 |
Florida Scrub Jays |
||||||||||
|
|
Where To See Florida Scrub Jays You'll find scrub jays in numerous places, some quite easy to reach. Such as around the parking lot at Matanzas National Monument south of St. Augustine on Highway A-1-A. The Ocala National Forest has some of the state's best remaining oak scrub territory, and it's easily reached by driving the forest roads; you'll need to get a map from one of the ranger stations. On the east coast, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has excellent scrub habitat between the visitor center and Playalinda Beach at the Canaveral National Seashore. Driving south on U.S. 27 from Ocala south to Lake Placid is sometimes good for spotting scrub jays. In Lake Placid, the Archbold Biological Station which has more than 5,000 preserved acres of land, and its resident scrub jays are one the station's on-going study projects. Oscar Scherer State Park is one of the best places on the west coast to find scrub jays, particularly in the scrub northwest of Lake Osprey. From the town of Osprey, go two miles south on U.S. 41; for more information, call 813/483-5956. In southwest Florida, scrub jays are common and quite tame along the entrance road at the Franklin Lock Recreation Area near Naples. The area around La Belle in the Lake Okeechobee area offers good spotting possibilities on County Road 731 (Thigpen Rd), State Road 74 and State Road 29 at the first culvert. But perhaps the most reliable place to see scrub jays up close and in big numbers is at Jonathan Dickinson State Park on the lower east coast near Jupiter. It would be rare, indeed, if you did not find plenty of tame scrub jays there, particularly where the road crosses over the railroad tracks. If the birds prove elusive, start "pishing" and see what happens, especially if you have peanuts. It's also possible to attract scrub jays with owl calls and squeaks. Scrub jay vocalizations are not as raucous as those of blue jays. Go to Facts & Information about Florida Scrub Jays Return to May
Hotspots
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||