Central Florida Trip Planning (1 Viewer)

[raymie]

This summer (late May/early June), I'll be making my first every trip to Florida - in the form a of a family Disney trip I'm getting dragged along on. I'm not quite sure yet how much birding I'll be able to get done, but I should have at least a little.

First off, any just general good birding spots in the area that I should consider a priority?

I also have a list of higher-priority target species here. Some of these are a higher priority than others, but I just want to know any good locations/feasibility for these species in central Florida:

Mottled Duck (pure)
Indian Peafowl (established)
Red Junglefowl (established)
Northern Bobwhite
any tubenose (I've never been to ocean before...)
really any location for large numbers of coastal birds
Wood Stork
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Roseate Spoonbill
Snail Kite
any of the other kite species
Limpkin
Purple Gallinule
Gray-headed Swamphen
American Oystercatcher
Black Skimmer
Mangrove Cuckoo (assume I'll be too far north?)
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
pretty much any parrot other than MOPA
Florida Scrub-Jay
Red-rumped Agouti
Rhesus Macaque
Capybara
West Indian Manatee
Nine-banded Armadillo
any cetacean
American Alligator
any chameleon

 

[raymie]

Adding Magnificent Frigatebird to the list, too.

 

[lgonz1008]

• Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive will let you see Mottled Duck, Purple Gallinule, Gray-headed Swamphen and a number of the common waders, plus it's a short drive from Orlando (American Alligator is common here)
• Merritt Island NWR for Florida Scrub-Jay, Wood Stork, Reddish Egret, Mottled Duck and the common waders and over summer shorebirds
• Fort de Soto is great for Reddish Egret, American Oystercatcher, Magnificent Frigatebird, Black Skimmer and many shorebirds spend the summer in the park including Red Knot. Nanday Parakeet is present in the park and nearby parks also have Blue-crowned Parakeet. Bottlenose Dolphin is common here from the fishing pier.
• Three Lakes WMA for Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Northern Bobwhite and a few other pineland species like Bachman's Sparrow and Brown-headed Nuthatch

West Indian Manatee is possible in a number of places with deep(ish) water or a marina, but it's best to look for up to date info once there. The other mammals you listed I've either never seen in Florida or have been lucky to be in the place where they were seen minutes before.

I think Rhesus Macaque is in Silver Springs, but never heard of a site for the other non-native mammals.

Mangrove Cuckoo is rare outside of the Florida Keys and sea watching is difficult at best without taking a pelagic trip. Parrots and Chameleons are possible further South (especially in the Miami and Palm Beach areas), but not that far North.

 

[Mysticete]

Florida fish and wildlife doesn't currently consider Capybara to be established, although it suggests there might be an established population around the Gainesville area.

I've heard of folks getting shot at while looking for chameleons, as some of the populations were deliberately (and illegally) introduced to be harvested for the pet trade. I think they are most commonly found at night when they are sleeping.

 

[MikeInPA]

Florida Shrub Jays try Oscar Scherer State Park. We had loads a few years ago.

Gatorland is great for the wild Heron Rookery. Cattle, Snowy, Great, Egrets, Tricolored, Little Blue Heron, Anhinga and Wood Stork all breed. They’re close enough to stroke if you don’t mind loosing a finger or two. Good for kids too I would imagine.

 

[raymie]

Any reliable sites for Snail Kite? That's a pretty high priority species for me.

Also, sorry if this is a stupid question, but for any birding along the ocean, should I be worried about what the tide is like? Will that affect the birding in any way?

 

[raymie]

Any good sites for Gopher Tortoise?

 

[lgonz1008]

Any reliable sites for Snail Kite? That's a pretty high priority species for me.

Also, sorry if this is a stupid question, but for any birding along the ocean, should I be worried about what the tide is like? Will that affect the birding in any way?

Lake Apopka can give you chances for Snail Kite.

Birding along the coast is not determined by the tides but rather by the number of people and time of day. Early morning is usually the best time since less people, only species that you should worry about tides is Clapper Rail and other mangrove specialists that you wish to target.

Any good sites for Gopher Tortoise?

Gopher Tortoise is good in Merritt Island NWR, Oscar Scherer SP and pretty much any other site that is sandy oaks and pinelands.

 

[Mysticete]

I had Gopher Tortoise at Oscar Scherer SP.

I recall Kissimmee State Park at least used to be good for Snail Kite.

 

[raymie]

Is there anywhere in the area with established peafowl populations?

 

[Mike Crawley]

Adding Magnificent Frigatebird to the list, too.

This won't help a great deal as it’s not central Florida but I was lucky enough to be swimming in the Gulf of Mexico off a beach near Clearwater and had a few Magnificent Frigatebirds fly over .
Huge storm followed a few hours later but considered myself exceedingly lucky to see those marvellous birds.

 

[lgonz1008]

Is there anywhere in the area with established peafowl populations?

As far as ABA is concerned, anywhere in Florida it counts, but the only truly wild populations are in the Miami-Homestead area with the only 100% pure Indian Peafowls (most populations seem to have a bit of Green Peafowl in the gene pool) being in Key Biscayne which are the remnants of the old Miami Zoo.

 

[raymie]

As far as ABA is concerned, anywhere in Florida it counts, but the only truly wild populations are in the Miami-Homestead area with the only 100% pure Indian Peafowls (most populations seem to have a bit of Green Peafowl in the gene pool) being in Key Biscayne which are the remnants of the old Miami Zoo.

Anywhere in central Florida good to look for them, then?

 

[chipperatl]

Cocoa Beach has Indian Peafowl wandering the neighborhoods, as well as Black Skimmers on the beach. I’ve had Magnificient Frigatebirds overhead multiple times.
Lake Apopka - Mottled Duck for sure there.
Lake Tohopekaliga - Airboat ride is nice to get out to see Sora, Purple and Common Gallinule, Limpkin and Snail Kite. Bronson Park, or the dock across the street you could get within arms reach of Wood Stork there, as well as close to Tricolored Heron and Reddish Egret.
Merrit Island Wildlife Drive can get Roseate Spoonbills.

 

[Hamhed]

I haven’t seen Payne’s Prairie State Park, adjacent to Gainesville, mentioned yet. Quite a few Snail Kites when we were there last. Good for wading birds also. The La Chua trail is where I got my first King Rail. Plenty of other places within the park to bird, including a viewing platform, other trails and a second protected area, Barr Hammock Preserve, nearby though I’ve only been in winter and don’t know what summer birds there might be.

Steve

 

[Mysticete]

Not sure its good for your specific targets, but Highland Hammocks State Park is a great birding spot, with some really nice trails. Haven't been there since I was a kid, but hoping to revisit the place sometime in the next couple of years.