On Saturday, April 4, seventeen birders joined TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza for a full day of birding at two different state parks, Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound, Martin County and John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in northern Palm Beach County.
At Jonathan Dickinson SP, we explored three different trails (Scrub Jay, Red and Kitching Creek) as well as the Hobe Mountain boardwalk (the observation tower there was still closed for repairs).
On the Scrub Jay Trail, which loops through coastal sandhill habitat near the park entrance, we encountered double-digit numbers of Florida Scrub Jays. Most were distant, but a couple of them came closer to the group. Other birds seen included Wood Duck, Mottled Duck, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, White Ibis, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Great Egret, Osprey, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Northern Mockingbird, Boat-tailed Grackle and Northern Cardinal.
On the Red Trail, which passes through pine flatwoods and begins at the equestrian center along the main park road, things started slowly for us, but this eventually became our most productive stop. New birds seen in this area included Wood Stork, Sandhill Crane, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, European Starling, Common Grackle, Palm Warbler and Pine Warbler. A juvenile hawk, likely a Red-shouldered Hawk, was seen on a nest. Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Towhee and Bachman’s Sparrow were all heard; a sparrow that briefly perched on a cabbage palm was initially identified as a Bachman’s, but after examination of photos, it turned out to be a Clay-colored Sparrow.
On the Kitching Creek Trail and in the picnic area along the Loxahatchee River, we added another Red-shouldered Hawk in a nest, more Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, as well as Belted Kingfisher, Tree Swallow, Purple Martin, Northern House Wren, Eastern Meadowlark and Common Yellowthroat. We also saw an Eastern Six-lined Racerunner (a native lizard), Eastern Gray Squirrel and a Wild Boar!
At the Hobe Mountain boardwalk, we added Common Ground-Dove and Brown Pelican.
From Johnathan Dickinson, about half of the group drove to John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach. We explored some of the park’s Satinleaf Trail, which passes through a maritime tropical hardwood hammock, but it was very quiet, so we moved on to the lagoon and beach areas of the park. The beach within this park can only be accessed by crossing the lagoon via a long boardwalk. New birds seen during our exploration of this area included Red-breasted Merganser, Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Royal Tern and most unexpected, three flyby Common Loons!
By trip’s end, our bird list was at 53 species, all of which are listed in this eBird trip report. Photos taken by trip participants and added to the checklists for each park can also be accessed via the eBird trip report.
Florida Scrub Jay. Photo by Brian Rapoza