Last weekend we took a daytrip to Myakka River SP – it’s not that far – just 90 minutes from our Central Florida home. Think of this park as 58 square miles of birder paradise. There are wetlands, prairies, hammocks and pinelands, a river and two shallow lakes to explore. Upon entering the park, there’s a seven-mile drive through oak and palm hammocks which follows the shoreline of the lake. It was a windy and somewhat chilly day as a cold front was passing through the state, but we were dressed warmly and in layers. We arrived early because, you know, the early birder sees the bird! And it was a weekend, so we wanted to get there before the park got busy.
First, we drove to the opposite end of the park to the birdwalk area. This is a boardwalk that goes out to the edge of the lake with an area for viewing. We met a couple who were volunteering their time to assist visitors with identifying the birds on the lake. They had a grease board posted with the species already seen – Limpkin, Black-necked Stilt, Bald Eagle, White Ibis, Osprey, and more. There was lots of bird activity going on, so Tom set up his camera and I started using my scope. Right away we noticed the Bald Eagle was going after an Osprey which made the Osprey drop the fish it had in its mouth and the Bald Eagle grabbed it up for himself. Upon closer inspection, we counted three adult Bald Eagles and two juveniles – that’s the most we’ve seen in one spot at one time. White Pelicans were also present – they will soon be leaving Florida and heading north for the summer. Looking at the shoreline across the lake we could also see some feral pigs grazing. A Belted Kingfisher appeared and put on quite a show as he hovered over the lake and finally dove into the water for a fish snack. Another birder approached us and reported that they saw a Purple Gallinule at the weir. We decided to leave the birdwalk and head to the weir. On the way we could see Wild Turkeys strutting their stuff along the lake shore.
The weir is a damn made to regulate the flow of water from the upper lake. There were so many birds there! It was awesome. Present were Black-necked Stilts, Limpkins, Greater Yellowlegs, Roseate Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis, White Ibis, Double-crested Cormorants, Anhinga, Blue Winged Teal, Mottled Ducks, Black and Turkey Vultures, and Wood Storks. No Purple Gallinule for us but that’s ok. The banks of the river were in full bloom with pink and purple wildflowers which smelled wonderful. A handful of people were walking this trail – some were birders and others just looking for alligators. Tip: On windy days, alligators will tend to stay under water because the wind is irritating to them. We were having a great time but were getting hungry. Thankfully Myakka River SP has a very nice café called The Pink Gator Café where we would be able to get a bite to eat.
In the same area of The Pink Gator Café is the Myakka Outpost, bicycle and canoe rentals, and Myakka Outdoors Interpretive Tours boat and tram tours. We took the boat tour during a prior visit and highly recommend it. The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable and will do their best to show you all the wildlife they possible can during the one-hour tour. After our snack and a comfort break, we made our way to the Powerline Road trail.
Powerline Road is basically a grassy trail that follows along the powerlines. We decided to walk east because we knew we would end up near the river. This section was a little quieter with birds than the weir. Because March is dry season at Myakka, we were able to get close to the river. A few Black-necked Stilts and Greater Yellowlegs were walking through the shallow water. Tom decided to venture a bit further into the marshy area than I wanted to go. While I was waiting for him to return, I spotted a Swallow-tailed Kite and Tree Swallows enjoying the wind currents overhead. The Swallow-tailed Kites seem to have returned to Florida earlier than usual this year and other birders we spoke to agree with that assessment. Tom made his way back to me and we compared notes about what we each saw. The human traffic in the park was really picking up – it was the middle of the afternoon at this point – so we decided to call it a day. On our way back to our vehicle we observed American Robins, American Crows and several types of warblers playing in the trees.
A few more tips about Myakka River State Park – it’s beautiful – if you’ve been there before you undoubtedly agree. If you haven’t been there, plan a trip when you can. There is a Canopy Walk in the park – if you’re ok with stairs, you should try this, there’s a great view waiting at the top. We have camped here before and it’s enjoyable to have the park to yourself once the day visitors leave. Always bird the parking lots. We’ve walked miles on trails to see birds and sometimes they are in the brush and trees around the parking area waiting for us to return. As if to say, ha-ha you walked all that way for nothing we’ve been here all the time. Our species total for the day was 33 – and we’re quite happy with that.
Trip Rating 5 birds Awesome!
