Great Florida Birding Trail Website
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Printed on recycled paper 12/06 Getting Started... City Locator The Panhandle section has two gateways: Big Lagoon State Park (Pensacola) and St. Marks City Map City Map National Wildlife Refuge (near Tallahassee). The South Florida section has two gateways: Corkscrew Bradenton Q Largo M Swamp Sanctuary (Naples) and Loxahatchee Brooksville K Madison A Cedar Key G Micanopy D National Wildlife Refuge (Boynton Beach). Clearwater M New Port Richey L Cross City F Perry E Each of these sites has staff on hand to answer Crystal River H Ruskin P questions about the trail, kiosks with information Dade City K Spring Hill L about the trail structure and their visitor centers offer Fanning Springs F St. Petersburg N information about birding classes and events occur- Gainesville C,D Tampa M,O ring across the state. Hop on the Birding Trail at a High Springs C Tarpon Springs M Gateway and get off to a flying start! Homosassa Springs I Wauchula R Inverness J White Springs B Lake City B Birder Vocabulary Some words used in this guide are specific to bird- How were these sites selected? ers and birdwatching. Bone-up on the following lingo Each of the sites in this guide was chosen for its bird- so you’ll blend in at your next birding dinner party! watching characteristics, accessibility and ability to withstand birder use. This is not to say there aren’t Bayhead: forested wetland (swamp) usually domi- other places to watch birds, from new sites that have nated by evergreen trees and shrubs opened since this printing, to nontraditional sites such Birding by ear: the ability to identify birds by their as landfills that did not meet the trail’s criteria. In song or call other words, keep your eyes peeled! Some of the : the interface between two habitat types best birding opportunities are fleeting and sponta- Ecotone neous. You never know what you may find! Fallout: the sudden appearance of large numbers of migratory birds, usually songbirds, as a result of a Loaner optics are available free of charge storm or cold front at all Gateways, as well as at additional Forage: to look for food sites as marked in the site descriptions! Kettle: a dense group of birds circling in a warm-air thermal to gain altitude (e.g. raptors in migration) Overwintering: describes any bird that spends the Gateways winter in Florida but breeds elsewhere Gateway sites provide more extensive trail-related Peeps: slang for any number of small shorebirds resources, have loaner optics available on-site, and that forage in mixed flocks act as hubs of regional birding information. The West Scoping: scanning with a spotting scope Florida section has two gateways: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park (site #19) near Gainesville and Stoop: to plunge dramatically in flight, as in hunting Fort De Soto County Park (site #91) in St. Petersburg. peregrine falcons The East Florida section has three gateways: Fort Stopover: a location where birds rest and feed Clinch State Park (Fernandina Beach), Merritt Island before continuing on their migration National Wildlife Refuge (Titusville) and Tenoroc Fish the line of seaweed and flotsam at the Management Area (Lakeland). Wrackline: high tide line on beaches 2 River Bluffs Cluster Map A River Bluffs Cluster Ladell Brothers Outdoor 1 Environmental Center Once inside this unlikely jewel, you’d hardly believe you’re at North Florida Community College. Three, half-mile mulched trails and boardwalks crisscross the pine forest. They run past a marsh pond, through a black gum-red maple swamp and across a small stream whose gurgles draw seasonal song- birds. Open field and pond habitats also present. Loaner optics are available in the college library. DIRECTIONS: Located on the north end of North Florida Community College's campus, on US 90 1 mi. west of downtown Madison. Turn at NFCC’s main entrance. Park and get specific directions at the administration building. Open dawn to dusk. (850) 973-1645 www.nfcc.edu J F M A M J J A S O N D 2 Twin Rivers State Forest DESCRIPTION: The Ellaville Tract borders the west shore of the Suwannee at its con- fluence with the Withlacoochee. Its sandhills are home to turkey and Cooper’s hawks and lead down through xeric oak hammocks to the river: a pleasant hike with moderate bird diversity. Blue Springs Tract is a rare exam- ple of a longleaf-wiregrass community. This fire-dependent habitat is home to bobwhite and brown-headed nuthatches; also, it demonstrates what Florida’s uplands looked like before the arrival of Europeans and the era of fire-suppression. Area is closed to birding during some managed hunts in fall and 3 Suwannee River State Park spring; call for dates. The new Sullivan tract offers birding by canoe The best trails at this site parallel the bluffs of the Suwannee River, on the Withlacoochee - watch for wading birds and kingfishers. through hardwood hammocks laced with holly and obscure “cedar DIRECTIONS: Ellaville (A): entrance is on the south side of US elms.” Watch for songbirds in migration like magnolia warblers, ruby- 90, 0.4 mi. west of the Suwannee River Crossing. Blue Springs crowned kinglets and hermit thrushes. Longer, more rustic hikes are Longleaf (B): located on the north side of CR 6, 0.4 mi. east of its available across the river on the Big Oak Trail. Monthly bird walk intersection with CR 143. Sullivan (C): From US 90, go north on every 4th Saturday of month; meet at ranger station at 8 AM. CR 255; turn right (E) on CR 150; parking is 3.5 mi. on right (S) DIRECTIONS: Park is located 11 mi. west of Live Oak on US 90, side road before bridge. just east of the Suwannee River. Open dawn to dusk. (386) 208-1460 www.fl-dof.com/state_forests/ Open 8 AM to dusk. (386) 362-2746 www.floridastateparks.org J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 3 River Bluffs / Flatwoods & Falls Clusters 4 Holton Creek Tract 47 Jennings Bluff Tract DESCRIPTION: The Florida Trail follows the Suwannee River through Holton Creek Wildlife Management Area’s gorgeous old- Entrance road leads gradually down through hardwood forest to a growth bottomland forest, offering nice vantages from occasional trail along the slow, tannic Alapaha River (emphasis on the 2nd bluffs. Songbirds like parulas and yellow-throated warblers breed syllable). Bobwhite, Acadian flycatchers, yellow-throated vireos and here, and blue-headed vireos and hermit thrushes are sure to yellow-billed cuckoos all breed here in summer. Migratory song- make an appearance in fall and spring. Limited hunting closes the birds pepper the woods in spring and fall. area to other uses 6 weekends per year. DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of SR 6 and US 41, drive From Live Oak, take CR 249 northwest across the DIRECTIONS: northwest 2 mi. to Jennings Bluff Rd./NW 25th Ln. Turn right; follow Suwannee River and make the second right onto SW 67th Dr. (Adams road about 1.5 mi. to the entrance road on the left (N) side. Grade Rd.) Go appx. 1 mi. and turn right on dirt entrance road to the property. Open dawn to dusk. (386) 362-1001 www.srwmd.state.fl.us Open dawn to dusk. (386) 362-1001 www.srwmd.state.fl.us and J F M A M J J A S O N D http://myfwc.com/recreation/cooperative/holtoncreek.asp J F M A M J J A S O N D Map 5 Peacock Springs State Park Flatwoods & Falls The entrance road to this small state park winds through hard- B wood bottomland all the way to the springs. Popular for scuba div- ing and swimming, this site is best birded in the morning. Good habitat abounds for migrant songbirds like Swainson’s thrushes, 48 Big Shoals Public Lands but height of the canopy can cause “warbler neck.” Ability to bird by ear helpful. The main entrance offers access to some sandhill and hammock roads through the property, with trails down to the river. River DIRECTIONS: From Live Oak, drive 17 mi. southwest on SR 51 entrance has best trail, leading along the river to some wet low- and turn left (E) on Luraville Rd./180th St. Park is 2 mi. ahead on lands good for songbirds. The area around the river entrance, bor- right (S). dering the namesake Big Shoals, excludes hunting year-round. Open 8 AM to dusk. (386) 497-4690 www.floridastateparks.org DIRECTIONS: Main entrance (A) located appx. 1 mi. northeast of White Springs on the southeast side of CR 135. Big Shoals river J F M A M J J A S O N D entrance (B): From US 41 in White Springs drive northeast on CR 135 appx. 4 mi. to Old Godwin Bridge Rd. Turn right and follow the road to the entrance at the end. 6 PCS Waterfowl Management Area Open 8 AM to sunset. (386) 397-2733 www.srwmd.state.fl.us Settling ponds at this industrial property near White Springs offer J F M A M J J A S O N D varying depths of water which attract everything from white peli- cans to black-bellied whistling ducks, rafts of migratory ducks and occasional rarities like red-necked phalaropes and black terns. A bird extravaganza, access is available only to groups by advance 49 Falling Creek Falls reservation on the first and third Saturdays of October, February, Check the boardwalk through lowland forest for migratory song- March, April and May.