Florida Spring Training Trip - Day 23

We traveled to Honeymoon State Park this morning and went on a guided hike along the Osprey Trail.  We had taken this hike in 2012 and wanted to do it again.

The trail loops around the northern end of the park and is about a mile out-and-back loop. The park is oriented north and south so the east side of the trail is on St. Joseph Sound and the west side borders the Gulf of Mexico.  The east is slightly higher in elevation and is covered with palm trees, pine trees and other types of vegetation. The west side is mostly mangrove vegetation and other underbrush.  There is also a lot of poison ivy throughout the park, which is home to a wide variety of wildlife including gopher tortoises, raccoons and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.   The park is also home to a large variety of birds including ospreys, bald eagles, great horned owls and many other migratory birds.  The proximity to mild winters, plenty of fish, and protected nesting sites makes the park an especially attractive home for raptors such as ospreys, eagles, and other types of hawks  We saw plenty of large osprey nests in the top of barren pine snags. Currently there are 20 osprey nesting sites along the appropriately named Osprey Trail where we hiked today.

We also saw a great horned owl who is currently residing in the park.  This bird is the "apex raptor", meaning there are no other birds higher up in the food chain, including eagles or ospreys.  The result is that the owl sleeps where it wants to and eats whatever if feels like eating.

There is also a federally protected American Bald Eagle nesting site at the northern part of the trail.  The area is fenced off but the nest is visible.  There are presently two baby chicks in the nest.  They were born in December and are just about ready to fly.  Mom (or dad?) was also nearby, still bringing food to the growing chicks.

The weather was great, not too hot, cold or windy, but after the hike we were a little tired and ready for lunch.  So, we headed over to the park cafe and had lunch overlooking the beach area on the gulf.  The original plan was to lay around on the beach after lunch but by then it was after 3:00 pm so we decided to skip that part for today.  I did a short beach walk after lunch while Judy rested at the cafe dining area.

On the way back to the condo, we picked up a few groceries and had dinner in tonight. Baseball again tomorrow and Friday.

Here are a few pictures from today's adventure:
 
Day 23 Pictures