Wildlife Observations at Honeymoon
Island State Park, Dunedin, FL 34698
Eagle Pair at Honeymoon Island State ParkSouthern Bald Eagle Nesting Status:
2011-12 Season Updates:
This is the 4th year for nesting. Eggs were laid around November 12th. Eaglets hatched December 15th. Photos taken January 8th show 2 chicks. The perimeter fencing has been in place to protect the nesting birds from "intruders" and will remain in place though May 1st. Guided walks for viewing the nest site are held every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 11am, and every Friday at 10am. Meet at the picnic area for all walks. For more details on walks see www.islandparks.org
2010-11 Season Highlights:
Eagles returned to nest again on September 1, 2010. 2 eaglets hatched around the last week of December 2011. Eagles successfully raised their young and the family left the nest on April 18, 2011. This marked the 3rd successful nesting of Bald Eagles on the Island. Eagles first returned to  the island to nest in 2009. This was the first time a nest was observed in many many years. (A 1935 newspaper articles refer to the last known nesting pair at Caladesi Island.) A perimeter fencing and observation area are established every year at Honeymoon to afford the birds a quiet retreat and to accommodate park visitors who revel in their observations along the Osprey Trail.  You may watch a YouTube video of this year's chicks by clicking on the videos link at www.islandparks.org.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle NestingLoggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting Status:
Nests for 2011 season (May thru October):
Honeymoon Island - 5 False Crawls, 0 Actual Nests
Anclote Island - 4 Crawls, 2 Nests
Caladesi Island - 6 Nests
Egmont Key - 52 Nests
Nesting season runs from May thru October. Daily beach patrols will resume when we begin nest monitoring. Any nests are protected by a wire cage to prevent predation from raccoons, ghost crabs, and to prevent disturbance by beach goers. Loggerheads prefer the warmer sandy beach areas further south of here. The barrier islands this far north along the west coast are typically not heavily used nesting sites for this reason. Typically, only a few Loggerhead nests are observed at Honeymoon Island each year. It is conjectured that only 1 in 1000 hatchlings survive to adulthood. Part of the survival success depends upon natural resource management practices.
Sargassum SeaweedSargassum Seaweed may now be observed washed up on our beaches. It is identifiable by the pellet sized flotation air sacs, pictured here. Upon discovering this plant washed up on the beach, some people presume these are the eggs of the Horseshoe Crab or another animal, but that is incorrect. This plant originates from the Sargasso Sea, located in the Bermuda Triangle area and compromises huge floating rafts of Sargassum Seaweed, and is a self contained vast ecosystem. Young Loggerheads spend their time there, benefiting from the protection from predators and presence of food sources. When the oceanic currents change, some of the Sargassum weed is transported into the Gulf of Mexico, and can then be seen in the "wrack line" washed up on the beach. The appearance of Sargassum Weed ushers in the sea turtle nesting season.
OspreyOsprey Nesting Status:
2011-12 Season Updates:
Stay tuned as the Osprey nesting season approaches...
2010-11 Season Highlights:
21 nests with 19 active nest sites were present.  A male Osprey will catch up to 6 or 7 fish daily for feeding himself, the female and their 2 to 3 chicks. Females can be heard giving a loud "begging call" when the male arrives at an adjacent tree with a fresh catch. He will eat the eyes and internal organs, then present the remainder to the female. She then pulls off thin "sushi strips" of flesh for the young. Finally, as any good mother would do, the rest is hers to enjoy!
Great Horned OwlGreat Horned Owl Nesting Status:
2011-12 Season Updates:
Stay tuned, no confirmed owl sightings yet for this season...
2010-11 Season Highlights:
 There was no owl nest in 2010-11 season. - The old nest site, which began use by owls in 2009 is still present and marked by a sign along the Osprey Trail. We are getting a few unconfirmed reports of hearing Great Horned Owls, with a few probable sightings as well. It is hoped that a new nesting pair of Great Horned Owls may again set up their domain on the island in the future. Their role as "apex predators" puts them at the top of the food chain, as the "tiger of the woods". Great Horned Owls do not usually build their own nests, but have been observed to take over Osprey and even Bald Eagle nests, displacing the landlord birds who built the nests and moving in as "bad renters". They make no reparations nor do they engage in much housekeeping, as the nests are often littered with refuse.