Florida

We saw several ebird posts reporting a Snow Goose at Myakka River State Park. On February 1st, we made the hour drive south to try for the Florida life bird. The weather was a little rainy and overcast, but fine for short hikes and good car birding too.

The drive from the park entrance to Myakka Lake is about 3 miles and has some nice places to stop for photos of wetland birds and big gators. From the parking area, it’s a short hike over to the river mouth and Historic fish weir. The fish were being caught by a brave or maybe crazy cast net fisherman who wades into the river and lake both swarming with hungry gators. ‘I’ve been doing this for 15 years’ he says while emptying a net full of small Tilapia.

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The weir area is where the Snow Goose has been seen so this was one of our first stops. Just a few yards down the path, we almost stepped on it. One of the easiest target birds ever! Also, in the river were lots of Black Skimmers, American White Pelicans, Blue-winged Teal, Limpkin, Roseate Spoonbills, and some really nice Black-necked Stilts.

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Next, it was time for lunch at the Pink Gator Cafe and gift shop. This is the first state park we visited with a really nice restaurant and craft beers. We ordered the awesome Swamp burger (spinach) and super-hot Inferno burger (jalapenos) along with the homemade chips. Lot’s of fun activities at the park including boat and tram tours, canopy walkway plus camping and cabins.

Myakka River State Park is 58 square miles of wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands. One of the best features is the beautiful Birdwalk/boardwalk that follows a marsh area out to the lake. We saw a Northern Harrier flying over the marsh. During our half-day, we found 37 species including 65 Limpkin and 150 Black Vultures.

Crowley Museum

The Crowley Museum is always a favorite stop for us and the road in usually has some great birds too. There is a lot to do on the property that includes pioneer buildings, museum, and boardwalk. Best birds were our nice look at a Bald Eagle nest and Wild Turkeys. This is a very reliable spot for Eastern Bluebirds but we did not see them today.

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Celery Fields

We car birded over to the Celery Fields on the way home looking for hawks, Sandhill Cranes, and whatever you can find along the way. It’s very important to stay on the back roads for this type of birding and let your passenger do the spotting. At the Celery Fields, we saw 4 Mottled Ducks, FOY Nanday Parakeets, and Cattle Egret, among others. There is a great essay on identifying Mottled Ducks which are mostly found in Florida and Texas.

This was a true Florida specialty birding day. Adding the Snow Goose as Florida Life Bird number 322 made the day extra special.

Trip Birds: 51  Year Birds: 32 FL Life Birds: 1 Life Birds: 0

Next Up: Cedar Key Birds & Clams