Photo Fiona Sunquist ©
Part of the Big Bend Wildlife Management Area, this out-of-the-way stop is listed on the
Great Florida Birding Trail, and rightly so - it is an excellent place to see birds. (map PDF)
Don’t be put off by the six-mile-long, rather bumpy but passable lime rock road that leads to this Wildlife Management Area. Once there, you can drive around the 6.5-mile dike that encircles this large brackish impoundment and watch birds from your vehicle. There are great views of salt marsh, palm islands, and coastal hardwood swamp. Pelicans, wading birds, and vultures are easy to see and photograph. This is a good site for Clapper rails and you may hear their loud, clattering "chack-chack-chack" call. In winter you may see green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, northern pintail, gadwall, mallard, American widgeon, northern shoveler, black duck, canvasback, ring-necked duck, lesser and greater scaup, common goldeneye, bufflehead, hooded and red-breasted merganser. Snow geese and swans occasionally over winter. Raptors include bald eagle, osprey, American swallow-tailed kite and Mississippi kite.
In January 07 the observation tower was closed, and will have to be rebuilt because of damage from a prescribed burn. However the uncrowded nature of this site and the elevated, easily drivable dikes make it worth a visit if you are in the area.
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