Edward Medard Conservation Park Field Trip Report

By Mary Keith, PhD, Tampa Audubon Society Conservation Chair and Audubon Florida Director

On May 17, five of us from TAS went out to check on the breeding bird colony at Edward Medard Conservation Park. It was a youngling filled day, with chicks of just about every species! There were immature and chicks of Great Blue Herons, Tricolored, Snowy, and Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Glossy and White Ibis, Black Vultures and more still in the nest! The Purple Gallinule that has been hanging out near the observation point put in an appearance too, beautifully purple and turquoise while it climbed around eating the alligator flag.

It is a super short walk to see the colony, so on the way back we detoured over to the point looking out over the dam and more of the open water. This was a good move, because there was a small flock of Semipalmated Plovers, with one, lone Solitary Sandpiper hanging out with them on the mudflats below the point! And of course, there were the usual woodpeckers (a pair of Pileated flew overhead) and a trio of Swallow-tailed Kites sailing gloriously overhead. Definitely worth the walk!