Marion County has some great spots for birding, and after a spring visit, Sunnyhill Restoration Area is a new favorite on my list.
Since the Levee Trail is accessible at daybreak, you can hike out to the observation shelter / blind and enjoy the show across the vast marshes of the Ocklawaha River floodplain.
En route to the shelter and on the way back (4.8 mile round-trip), you’ll see wading birds along the river, including purple gallinules.