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Overview
Honeymoon Island State Park is located on an island between St Joseph’s Sound and the Gulf of Mexico across from the Palm Harbor area in Pinellas County, Florida. Said to be a great habitat for Osprey. According to the Florida Birding Trail[1], the island has 4 miles of beaches that attract a lot of visitors. As well, it is a good place for shorebirds and migratory songbirds.
Birds
Notable Species
A number of migratory birds as well. Orchard Oriole, Hepatic Tanager and a number of Cardinals. Theres also a Great Horned Owl Nest with young....
The Florida State Parks webpage for Honeymoon Island State Park says the park is home to the Osprey, Snowy Egret, species of Oyster Catcher, Snowy Plover, Least Tern, Roseate Spoonbill, and Great Blue Heron among others that may be found in the area.
Rarities
The Florida Birding Trail[1] says the park has the potential to sight rarities such as the Bar-tailed Godwit, Long-billed Murrelet, Elegant Tern, Northern Wheatear, Townsend's Solitaire, Varied Thrush, Mourning Warbler, and Green-tailed Towhee.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Common Tern, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Double-crested Cormorant, Laughing Gull, Sandwich Tern, Brown Pelican, Fish Crow, Stilt Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Black Skimmer, Forster's Tern.
Other Wildlife
Other wildlife might also include the Gopher Tortoise and Armadillo, according to the Florida State Parks.
Site Information
History and Use
An island once inhabited, by Native Americans of the Tocobago tribe who lived of the marine life of the surrounding Gulf of Mexico. In the 1930’s it was purchased and developed as a honeymoon destination with the construction of cottages for that purpose. Then with the advent of World War II, it began to be utilized for the war effort in various forms. Subsequent to all that, it went through various attempts at use before ultimately becoming what it is today.
Areas of Interest
According to the Florida State Parks webpage for Honeymoon Island State Park, there are a number of amenities and opportunities present.
Of particular interest to birders might be hiking what they say is one of a decreasing number of South Florida, virgin, slash pine stands along the 2.5-mile Osprey Trail.
Access and Facilities
Access to the park can be had by taking Causeway Boulevard off Bayshore Boulevard in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Contact Details
1 Causeway Blvd.
Dunedin, FL 34698
Tel: 727-241-6106
References
- Florida Birding Trail - https://floridabirdingtrail.com/
- eBird
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Honeymoon Island State Park. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Honeymoon_Island_State_Park
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Shrike ranger
