Trip Reports — St. Lucie Audubon Society

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River Lilly Cruise

St. Lucie Audubon Society Exclusive River Lilly Cruise

Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Port St. Lucie River

What a fantastic morning on the water! Our exclusive St. Lucie Audubon Society River Lilly Cruise was a wonderful success, filled with great company, breathtaking scenery, and incredible wildlife sightings.

As we set off on the tranquil Port St. Lucie River, we were immediately immersed in the beauty of Florida’s unique ecosystem. The calm waters and lush surroundings provided the perfect backdrop for an engaging and educational experience. Along the way, we spotted an impressive variety of bird species, including great blue herons, ospreys, and even a swallow-tail kite soaring overhead. We spotted basking turtles and many alligators enjoying the sun.  We even managed to catch a glimpse of a pod of baby alligators!

Our expert guides, owners and operators Eddie and Stephanie Hamrick, provided insightful commentary, sharing fascinating details about the river’s history, wildlife, and delicate ecosystem. The intimate setting allowed for plenty of questions, discussion, and, of course, plenty of photo opportunities!

After the cruise, some of us gathered at River Park Marina to enjoy a relaxing bag lunch together, while some opted to continue the camaraderie at a local restaurant. It was a perfect way to wrap up such a memorable outing.

A heartfelt thank you to River Lilly Cruises for hosting us and to all our St. Lucie Audubon Society members who joined us for this special experience. Your enthusiasm for nature and conservation makes outings like these truly special!

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FIELD TRIP TO JONES PIER AND MOORHEN MARSH

FIELD TRIP TO JONES PIER AND MOORHEN MARSH

On February 6, 2025, eleven people went to Jones Pier in Vero Beach on our SLAS field trip.   It was a beautiful sunny day with a slight breeze.  Jones Pier is right off the Jungle Trail and is a new preserve, opened in 2023.   There is a 4 acre salt marsh here with a small dock.   The 16.5 acre area was purchased by the county, with the assistance of Florida Communities Trust in 2008.  The Jones family had a settlement here from the late 19th century and they sold citrus at their stand to the community.

We saw 26 species of birds on this beautiful day.   A ruby throated hummer showed up on the only red flower on site just for us!   It is a diverse habitat.   We saw warblers, killdeer, egrets, herons, hawks, osprey, woodpeckers, including two pileated woodpeckers.

Then the group drove to Moorhen Marsh.   This is the newest storm water treatment plant in Indian River County.  It also has only been open to the public for about a year.  Alexis Peralta showed us around the ponds and gave us a grand tour.   We were treated to a Wilson’s snipe, greater yellowlegs, egrets, herons, shrike, grackles, and robins.   We saw 30 species of birds.   This area, as it grows older will draw in more birds.  A good time was had by all.

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MERRITT ISLAND NWR FIELD TRIP REPORT

Merritt Island NWR Field Trip Report

January 15, 2025

January is peak time to observe over-wintering waterfowl in Florida. With that in mind, our group headed to Merritt Island NWR, one of the state’s premier birding spots. Led by Doris and Steve Brookens, our group of 11 enthusiastic participants had a wonderful day of birding. Many in the group were first introduced to Merritt Island by long-time SLAS field trip leaders Hart and Jewel Rufe. Hart passed away on January 14, 2025, the day before our trip. Our memories of Hart were top of mind throughout the day.

We began on Black Point Wildlife Drive, where 18 Wilson Snipe immediately welcomed us. The normally inconspicuous shorebirds were feeding in plain sight on the shallow mud flats. Other highlights of the drive were 9 species of ducks including a single rare Eurasian Wigeon, a group of American Avocet spinning in a circle to feed, Reddish Egrets madly dashing after fish, Roseate Spoonbills sweeping their bills back and forth, and the calmer open-billed feeding style of Wood Storks. Near the end of the drive, 150 Snowy Egrets lined the canal on the side of the road, seemingly bidding us farewell.

We then made a quick trip to Haulover Canal Kayak Launch for distant but satisfying views of two American Flamingos which have been there since Hurricane Idalia blew them in from the Yucatan Peninsula in 2023.  Two species of large pink birds in one day!

We ended the trip at Parrish Park on the Indian River where we saw lots of Lesser Scaup and 2 Rudy Ducks. By this point, it was so cold and windy that participants opted to eat lunch in the warmth of their cars. We tallied an incredible 76 species!

You can see the eBird trip report here.

Submitted by Doris Brookens

 

 

 

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EGRET MARSH STORM WATER PARK

Least Sandpipers

On Thursday, November 17, 2022, nine people had a wonderful time birding this gem of a wildlife park.  This park is the only place in the world that grows algae on such a big scale.  The group even got to see a worker “snow” plowing the algae off the pad with a rubber snow plow!

This facility is a perfect spot for birds.   They are protected from humans by a fence.  The water and habitat provide a diverse and safe place for the birds to live, eat, and breed.   Alexsis Peralta is a wonderful tour guide and we were treated to a great morning of birding.

Over 35 species of birds were seen.Two hundred Least Sandpipers and Greater andLlesser Yellowlegs were observed on the cement water pad. Three species of warblers were observed: Yellow Rumps, Palms, and a Prairie. This is a diverse habitat with woodland and water species abounding. The cherry on the top at the end of the trip was a Red-shouldered Hawk that posed for the group.

Photos by JoAnn Stillman, report by Kathy Mayshar

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LAKE TOZOUR AND THE INDRIO SAVANNAHS PRESERVE

On Saturday, March 12, 2022, the field trip started off at Lake Tozour.  The trip was led by Holly Ferreira and Kathy Mayshar.  Despite the windy day, the group of eight people was treated to a Sandhill pair and two chicks.    The highlight was that Mr. and Mrs. Sandhill swam their two chicks to a safe little island.   The chicks cannot fly yet.   No one in the group had ever seen Sandhills swim before.   It was quite a sight.

The group saw a Bald Eagle carrying a fish to its nest.  We saw many species at Lake Tozour before heading out to the Indrio Savannahs Preserve.   We saw five Scrub Jays, one without any bands.  The group saw 34 species of birds for the day.  Fun was had by all.  Many thanks to the Hearns for letting us observe birds on their property.  Many thanks also to Holly Ferreira for leading the trip.

Photos by Richard Lynch and Lisa Jeffra.

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OCEAN BAY RIVERSIDE

210422OceanBay.jpg

On April 22, 2021, a group of 10 enthusiastic participants met at Ocean Bay Riverside at 7:30 a.m. to look for warblers.  The trip was delayed a couple of days due to the threat of thunderstorms.   It turned out to be a nice day with not a drop of rain.  

We saw five Merlins and six species of warblers.  The total number of species seen for the day was 27.   We were hoping to see the White-crowned Pigeon and the Red-headed Woodpecker that were seen the day before, but alas they did not show their beaks.   We did get good looks at two Ovenbirds, Common Yellowthroats, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Palm Warblers, and Prairie Warblers. 

The fall-out we were hoping for did not happen due to the direction of the wind.   Wind or no wind, a good time was had by all.

— Submitted by Kathy Mayshar

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C-23/C-24 RESEVOIR,  March 9, 2021

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A unique evening of birding began when 13 participants were met in the Teague Hammock parking lot by a friendly Red Junglefowl chicken. A Red-shouldered Hawk carrying food alerted the group to the presence of a nearby nest with a chick.

As we caravanned along Germany Canal Road, we passed groups of herons, egrets and Roseate Spoonbills feeding in the roadside canals; a single Western Kingbird was seen briefly perched on a utility wire. As we walked along the berm of the Reservoir, the group was treated to views of resident Crested Caracara and Swallow-tailed Kites recently returned from their wintering grounds in South America.

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The excitement built as sunset approached. Literally hundreds of birds began flying in to roost for the night in the Reservoir. Group after group of White and Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, Anhinga, Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Little Blue Heron soared overhead before landing and seemingly disappearing in the vegetation. Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds provided a constant serenade for the spectacular sunset. As the light was disappearing from the sky, a murmuration of 1,000+ Tree Swallows swirled overhead for one final exclamation point on the evening.

A complete checklist of the 40 species observed is available in eBird.

Photos by Steve Brookens. Additional photos by Lorraine Morecraft are posted to the St. Lucie Audubon Society Facebook page. Field trip report prepared by Doris Brookens.

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McCARTY RANCH PRESERVE

Ground Dove

Ground Dove

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Ten birders turned out for our first field trip of the year. With CDC-recommended precautions in place, everyone enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with fellow birders, and the birds did not disappoint. Birds were quite active in the pineland areas along the entrance road, vocalizing and feeding in the trees. Species observed included American Robin, Eastern Towhee, Downy Woodpecker and Pileated Woodpecker. Four species of warblers were present: Pine, Palm, Yellow-rumped, and Prairie.

The raptors were the surprise stars of the morning. We had good views of Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Harrier, Merlin, American Kestrel and Bald Eagle. It was approaching mid-day by the time we wrapped up the trip, and kettles of vultures and even Wood Stork were soaring overhead.

The manmade lakes in the back of the property support bird life including Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, Pied-billed Grebe, and multiple species of herons.

In total the group observed 45 species. A complete checklist with photos is available in eBird.

Photos by Steve Brookens. Trip report prepared by Doris Brookens.

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