Titusville Florida’s Blue Heron Wetlands facility is a must-see for bird watchers!
Just ahead, partially obscured by roadside vegetation, I saw this bird’s head pointing skyward, brown, with some white striped markings, including one across the eye, an American Bittern. I’ve never photographed one before. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve seen one. He was right next to the berm, motionless, but I realized that if I drove closer it would scare him and he wouldn’t be able to get out of the car. That would surely ruin my chance. He had to try now. Unfortunately, at the angle it was, I was going to see the passenger side rear view mirror or windshield frame in the shot. I took a chance and moved the car forward until I could shoot between the two of them. I was lucky. He held his position long enough for a clear shot. Hearing the sound of the shutter, he crept slowly and silently through the shoreline undergrowth toward the reeds that were near the shoreline. Then he found what he felt was a safe hiding place and froze, providing me with one more shot of his head. These birds are quite common, however they are rarely seen as they are known to be very secretive and blend in well with their habitats. They are heard more frequently, having a call that has been described as a “congested bomb.” They belong to the Heron family and are usually most active in the evening. I had already photographed blackfish, great herons, blue herons, double-crested cormorants, spotted ducks, coots, and an alligator, and this was a slow day.
The unusual thing was that I wasn’t in a distant swamp along Florida’s St. Johns River in my kayak. I was at one of all the locations, a wastewater treatment plant, specifically the City of Titusville’s Blue Heron Water Recovery Facility.
The City of Titusville, by creating the Blue Heron wastewater treatment facility, which includes a 300-acre designed wetland, has also created a hotspot for bird watching and wildlife photography. The wetland is divided into seven cells: a pond cell, three deep marsh cells, and three shallow marsh cells, with the water levels in each cell managed to provide optimal conditions for the target vegetation types to treat wastewater. through biological processes. The cells are separated by berms, while a perimeter berm surrounds the entire wetlands. The perimeter berm can be driven, cycled, or walked counterclockwise, while the inner berms that separate individual cells can be walked on. By virtue of several cells that host different vegetative communities that attract different species of wildlife, this area attracts a great diversity of bird species, providing a great opportunity for bird watchers to add to their “Life Lists”, while photographers can add additional species to their portfolios. The ability to shoot from a vehicle is also a huge advantage, as vehicles make great photographic curtains. Be sure to stop by the office and log out when you leave, while a log book is also available for visitors to record unique sightings. Over 100 species have been recorded here and the wetlands are listed as a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail. The greatest diversity of bird species will occur during the fall and spring migrations, and many species will spend the entire winter here. However, even though diversity declines during the warmer months, residents here, including sandhill cranes, many species of herons and egrets, and others, use these wetlands to breed and raise their young, provide excellent opportunities for take photos. For bird watchers visiting the Central Florida area, these wetlands are a must see. Alligators, otters, and even the occasional deer.
When to go: The gates to the Blue Heron Wetlands open at 7:00 a.m. M. And they close at 3:30 p.m. M., Monday through Friday. They don’t leave the doors open on weekends as there is usually only one employee on site, but you can still visit.
To visit the wetlands on a weekend, call 321-383-5642 the Friday before and let them know what you’d like to get to. The attendant will make sure to open the door shortly before the scheduled time. Bring the old phone number with you in case you are late to inform them. They will reschedule your time. All visitors are requested to sign in at the office upon arrival and sign in when they leave. They also have a book for you to record any unusual sightings.
The Blue Heron water reclamation facility is located at 4800 Deep Marsh Road on the south side of Highway 50, approximately one-half mile west of I-95 in Titusville. If driving from the east, you will have to make a U-turn at the Great Outdoors entrance on Highway 50 (Plantation Drive). The entrance to the wetlands will be the next one on the right almost immediately after the U-turn.