Birding Opportunities

Throughout Walton County, a sharp eye can catch a glimpse of red cockaded woodpeckers, brown pelicans, snowy egrets and bald eagles. And in the spring and fall, visitors are shown a performance of precision and poetry as hundreds of migrating birds descend on the county joining in a spectacular display of color and song.

Among the quartz crystal beaches and whispering sea oats, bird watchers have found Walton County to be one of the most beautiful areas for birding. And with more than 40 percent of South Walton County environmentally protected, some of the nations most endangered species call this area home.

Great Florida Birding Trail

Throughout the state, visitors will encounter the Great Florida Birding Trail. Established by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and supported in part by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Wildlife Foundation of Florida, this 2,000-mile trail unifies new and existing birding sites throughout the state. In Walton County, four state parks and forests are included in the Great Florida Birding Trail.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

This beachfront state park offers many inland trails through coastal scrub and past freshwater lakes. Morris Lake Trail and Campbell Lake Trail provide visitors a look at several species of birds including: eastern bluebirds, eastern king birds, red-headed woodpeckers and brown-headed nuthatches. Along the beachfront, gulls, terns and royals can be found.

Grayton Beach State Park

This park is one of the more popular for bird watching. Trails through the pine flatwoods and around small freshwater ponds, are good sights for wading birds, brown-headed nuthatches, pied-billed grebes and others. Along the beachfront, plovers, terns and gulls are often spotted.

Point Washington State Forest

This state forest offers several hiking loops through longleaf pine flatwoods, coastal scrub and sand hills. Bachman’s sparrows are very likely to be heard singing in spring nestled in wiregrass and palmetto. Songbirds can be heard and red-shouldered hawks can make brief appearances along the eastern boundary of the three-mile loop.

H.A. Laird Park

This small wayside park has a boardwalk along Four-mile Creek lined with hardwoods. The area is well worth checking out during the spring and fall migrations for songbirds such as waterthrushes and hooded warblers. The park is located just west of Freeport on Hwy. 20.