Trip Date: May 2017 | Location: Florida
This was another trip that perfectly combined business and pleasure. Mike was attending the West Palm International Boat Show, and I joined him for a little relaxation. Our itinerary was a perfect mix of urban exploration, wetlands birding, and a road trip with a final stop for a well-deserved seafood feast.
The Wetlands Spectacle
We left early Thursday morning, taking the scenic route to West Palm, where we were greeted by several Swallow-tailed Kites soaring overhead. After dropping Mike at the show, I headed straight to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands. This remarkable 50-acre constructed wetland—once unused utility land—is now a thriving rookery, and in May, it is a sight to behold. A three-quarter-mile boardwalk offers up-close views of hundreds of birds in various stages of the nesting cycle.
The spectacle began with a Green Heron nest right by the boardwalk, quickly followed by herons and egrets in their stunning breeding plumage.
We were particularly encouraged to see so many Wood Storks nesting, a symbol of their recovery from endangered status. The highlight, however, was a Glossy Ibis with its pale blue-green eggs peeking out from under its breast—a beautiful and unique sight.
From City to Sanctuary
Friday morning began with a stop at Boynton Beach Inlet Park, where we found our target Northern Gannet. Afterward, I visited the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands. It’s a reliable spot for many species, including the elusive Painted Bunting, but my best find of the day was an Eastern Screech-Owl. It was also an opportunity to see Mottled Ducks, a species becoming increasingly rare due to hybridization with released domestic Mallards. Other specialty birds included the vibrant Purple Gallinule and the Gray-headed Swamphen.
In the afternoon, I visited Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in hopes of seeing a Snail Kite. While the midday birding was slow, the area was overrun with thousands of poisonous, brightly colored Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers. They are a destructive nuisance, yet fascinating to see in such numbers! The best bird here was a Belted Kingfisher.
Urban Parrots and a Riverfront Retreat
On Saturday morning, we did a little urban birding at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. The area is known for its parrots, and we were not disappointed. We found Yellow-crowned and Red-crowned Parrots in the trees off Pine Walk, next to the golf course. West Palm’s downtown area is surprisingly nice, filled with colorful murals, and we enjoyed walking the sidewalks that were painted like a Monopoly board.
On Saturday morning, we did a little urban birding at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. The area is famous for its wild parrot population, and we were not disappointed. We found Yellow-crowned and Red-crowned Parrots in the trees off Pine Walk, next to the golf course. West Palm’s downtown area is also surprisingly charming, filled with colorful murals, and we enjoyed walking the sidewalks that were painted like a Monopoly board. My favorite was the ‘Love Letters’ mural—I especially loved the typewriter seats. It is such a great place for a weekend getaway.
After the boat show, we made a stop at Indrio Savannahs Preserve to find the endemic Florida Scrub-Jay. We then checked into Captain Hiram’s Resort on the Sebastian River, where we capped off the day with a seafood tower filled with fresh, local catches.
The Grand Finale: A Raptor Jackpot
Sunday morning, we had high hopes for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker at St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park. This federally endangered species is unique for its cooperative breeding system and for excavating cavities exclusively in living pine trees—a difficult process that can take years. We were fortunate to run into a very helpful park ranger who pointed us in the right direction. We not only found our target bird but also saw Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, and Pine Warbler. Our final birding stop was in some farm fields around the canals near Vero. We hit the jackpot, finding eight raptor species, including a pair of Crested Caracaras, and our target Swallow-tailed and Snail Kites.
It was a fitting end to one of our favorite Florida birding trips. There is truly so much to see in this great state.
Trip Summary:
Trip Totals: 75 species • 0 life birds
Next up: Arizona: Friends, Condors, and Desert Oases – We head into the heart of the desert on a mission to finally track down the elusive and magnificent California Condor.
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