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Osprey watching at Honeymoon Island

It’s an easy walk out to the osprey nesting grounds on Honeymoon Island, and an unforgettable experience.

July 26, 2009    Sandra Friend

The busiest beach in Florida has a secret that only birders and hikers know.

Get past the beach at Honeymoon Island State Park – and I do mean that literally, just drive into the park and past ALL of the beaches – and you’ll find a quiet corner with a picnic area, playground, and “Nature Trail” sign.

This is another of my hikes in “50 Hikes in Central Florida,” where a revisit confirmed that very little has changed along the Osprey and Pelican Trails, save a few changed kiosks and a LOT of new benches.

But the highlight of a summer’s afternoon spent in this virgin slash pine forest was seeing not one, not two, but two dozen or more osprey going about their lives.

This is a major nesting area for osprey, and the chicks are in the nest.

The sounds of the birds, the closeness of the nests, and the constant hum of avian life in the forest – beyond these grand raptors – made it an unforgettable walk.

Category: ArticlesTag: Birding, Florida State Parks, Gulf of Mexico, Honeymoon Island State Park

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