ammospiza maritima
St. Augustine, Florida – Dr. Robert Hayling Freedom Park
Saturday, March 29, 2025 – 8:18 am
For some reason, in my mind this bird became the make-or-break species when I evaluated the success or failure of my trip to Florida. In fact, based on the advice of an Arkansas birder, I rerouted my planned itinerary to include Jekyll Island, in Georgia, specifically to see a Seaside Sparrow. I made a few efforts to find one along the causeway to the island, but when a local birder told me I had little chance unless the tide was very high – which it wasn’t during my visit – I was out of luck.
Several had been seen at the various parks along the coast northeast of Jacksonville, and I tried all those spots where one had been seen in the past month with no luck. There was even one supposedly found on Tuesday at a park I was at. I went back on Wednesday morning to try to find it, but struck out.
On to Orlando, and I figured I’d missed Seaside Sparrow. But on the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, I met a friendly local birder who was willing and eager to help me find anything I needed. When I mentioned my failure to find a Seaside Sparrow, he mentioned a little park between the Matanzas and San Sebastian Rivers where they were almost a sure thing if I timed my visit with high tide. St. Augustine was behind me, tripwise, and it meant retracing my steps, but I hardly hesitated.
On Saturday morning, I got up early to be at the park by 9:11, when the tide reached its high point. In fact, I got there almost an hour early. The park was basically a parking lot and a short loop trail around a scrubby peninsula, but on three sides it bordered a salt marsh.
I started walking along the west side, knowing that it wasn’t yet the magical time, but looking and listening anyway. When I got over to the east side, I almost immediately heard one singing. I walked to where the grass ended and a three-foot wide border of rocks began. Beyond the rocks was marsh.
Within half a minute, I spotted a Seaside Sparrow, and during the half hour I remained at that spot, I saw and heard several others. They came and went, so I don’t actually know how many I saw. I estimated four, but it could have been eight or it could have been one very active one. At one point, one perched within the grasses and sang in plain view.
It’s a large, dark gray sparrow with rufous wings, a yellow eye-stripe, a white throat, and a huge bill (for a sparrow). My trip was saved.
