Windy Point Park

Stop by this park anytime you’re in the area for a nice birding break and picnic lunch. Check the small, seasonal pond east of the parking lot for Black-bellied Whistling-Duck and Little Blue Herons. From the boat ramp, scan the lake for Purple and Common Gallinules and large rafts of Lesser Scaup may be visible in winter. Florida Sandhill Crane and Wild Turkey sometimes wander into the open areas near the boat ramp as well. Osprey nest here and be alert for Bald Eagle and American Kestrel. Snail Kite, Short-tailed Hawk, Limpkin, and Least Bittern are occasionally spotted and Western Kingbird and American Pipit have been recorded. North of the parking area lies a larger pond with an observation deck/fishing pier. Look for Anhinga, Cedar Waxwing, Common Yellowthroat and Red-winged Blackbird. A grassy field between the two ponds can have wintering sparrows, and resident species such as Loggerhead Shrike and Eastern Meadowlark. Northwest of the large pond, the trail continues around a small patch of hardwoods and wetlands good for migratory songbirds, including Yellow-throated Vireo, Black-throated Green Warbler, Indigo Bunting and Baltimore Oriole. Butterflies on the park checklist include Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Barred Sulphur, Queen and White Peacock. All of the trails at the park are paved and wheelchair-accessible.