that label outright.

I truly hope that the many good people of Florida will reject fascism and turn the state's politics around so that they're welcoming to all people, celebrate the strength that comes with diverse ideas, and stop electing such vile people.

Read why DSLRs are still a great buy in 2024.

Bird Photography Paradise

While I'm told that Summer is not the most ideal time to visit the Space Coast for bird photography, I still found it to be teaming with an incredible variety of birds. True, Winter, Spring, and Fall offer more of the migrant birds that come North this time of year. Therefore, if you can, visit at those times.

Winter Bird Photography On The Space Coast

Winter seems to be the ideal time to photograph birds on the Space Coast. This is not only true because of the greater variety of birds but also the weather.

Why Temperature Matters

The hotter it gets the more water vapor the air holds. As water evaporates it will cause atmospheric interference in your photos. As a result you're far better off photographing birds in the winter than in the summer. That said, you can still photograph birds in the summer as long as you do so before the heat gets too high.

Morning Is Best For Bird Photography

As mentioned above, the hotter it is the more water in the air is going to interfere with the sharpness of your photos. This is why morning is the best time for bird photography. If you're in a blind and able to photograph birds very close to you then you can photograph them at virtually any time of day. However, if you're using a telephoto lens you'll want to stick to the early morning.

Golden Hour Light Is Beautiful

If you're going out to do bird photography in the morning try to get to your location before the sun comes up. That first hour after sunrise is called the golden hour. While the same is true for evening, an hour before the sun sets, you'll find the birds will be far more active in the morning.

Best Locations On The Space Coast

I made it my mission while there to find the best birding locations on the Space Coast. I visited a variety of locations. Here are my top picks and some advice about visiting them.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

The Merritt Island NWR is a must if you're on the Space Coast. After all, this is the location of the Kennedy Space Center. Merritt Island is a low coastal barrier island full of brackish and fresh water streams, ponds, and marshes. Merritt Island is home to over 330 species of birds.

Common Merritt Island Birds

Expect to see the following common birds on Merritt Island no matter what time of year you visit. Bald Eagles, Osprey, and several species of hawks can be seen fairly easily. All varieties of herons including:

• Great Blue Herons
• Little Blue Herons
• Green Herons
• Tricolor Herons
• Reddish Egrets
• Snowy Egrets
• Great Egrets

One other common but fascinating bird, similar in size to the larger herons, is the Anhinga. Additionally you can find a massive variety of small song birds, the most abundant and easy to photograph being the red-winged blackbird as well as pigeons and doves. Several types of grackles including Boat-tailed Grackles, Starlings, and Jays are also abundant.

Venture beyond the paths to Playalinda Beach to see all types of sea birds, White and Brown Pelican, a massive variety of gulls and terns, and so much more.

Full List of Merritt Island Birds

For a full list of birds you can visit this list of birds from the NWR or this more user friendly list of Merritt Island Birds from Avibase.

Black Point Wildlife Drive

I can't mention Merritt Island without suggesting you take the Black Point Wildlife Drive. This winding road leads to a number of great trails and provides you with great access to ponds, streams, and marshes where you can photograph birds. You can do so from your car or you can take some of the trails leading off of Black Point Wildlife Drive.

T.M Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area

Besides Merritt Island the T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area is, in my opinion, the best place to photograph birds on the Space Coast. If you want to see even more egrets and herons nesting along with nesting Black and Turkey Vultures then this is the place to be. Also expect spoonbills galore. The photo at the top of the page is from the T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area.

Expect to see Cranes, Storks, Anhinga, Flamingos, small song birds, crows, and so much more. A word of caution: it's easy to watch out for gators, (or at least it was for me). However, there are more dangerous creatures lurking that you need to be watching for on the Space Coast.

Other Great Bird Photography on the Space Coast

Merritt Island and T. M. Goodwin are my absolute favorite but there are other great bird photography spots on the Space Coast. If your time is limited I would suggest visiting one of these two or both if possible. If you've got even more time check out some of these other great spots.

Local Resources

Visit Space Coast, the local tourism group, has put together a great list of bird photography spots on the Space Coast. Additionally, the Space Coast Audubon Society has their own list of great places for birding. The Florida Bird Trail is another great place to check out. These local resources also have social media pages and groups where you can find info on rare birds visiting the space coast. That happened while I was there but I didn't manage to see the tern that everyone was looking for.

The Dangers of Bird Photography on the Space Coast

When you think of dangers in Florida (besides their government), gators are probably the first thing that comes to mind. Florida's gators are abundant anywhere you're photographing birds along the Space Coast. Be sure to make a lot of noise and avoid swimming anywhere but the ocean and you shouldn't have any problems.

Gators, Snakes, and Spiders

Gators can move surprisingly fast even on land if you were not aware. Additionally there are three types of venomous snakes on the Space Coast so stick to the trails but you'll still want to watch your step. Most of the spiders you'll encounter are harmless but the Brown Recluse does call the Space Coast home.

Feral Hogs

I spotted a number of feral hogs on Merritt Island including one that rivaled the size of a cow. Thankfully the cow-sized hog was no longer among the living and the gators were feasting away on it's almost certainly post-mortem inflated body. As with the gators, make a lot of noise to avoid surprising the feral hogs as they can be very nasty.

Army Ants

No matter what you call them, army ants, red ants, whatever they are to you they are not messing around. After stepping near a nest of red ants without knowing I found out how dangerous they are. Almost instantly my legs were swarmed. I was (maybe foolishly) wearing hiking sandals. My feet were bitten up everywhere the skin was accessible. My legs and feet were covered with itchy blisters for weeks after.

Thankfully I was able to get the ants off of me quickly. I then made sure my sandals were clean of the little red monsters before putting them back on. The sting from these tiny little things wasn't as bad as a bee but it was close. Be sure to keep your wits about you. It certainly is a bird photography paradise but you'll find hell really close by.

I'm full time professional event and portrait photographer Don Orkoskey. I've owned WDO Photography since 2007. I teach photography in partnership with a number of amazing organizations in and around Pittsburgh as well as offering my own group photography classes and individual photography lessons. I teach classes for both adults and children and lead free nature photography meetups each month. I also write a monthly newsletter full of great information and maintain a list of free photography resources to help you learn photography.