# BIRDING SITES

Okaloosa Birding Sites

A Local Supplement to the Florida State Birding Trails

The purpose of this brochure is to offer the visitor and resident birder the opportunity to explore some of the less well known birding sites in Okaloosa County. Most are especially productive in the spring, fall and winter but if you are visiting in the summer, you may be surprised what you will see especially if you go very early.

We encourage you to visit our website at 

## Choctawhatcheeaudubon.org

for additional information and contact us for feedback on the usefulness of the brochure and any suggestions you might have for future editions.1 Bluewater Bay Marina & Swamp2 Lions Park & Cedar Ave. Wetlands3 Bayou Plaza Shopping Center& Kiwanis Park4 Florida Park5 Fort Walton Beach Landfill, Spray Fields & Holding Pond6 Okaloosa County Holding Ponds7 Ferry Park8 Oak Tree Nature Park9Destin Bridge West Side/Jetties10Mattie Kelly Park, Kelly St.& Main Street Park.

### 1. Bluewater Bay Marina & Swamp. Park in the marina parking lot and walk around the wooded lot looking for birds. In the winter find American Robins, Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Tufted Titmice, Finches, and sometimes more exotic species such as Western Tanagers. From the boardwalk in front of the marina, you can spot Herons, Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and sea birds including Brown Pelicans, and Gulls and Terns. Rails have been seen in the marsh grass here. Next, walk back through the parking lot and back up Bay Dr. towards the tennis club. Look at the swamps on both sidesof the road. See Brown Thrashers, Ospreys, Herons, Egrets, RedHeaded Woodpeckers in winter, and such common birds as Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Northern Mockingbirds, year around.

Directions: From High School in Niceville, take Hwy 20 (John Sims Pkwy) approx. 4 miles east and turn S.W. on Bay Rd. Follow Bay through two stop signs to the marina at the end of the road (passing the swamp on the way).



### 2. Lions Park & Cedar Ave. Wetlands. Lions Park, a City of Niceville park, offersmostly views of sea and shore birds especially winter varieties of gulls. Pelicans, Cormorants, and Terns. The grassy area of the park is also frequented by other birds common to the area. Go east on Byrne St. (just south of the fuel farm). Watch Cuckoos and Flycatchers in the
moss covered Live Oaks. Turn south on Cedar Ave. about one block and look for the swamp and the communications tower on the left. Turn left and park. Red-winged Blackbirds are plentiful and Purple Gallinule and other wading birds have been seen here along with Brown-Headed Cowbirds, Gray Catbirds and Common Snipes.

Directions: From Hwy 285 at Hwy 20 (John Sims Pkwy) in Niceville, continue on Partin Dr. to Bayshore Dr. The park is a few blocks southeast (to the left) along the bayou which is on the right.



### 3. Bayou Plaza Shopping Center & Kiwanis Park. Park in the parking lot in front of Badcock’s Furniture. Check the small park East toward Niceville, continuing as far as Turkey Creek Bridge. Look for wading/marsh birds, and check the power lines for perching birds. In the marsh area beside and behind the shopping center, look for Sparrows, Catbirds, Robins and Woodpeckers. The head of the Bayou
often has water fowl and shorebirds.

Directions: From Turkey Creek Park, continue around the head of Boggy Bayou on Hwy 20 and turn left into shopping plaza parking lot.



### 4. Florida Park. This is another delightful community park located in Valparaiso. The park is mostly an open grassy area with a few trees. In late winter, it is home to Robins, Red-Headed Woodpeckers, and other small birds. It also offers a view of Boggy Bayou which might include Ospreys, Bald Eagles, and various sea and shore birds and

water fowl.

Directions: Go south on Hwy 20 (John Sims Pkwy.) through Valparaiso and crossing Tom’s Bayou Bridge. Turn left on Bayshore Dr. or Florida Ave. to the park. 

### 5. Fort Walton Beach Landfill, Spray Fields & Holding Pond.

These are the most consistently productive sites in the area. Although permission isrequired for entrance to these sites, it is mostly a formality. There is a guard shack at the entrance to the landfill, so notify the guard by showing your binoculars. Once in the landfill, view the lake on the left for various waterfowl, shorebirds, and waders. Also check for flyovers of raptors. Continue along the road for a short distance to a road to the right. It is a good idea to park here and walk this road as the road surface is fairly deep sand. This road, which continues along the fence, is called the sparrow trail or the migrant trail for good reason. Many species of small birds, especially sparrows and wrens are to be seen. Hummingbirds and many other migrants even such rare birds as Anis are present during the spring and fall migrations. The entrance to the spray fields and holding pond is on the East side of the road (Beal St. Extension) just outside thelandfill. Be sure to check in with the office personnel before proceeding. The holding pond is a good spot to view various waterfowl, wading birds, gills, terns and raptors. Drive to the back of the holding pond for a better view, and then continue around the edge of the spray field checking for Raptors and Flycatchers on the spray heads and Warblers, Sparrows, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers in the woods bordering the spray fields.
Directions from the north (Niceville): Take Hwy 85 S. past the Northwest Florida Regional Airport to Hwy 189 (Lewis Turner Blvd). Turn west and proceed for several miles. Turn right (north) on Beal Pkwy Ext. just opposite the Coach-N-Four Restaurant. This road goes further west for a short distance past a small convenience store then turns sharp right (north) and runs into
the landfill entrance after a mile or two. Directions from the south (Ft. Walton Beach/Wright): Take Hwy 189 (Beal Pkwy) north for several miles. Past Mary Esther Cutoff. Past Racetrack Rd. Just past Greenacres Rd. (McDonald’s on the right), the road changes names to Lewis Turner Blvd. Turn left on Beal Pkwy Ext. opposite the Coach-N-Four Restaurant. This road heads back west for a short way and passes a small convenience store before it turns sharply north and runs into the landfill entrance after a

mile or two.



### 6.Okaloosa County Holding Ponds

. These two holding ponds are good sites to find waterfowl, especially ducks of many kinds, shorebirds, and other water birds. Canadian Geese come here as well as Egyptian Geese and some even more exotic species. Swallows and other insect eating birds such as Flycatchers and Warblers can be seen. Nesting boxes are provided and ensure Bluebirds in season. Raptors can be seen flying overhead.

Directions: From Hwy 189 (see above directions to FWB Landfill), turn north on Roberts Rd. (at Mama Rosa’s Pizza). Proceed north for several blocks and through a gate, locked after hours. Continue north until the road ends at a fence and turn right and park between the holding ponds. 

### 7. Ferry Park. This larger city park has grass areas, wooded areas, and small creeks. It offers an opportunity to view many different species of birds from raptors such as Merlins, Kestrels, Broad-Winged Hawks, etc. to water birds such as Pelicans, wading birds such as Egrets and Herons, woods birds such as Warblers, Wrens, Tanagers, etc. and such birds as Robins, White-Winged Doves, Purple Martins and so on depending on the season. There are paved and unpaved pathways to use.

Directions: From Eglin Parkway, turn east on Hughes Street, then right onto Ferry and right into the parking lot.



### 8. Oak Tree Nature Park. A City of Mary Esther park, this 25 acre park consists of five native plant communities. A well-marked interpretive hiking trail of nearly two miles meanders through the park, crossing Silver Sands Creek in two places. The trail markers also identify some of themany native species of plants which provide food and shelter for wildlife. Insect repellent is advised during summer months. Over 103 bird species have been identified, including large numbers of migratory birds such as Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks and Summer Tanagers. Swainson’s Thrushes and Veerys also stop here on their way north to fatten up after crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Green Herons can be seen picking their way along the banks of the creek. Resident birds such as Brown Thrashers and Mockingbirds are prevalent but Brown-Headed Nuthatches have also been spotted. Many warblers have been seen including the Golden Prothonotary

Warbler.

Directions: From Hwy. 98 west of Mary Ester Blvd. and east of Hurlburt Field, take Doolittle Dr. north to the traffic circle and proceed west on Hollywood out of the circle. The park with a parking lot is located on the south side of the street just east of the Mary Esther Library/City Hall complex. 

### 9. Destin Bridge West Side/Jetties.

This site is the east end of Santa Rosa Island at the foot of Destin Bridge. It includes passand gulf beach, sand dunes, salt and freshwater marshes. There is a small wooded area which sometimes serves as a heron rookery. Herons are also frequent visitors to the bayside and to the small pondswithin the dune system. Osprey and Bald Eagles can be spotted overhead. Ducks and other water birds can be seen in the ponds. Around the beach, the Destin East Pass turns into Gulf- front beaches at the West Jetty. The Gulf beach offers many species of seabirds including Gulls, Terns, Gannets and Pelicans. Snowy Plovers have been seen nesting on the Gulf side near the dunes, but should not be disturbed. This is a long walk through sand, but worth the effort.

Directions: From Fort Walton Beach and the west, cross the island. (Called Okaloosa Island locally, but actually the east end of Santa Rosa Island.) Just before the Marler Bridge to Destin, turn slight right and go down the hill to the gravel parking lot. The east or far side of the parking lot is the best viewing area and you can walk the shoreline to the gulf. Walking on the dunes is prohibited.



### 10. Mattie Kelly Park, Kelly St. & Main Street Park. The Mattie Kelly Park offers good parking and
a short boardwalk on the inland side of the street. The boardwalk passes beside a marsh and offers marsh birds such as Red-WingedBlackbirds, Wrens, Sparrows and BrownHeaded Nuthatches. There is a dock on the Bay side of the street which extends into the mouth of Joe’s Bayou. There are the usual sea and shorebirds here as well as Grebes, Buffleheads, Mergansers and other waterfowl in season. These can also be viewed from the south end of Joe’s Bayou on Kelly Street and from the dock at the Main Street Park. Across from the bayou on Kelly Street is a
small lake with resident feral Geese and sometimes other waterfowl.
Across from the Main Street Park is another lake on which waterfowl

can sometimes be seen.

Directions: From Hwy 98 in Destin, go north on Beach Drive to near its end at the Bay. (The road turns left and the name changes toCalhoun.) Mattie Kelly Park is on both sides of Beach Dr. with the parking lot on the left. Go back south on Beach Dr. to the four-way stop at Kelly St. Turn left (east) for half a block. Park on the right side of Kelly St. with the lake to the right and the end of Joe’s Bayou to the north (left). Continue east to the end of Kelly and turn left (north) on MainStreet. The Main Street Park is a short way north. The park has limited parking.