I can’t wait for January! To be exact, 20-25 January 2016. Why? The 19th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival! I’ve had so many great moments at previous festivals and now I can’t wait for the next.

As an inducement to get you to come, here are five of my favorite moments from the last several years at the festival. The story behind each can be reached by clicking on the image.

Having an up-close-and-personal photo shoot with a Florida Red-shouldered Hawk.

The image isn’t great, but finally seeing a Whooping Crane was a moment to remember for sure!

Watching a Bald Eagle catch and eat a Blue-winged Teal at Viera was amazing.

Enjoying the endemic-to-Florida Florida Scrub-Jay is always a highlight of the festival.

And, perhaps my favorite aspect of the festival: giant, pink birds! The Roseate Spoonbill is always a show-stopper!

So, are you coming? I hope to see you (and lots of birds!) at Space Coast!

10,000 Birds is  a Scrub-Jay level sponsor of the 19th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival.

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.