Maritime Hammock Preserve

The Maritime Hammock Preserve was purchased in 2003 purchased by the City of Cocoa Beach in partnership with the State’s Florida Communities Trust program for
conservation and stormwater management. Conservation efforts include native
plant community restoration, invasive plant eradication, and passive recreation,
such as nature trails, an observation deck, picnic areas, and a future fitness
trail.
Right on A1A, tucked between the Denny’s and Bank it is easy to overlook and drive past. A sad mistake on your behalf. This short third of a mile of this primarily
sand trail is a great short escape. There is both an open field and a partially shaded area from a few large live oaks, palms, gumbo limbo, and native mulberry.
The park includes a 1-acre stormwater pond that has been constructed to provide storm runoff treatment for the neighboring 128 acres of commercial and
multi-residential areas. The tiki-covered pavilion over the water provides a nice break or lunch spot. Keep an eye in the pond for the local tarpon too!
Please no fishing in the pond or biking on trails. Please take all trash home or use park receptacles. Please be aware of and respect the park’s neighboring residential
homes.
Location:
1225 North Atlantic Ave.
Cocoa Beach
Length: 0.3 miles loop with some side trails
Type: sand
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Bug factor: moderate
Restroom: No facilities.
Amenities: sauntering, frisbee, dog-walking, picnicking, exercise/fitness trail,
photography, plant identification, and bird watching.
Photo Credit and Author: Bobby Putnam – IOF Director and Brevard County Lead Educator
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Tri-colored heron

Tri-colored Heron (Egretta tricolor) is a sleek and slender bird with a daggerlike bill. They have a long thin neck that curves up to their small head. The Tri-colored heron is a medium size bird that measures up to 23.6-27.6 inches with a wingspan of 37.4 inches and weighs about 14.6 oz. It is a colorful bird with a mixture of blue-gray, lavender, and white. Unlike other dark herons, they have a white belly.
On the Atlantic coast, they will migrate south, whereas on the gulf coast, they remain year-round, though some may migrate further south. Tri-colored Herons can be found in coastal areas and freshwater marshes, lake edges, canals, and ditches during the non-breeding seasons. During breeding seasons, they will use coastal estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves, and lagoons, though they typically breed on islands with small trees or shrubs. Breeding birds have small white plumes extending from the back of the head, a bright blue patch of skin around the bill, and pink legs. Nonbreeding birds lack the colors of breeding birds and have yellow legs. Juveniles have rusty necks and rusty-edged feathers.
These birds forage for small fish, such as topminnows and killifishes, in open or semi-open brackish wetlands. To capture these small fish, they will stalk, chase, and stand and wait. Unlike other heron species, the Tri-colored Heron foraging style is much more active as they will chase after fish with wings flapping. They usually forage alone or at the edge of flocks of wading birds. Despite being solitary foragers, they do nest in colonies, often with other herons and egrets.
Males are aggressive if others come close to their nest site, though females can enter during courtship. Once paired, they formed a monogamous bond for the breeding season and perhaps longer. Males collect twigs for the female, who will rearrange them for the best, making it a bulkier platform. There will typically be about 3-5 eggs in a clutch though only one young typically hatch. Eggs are pale greenish blue. The incubation period is about 21-24 days. Young can leave the nest after 17-21 days after hatching.
Tri-colored Herons are common with a stable population from 1966 to 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, though the status of this species differs by state and region. In the central Everglades in Florida, the number of breeding pairs decreased by 75% from 1996 to 2002 and 2007 to 2010, listing the Tricolored Heron as a state threatened by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Reduced freshwater flows in the Everglades are likely responsible for population declines there. In other areas, habitat loss may be contributing to declines but increases in aquaculture farming along the coast can also place Tricolored Herons at greater risk of being shot or falling victim to bird repelling techniques. Still, in other areas, increases in artificial wetland habitat through dredging may benefit Tricolored Herons by providing additional nesting locations.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon, Andy Waldo
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
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Wood Duck

Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) are unique among ducks. They are boxy, with a crested head, a thin neck, and a long broad tail. They measure 18.5-21.3 inches with a wingspan of 26.0-28.7 inches and weigh 16.0-30.4 oz. In good light, males have a glossy green head that can appear iridescence with white stripes cut along the head. The breast is chestnut, and the sides are buffy. In low lights, males appear dark overall with paler sides. Females are gray-brown with white-speckled breasts. Juveniles are very similar to females. Wood Ducks have an extensive range and are found in most of the United States. Florida populations stay year-round.
Wood Ducks thrive in ponds, swamps, marshes, and lakes. Their diet consists of seeds, fruits, insects, and other arthropods. When aquatic foods are unavailable, they may travel to dry land to eat acorns and other nuts. To feed, they will take short, shallow dives. Wood Ducks are not territorial; however, a male may fight off other males approaching his mate. A mating pair may preen each other. Egg-dumping, or “intraspecific brood parasitism,” is common in Wood Ducks; females will visit other Wood Duck nesting sites to lay eggs and leave them to be raised by another female. Individuals will typically lay 10-11 eggs per clutch, but with the result of egg-dumping, some nests can have as many as 30 eggs! Even so, only 1-2 will hatch. The incubation period is 28-37 days. The eggs vary from creamy white to tan. Chicks hatch alert with a full coat of down. A day after hatching, they’ll leave the nest by jumping. The Wood Duck population has increased and is stable, making them a low conservation concern.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
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Campbell Park

Campbell Park is named after Captain William H. Campbell, a member of one of Deltona’s founding families and a casualty in the Vietnam War. It was established more than 30 years ago and was renovated in 2008. Campbell Park has 14 acres and is located along McGarity Lake in Deltona.
There is a playground for young children. People of all ages will enjoy the day as you sit among the multiple benches in the park. The park has a basketball and tennis court for those that play these sports. Dog owners appreciate the small walking trail around the park. It can be a new unexplored place for your companion!
Walk on top of the floating dock which is connected to two piers, to enjoy the scenic view of the lake. For a more enhanced view of the lake, walk along the boardwalk to the two-story observation deck for an overlooking view of the lake. This park is excellent

for those that want to enjoy a relaxing day!
For more information, you can click on https://www.deltonafl.gov/parks…/slideshows/campbell-park.
Author and Photo Credit: Destiny Alvarez, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences – Oregon University

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Willet

Willets (Tringa semipalmata) are large, stocky shore birds with long legs and thick, straight bills considerably longer than their head. Their wings are broader and rounder than many other shorebirds, and the tail is short and squared off at the base. Willets measure 13.0-16.1 inches with a wingspan of 27.6 inches and weigh about 7.0-11.6 oz. Willets are gray or brown in color. During flight, they display a striking white and black stripe along each wing. Their colors in summer are mottled gray, brown, and black; in winter, they are much plainer gray. They are nocturnal migrants, only living in the coastal Florida areas during the winter nonbreeding season.
The Willet’s widespread wintering range makes them one of the easiest shorebirds to spot. They inhabit open beaches, bay shores, marshes, mudflats, and rocky coastal zones. In winter, Willets eat small crabs, worms, clams, and other invertebrates from saltwater marshes and along open coastlines. Willets can feed during the night and day, grabbing their prey from the surface using their sensitive bill tip.
Although Willets are common in some areas, they declined between 1966 and 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. The 2014 State of the Birds Watch List has listed this species as a risk of becoming threatened or endangered without conservation action. Both adults and fledglings are also vulnerable to collisions with power lines built through wetland breeding sites. During the 19th century, Willets were widely hunted for food. It took the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918 to begin the Willet’s comeback to its present numbers.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie, Dan Kon
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
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Bird Island Trail

Bird Island Trail in Grant-Valkaria Community Park
Bird Island Trail is located within the Grant-Valkaria Community Park. This shaded 39.45-acre community park is also home to the Town Hall. The trail is a one-mile loop that includes large oaks and pines. A short walk to the peak of “Putter Mountain” provides a nice place to sit and enjoy the view over Bird Island Lake. There are two lakes on this trail. The first, with its two islands, is set aside for conservation. The second permits catch-and-release fishing.
On your walk back, you take a nice shady jaunt through the dense pine forest. Have a rest under the shade of a giant vine-laden ancient live oak. One of the coolest things about this park is that the playground is completely shaded.
Location: Grant-Valkaria
1449 Valkaria Road,
Grant-Valkaria, FL 32950.
Length: 1-mile loop
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Bug factor: moderate
Restroom: Yes.
Amenities: Large pavilion, Picnic tables, hiking, dog walking, fishing, bird watching, and a shaded
playground connected by a concrete walkway.
Author and Photo Credit: Bobby Putnam
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Pine Warbler

Pine Warblers (Setophaga pinus) are common in eastern pine forests. These long-tailed warblers are hefty with a stout bill. They are small, measuring about 5.1-5.5 inches with a wingspan of 7.5-9.1 inches, and they weigh about 0.3-0.5 oz. The Pine Warbler is yellowish with an olive back, a whiteish belly, and two prominent white wing bars on gray wings. Adult males are brighter than females; females and immatures are more subdued in color and can even appear gray-brown. Pine Warble can be difficult to see as they perch high in pines. Compared to other warblers, this species is not heavily patterned.
Pine Warblers are well-named as they spend most of their time in pine trees. Pine Warblers live in pine or mixed pine-deciduous forests in the eastern United States. Northern populations migrate to the southeastern United States during winter. Individuals that breed in the southeast typically stay there year-round.
Insects make up most of their diet, which mainly consists of caterpillars and other arthropods, including beetles, grasshoppers, bugs, ants, bees, flies, cockroach eggs, and spiders. However, in colder months, they will eat fruits and seeds, notably pine seeds. While foraging, they will hop along branches as they pick food from bark and needles. Pine Warblers can also feed on the ground and catch insects in the air.
Males are aggressive in the early breeding season; they chase other birds and indicate aggression by gliding or flying with stiff wingbeats around their opponent. Sometimes during a fight, they fly toward each other and lock bills in the air. In winter Pine Warblers will forage in mixed-species flocks. In late winter or spring, males will establish breeding territories by singing persistently and chasing intruders.
Nests are almost always built in pine trees, usually high in the tree and concealed among needles and cones. The female will gather most of the nest material and bind the nest with sider or caterpillar silk. The female can begin laying eggs in 14 days once the nest is finished. The male will often escort the female as she gathers nest materials and occasionally will help build. There are 3-5 eggs in a clutch, with only 1-2 young hatching. The incubation period is 10-13 days, and it takes about 10 days before the offspring can leave the nest. Eggs are white, grayish, or greenish-white with brown speckles. The offspring are undeveloped and downy. Parents will perform the broken wing display to lure predators away from the nests. After the young fledge, the warblers will move around in family groups.
Pine Warbler populations are steadily increasing, indicating this species is a low conservation concern. Across much of their range, the pine forests have been altered or destroyed by logging, development, and fire suppression. However, over the last few decades, Pine Warblers have moved into deciduous forests where pines have been introduced.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie, Andy Waldo
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
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