Trip Report:

"With cloudy, rainy weather in the forecast, six of us decided to walk the trail at Vaill Point. Julie Vaill Gatlin, whose family donated this beautiful property, joined us and explained various details in the planning stages for the park.

Our group had opportunities to work on bird calls and behaviors during this trip and hopefully we all took home some new birding tips. We arrived at the dock and were able to see the bald eagle hunkered down in her nest, but were not at a good vantage point for scoping the bird. All in all, it was a pleasant day with a very nice group.

After the trip, two of us went to the St Augustine Beach Pier and observed the brown booby that has been reported to have been there since late summer (original call received about this bird was from Veronica Peterson). We also watched northern gannets and an assortment of terns.".....Diane Reed, February 2nd, 2008
 

Leader: Diane Reed
Date: January 26, 2008
Time: 0800AM - 1200PM
Meeting Place: Vaill Point Park (no fee)
What to Bring: Beverage, lunch (if desired), snacks, insect spray, binoculars, etc. Dress accordingly for the weather and walking conditions.
Directions: Take US-1 south from St. Augustine to the Moultrie Creek bridge; take the left lane turn on to Vaill Point Road.  Follow the road all the way to the end, the park will be on your left. The park is on the east side of US-1 so if you are heading south it will be on your left, and if heading north, it will be on your right.  The left turn lane is located slightly north of the Tropical Rattan store.

Refer to Oct, 28, 2006 field trip for details of our previous visit to this great park.  

This is our 'we're liable to see anything' field trip.  We will walk the trails, visit the boat dock, enjoy the scenic overlook.  Birds seen there include woodpeckers, wrens, over-wintering warblers, and the typical songbirds. The wading birds (egrets & herons) and ducks can be viewed from the boat dock. We'll check out the eagle nest from Moultrie Bluff, just across from Vaill Point.

This area contains a listing of the species seen or heard on the trip.