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Jacksonville Birding

Writer's picture: Barbara SeithBarbara Seith

I was in Jacksonville twice and went birding some of the time with my Non-birding friend Joyce. To her credit she spotted the Northern Shovelers in Spoonbill Pond before I did. It was fun to see birding again through Novice eyes. Here’s where I went.


Huguenot Memorial City Park

This was probably my favorite spot in Jacksonville. It was so full of birds and so much ground to cover I went back with Joyce. I love that you can drive on the beach, when I was there my Forester was more than adequate. I imagine under different tide or erosion level it might be different. There is an Ocean beach – where I was overwhelmed by the number of Black Skimmers, Laughing Gulls, Royal & Forster’s Terns along with various peeps. It was like that both times.

Royal & Forster's Tern with a Sanderling

Willet, Black Skimmers & Laughing Gull

Black Skimmers (and Laughing Gull)

Black Skimmers looking like Penguins...

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Black-bellied Plover

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker as I was leaving the park

On the second trip I spent some time on the Family beach on the cove, which you can also drive on. I saw lots of birds on the mudflats when we passed by on the way to the ocean beach. We only spent @30 minutes at the beach but by the time we returned the tidal movement had move the “mud shoreline” back significantly. Fortunately there was a Wilson’s Plover just waiting for me on the beach. There is also a river on the other side of the peninsula. There was an Ash-throated Flycatcher somewhere in the park, but I did not see it. The park cost $5 admission, but I thought it was worth paying, twice.

Wilson's Plover

American Oystercatcher

Ruddy Turnstone

Great Egrets posing like Charlie's Angels!

Alimacani Park and Boat Ramp

This spot is just north of Huguenot and also has a very impressive number of birds. It is better when the tide is lower because the mudflats are closer.

Female Boat-tailed Grackle

Male Boat-tailed Grackle

Laughing Gull

Little Blue Heron

Pine Island--Heritage River Road Wetlands/ Carlucci Boat Ramp

Also went here twice, it is just south of Huguenot, but the second time the tide was lower and it was pretty dead. Plan to go here mid to high tide. It is a drive and the road is not busy -- easy to get out and take a closer look or photo. Make sure you bird the park at the end of the road too.

Lots of Little Blue Herons & 1 Tricolored.

Wood Storks

Willet

Black-bellied Plover

Snowy Egret over Immature White Ibis

Forster's Tern

American White Pelican with Double Crested Cormorants

Eastern Phoebe


Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park

This is a huge park and I don’t think I did it justice. I mostly birded the Lake and internal roads and really only gave the beach a cursory glance. The lake was lovely and I saw my first gator, but there were a lot of kids picnicking and that made it pretty noisy. It also cost $5 to enter.

Common Gallinule

American Coot

Anhinga (Female)

Turtles

Yellow-rumped Warbled dancing

Immature Little Blue Heron

This is just its tail... I didn't see it until I looked at the photos later


Westside Industrial Park

This was an interesting place to bird. It was recommended by a friend of Joyce’s who is a local birder and honestly that is gold! This place was – saw my first Limpkin and Sora. Lots of fun ducks and an American Kestrel. It does involve some nerve and tolerance for traffic it is a busy industrial park that has cars and trucks regularly speeding by. It is worth it for the @9 ponds that contains great waders, ducks and geese. Would definitely do again.

Mottled Duck

Muscovy Duck

White Ibis

Limpkin

Limpkin

American Kestrel


St. Augustine Road Fish Management Area

A lovely little pond (with a big alligator) in a not so great area of Jacksonville. Once I got there it seemed fine, but the I was pulled over and this muscle car sped past me and parked at the end of the road. There were two young me who got out of the car and started having loud conversations on their cell phones. It seemed like they were having a disagreement with the people they were talking too. Needless to say I did not want to encroach on their space, but I was able to go most of way down the road and was rewarded by two Wood Ducks and some Pied-billed Grebes.

Wood Ducks

Pied-billed Grebe

Big Gator!


Big Talbot Island SP--Spoonbill Pond (includes parking & boat ramp)

Kind of a misnomer this time of year. Apparently, the Roseate Spoonbills go south by the end of January. Regardless, it had a lot of diversity and was a pleasant walk on the boardwalk. The boat landing was unproductive. American Avocets, Northern Shovelers, Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Plovers, Tricolored Heron, Willets, Snowy Egrets, Spotted Sandpiper and a Bald Eagle drying out its wings.

Tricolored Heron

Dunlin

Bald Eagle drying out

North Shoveler

American Avocet

Snowy Egret

Greater Yellowlegs

Black-bellied Plover


St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park

Recommended to me by a photographer friend this was a lovely close up experience in the open Rookery with mostly Roseate Spoonbills although there were Great Egrets, Tricolored & Great Blue Herons and lots of White Ibis, the stars of the show were the Spoonbills. Since it was a life bird for me that was spectacular! It costs @$30 a person, so make sure you catch the alligators too. I think we only spent about 30 minutes there.

White Ibis

Roseate Spoonbills


GTM NERR--South Guana Area

We stopped at the nature center and did a quick look at the South parking area – I think to get the real experience you need to get out and walk. I didn’t have it in me today. No photos – all pretty familiar bird.

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