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The Early Bird Gets the View: Pensacola’s a Birdwatcher’s Paradise

Spring is a thrilling time for birdwatching around Pensacola. As temperatures warm and the daylight hours grow longer, our resident birds feel the urge to nest. Male birds begin to sing to attract a mate, and each day starts with a beautiful dawn chorus.

Once the male attracts the female’s attention there will often be a pair bonding ritual. Depending on the bird species this ritual can involve males feeding females, aerial acrobatics, or courtship dancing. All of this amounts to a lot of wonderful behavior for us to enjoy!

However, nesting and courtship aren’t the only spring birdwatching treats we enjoy in the Pensacola area. Birds that have overwintered in Central and South America will utilize southerly breezes off the Yucatan peninsula to begin migrating north to their nesting grounds, flying across the Gulf in one night. If they encounter rain or north winds near the coast, they will fly into the first vegetation they see to recover their strength and to refuel.

Types of Birds

In Pensacola, you'll come across many different types of birds. From Great Blue Herons to Brown Pelicans, to Ospreys and more, it's a birdwatcher's paradise.

Some of these migratory birds will nest nearby, such as the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Prothonotary Warbler, Great-crested Flycatcher, or Summer Tanager.

While other birds, such as the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blackburnian Warbler, and Prairie Warbler, will continue further north of us, some species, like the Black-throated Blue Warbler fly as far north as Canada and Alaska!

Pictured | Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Credit | @greenJphotography

Tools For Birding

You may be wondering what tools you need to view these beautiful birds. The main tools required are patience and perseverance. If you are in a vegetated area, or even a parking lot with trees, and you remain still and quiet long enough, birds will begin to appear. The longer you wait and the more still you are, the closer the birds will approach.

Not many of us have that much time or patience, so a good pair of binoculars will add to your enjoyment immensely. If you’d like more information on choosing a pair of binoculars, reach out to the F.M. Weston Audubon Society on social media. They’ll be happy to give you some tips and suggestions.

The Merlin app identifies bird calls and can be another useful tool, as are birding apps such as Audubon Field Guide, iBird Pro (not just for iPhones), or Sibley Birds.

Birding Sites in the Pensacola Area

Of course, you’ll also want to know where you can look for birds in Pensacola.

Big Lagoon State Park is the official gateway to the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail and is a great place for birding. We're located along the Atlantic Flyway—a 3,000-mile migratory route stretching from the Caribbean to the Arctic tundra—where a dazzling variety of birds make their seasonal journeys. As the official gateway to the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, we proudly feature 10 designated stops for bird and wildlife enthusiasts to explore.

With several areas to get outside and hike at Big Lagoon, you never know what you might see. Don't forget to climb the observation tower for gorgeous views while you're there.

Fort Pickens, with its variety of habitats, wonderful oak trees, and proximity to the Gulf make it one of the best locations for spring migration. However, often the weather systems that cause birds to seek a refueling stop, also close the road to Fort Pickens. Take heart, there are other great places to find birds.

Another good stop to go look for birds is the Discovery Trail in Perdido Key. Walk along the boardwalk and bring your binoculars. The north loop is near Johnson Beach ramp/boat launch and the south loop will be at the first left on Johnson Beach Road. You'll discover salt marshes, wooded wetlands, and dunes. Keep your eyes peeled! You never know what you might discover.

Pictured | Discovery Trail at Johnson Beach

In Downtown Pensacola, Bruce Beach and Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park offer a nice walk along the waterfront, as well as vegetation for birds to feed. Here you will see gulls, herons, cormorants, and in the right time of year, warblers and more. Check the small inlets, Washerwoman Creek, and the rock jetties for hidden birds. And be sure to look for birds utilizing the native planting area at Bruce Beach, which is sponsored by the F.M. Weston Audubon Society.

In Uptown Pensacola, Roger Scott Tennis Center Nature Trail is a newly-discovered local birding spot. The park and walking path have hosted some pretty amazing birds in the last two years and we believe as more people birdwatch in the park, the list will only get better. Just be aware when wandering around the park property, some areas are restricted access thanks to the proximity to the airport.

In North Pensacola, the University of West Florida campus has multiple nature trails, and you should check out all of them. This will take you several visits if you do it well. But don’t limit yourself to the trails, as the entire campus has great habitat. Early mornings on weekends and holidays are the best times for birding this location, as the campus is less crowded and a visitor’s pass isn’t required.

Don't forget to check out the other sites along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, including ECUA Bayou Marcus Wetlands, Naval Air Station Pensacola: Trout Point Nature Trail, Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier, Project GreenShores, Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park, and Wayside Park and Pensacola Visitor Information Center.

The fact is, birds are everywhere, especially in Spring! And once migratory birds begin moving inland, you can find them anywhere you find good mature oak trees, water, and fruiting or flowering trees.

So, get outside and enjoy the birds!

Brenda Callaway

Author

Brenda Callaway

Director, The F.M. Weston Audubon Society

Brenda Callaway is a lifelong Pensacola resident who has always enjoyed Pensacola’s beautiful outdoors. While she and her husband Jerry have enjoyed birdwatching for many years, their passion for birds really took flight after they spotted a rare Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher at Fort Pickens during a walk in 2010. Seeing avid birders travel from all over the country to add this special bird to their life-list, and the encouragement the Callaways received from members of the local birding club, F. M. Weston Audubon, hooked Brenda and Jerry on birds and birding in a way they never imagined possible. When they are not volunteering for Audubon, or traveling for birds, you can find them birding at Fort Pickens or on the campus of UWF. However, their favorite place is at their home, where they have turned their one-acre lot into a bird haven, full of native plants, a waterfall, and well supplied feeding stations. When she slows down enough to post them, you can find Brenda's photos on Instagram @GreenJPhotography.

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