Mead Botanical Gardens

A pocket of green amidst Orlando, this city park can be excellent for songbirds during spring and fall migration. Habitats include bay swamp, stream, pond and hardwood forest. In April, and again in September and October, a morning birding excursion can produce a variety of warblers, thrushes, vireos, tanagers, buntings and flycatchers. Over 30 species of wood-warbler have been recorded including Canada, Connecticut, Bay-breasted, Nashville and Wilson’s. Veery, Swainson’s, Gray-cheeked and Wood Thrush are regularly spotted in the fall . Bird the boardwalk through the ephemeral wetland, and also check the wooded edge along the stream and pond by the amphitheater. The pond can yield Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Anhinga and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. The oaks in the picnic area can be a good spot for Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and White-eyed Vireos. Barred, Eastern Screech, and Great Horned Owl are resident. Several rarities and scarce migrants have been spotted including, Swainson’s Hawk, Black-billed Cuckoo, Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Bell’s, Philadelphia and Warbling Vireo. The park also features a butterfly garden (check for hummingbirds here also), a bike trail and an environmental center. Weekends at the park can get busy, so plan accordingly.