One of the things that many people do not realize about Kennedy Space Center is that it is divided into three major sections: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Relativity and eventually Blue Origin conduct most of their launches (SpaceX occasionally lands returning booster there too), which is adjoined by Kennedy Space Center, where the VAB, pads LC-39A (SpaceX) and LC-39B (Artemis) are located, and finally, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to the north of KSC. The latter is where Playalinda Beach is….along with hundreds of acres of completely undeveloped coastal marshlands are located. It is actually a part of KSC, something made clear at each entrance.

Wildlife is everywhere in MINWR — birds, alligators, snakes, armadillo, bobcats, perhaps even a Florida panther are out there.

Here are some birds I’ve photographed recently in MINWR and KSC.