There is a great park located near Sebring, FL called Highlands Hammock State Park. The topography of the park is like a lot of areas across Florida with a very diversified landscape. At the far back of the park is a flooded swamp with a large tree canopy. It has a jungle feel. In the middle area of the park, the terrain transitions to an upland forest with huge live oak trees. There is a very nice campground and recreation area here along with several walking trails.
Our favorite place in the park is called the primitive area. It is a large open area dotted with tall pines and scrub oak brush. There is a dirt road that winds through so we can drive and watch and listen. That’s a nice feature in the summer with temperatures in the mid-90s.
Although summer isn’t the best time to visit the park, there are certain bird species that are present in larger numbers. Those would include red-headed woodpeckers, Northern flickers, Florida scrub jays, Eastern towhees, bobwhite quail, and great-horned owls. On this day, we saw or heard 37 different species along with several whitetail deer. Our best photo opportunity was with a male great-horned owl who posed for us for several minutes.
The drive over to Highlands Hammock takes us through mostly agricultural and pastureland. There are many fields of crops like citrus, tomatoes, and blueberries along with plenty of cattle. These areas also offer chances to see crested caracaras, bald eagles, wild turkeys, and lots of egrets, herons, and sandhill cranes. There is a citrus grove just a few miles from the park that is home to a family of crested caracaras. We usually see one of the family members every time we go to the park. This day was no different as one of the adults stood watch on top of an orange tree for a few minutes.
For more information about Highlands Hammock State Park, check out the link below.
