A great Place to photograph Bald Eagles

Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area is located about 25 miles south of St. Cloud, Florida on Canoe Creek Road. The birds that may be seen on the main road include Bald Eagles, Crested Caracara, Red Cockaded Woodpeckers, Sandhill Cranes, plus the usual south Florida water birds.

A good place to start your bird photography is a visit to Brinson Park on Lake Tohopekaliga. [Known locally as lake Toho.] Brinson Park is located on Neptune Road [County Road 525] in Kissimmee, Florida. On a recent trip, we spotted a Bald Eagle in flight over the lake as soon as we got out of the car. We also photographed Woodstorks, Snowy and Great Egrets, Anhinga, Double Crested Cormorants, Moorhens, Great Blue and Little Blue Herons, and more.

If you continue East on Neptune Road you will come to Canoe Creek Road [County Road 523]. Turn south [right]. In a short time you will leave the city behind. At this point, watch for Eagles, Caracara and whooping cranes. Caracaras and Bald eagles are very likely to be seen either perched in trees or in flight.

Just before arriving at the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, you will come to Joe Overstreet Road. This road cuts off to the right [west]. This road leads to a boat ramp on Lake Kissimmee. You may as we did see Whooping Cranes feeding in pastures. We also saw Bald Eagles. The area here is private, so take your photographs from the road right of way. At the end of the road is a boat ramp, tackle shop and air boat tours.

After returning to Canoe Creek Road continue south [right] to the Three Lakes WMA. There is an entrance fee of $3 per person [max $6 per vehicle]. The area on both sides of the road contain Red Cockaded Woodpeckers. Nest trees are marked with white paint.

Road 16 in the WMA is a good road for birding. Not long after leaving the main road take the side road to the boat ramp. This will take you to Lake Jackson. On our recent visit, three Bald Eagles circled the boat ramp for 15 or more minutes. If you get to the ramp before the fisherman arrive, you may find Limpkins.

Return to road 16 and take it to the end. Along the way you will pass over some canals where wading birds are common. At the end of the road is the Jackson-Kissimmee Canal. We saw Bald Eagles here along with the common water birds. Road 10 goes through an area noted for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows.

Return to Canoe Creek Road. Here you can go left and travel back to St. Cloud or turn right and continue to US 441. If you go south [right] on 441, you can access at Kissimmee Prarie. [From 441 take County Road 68 to US 98.] Bald Eagles and Caracara are commonly seen on 441 in this area. You may also see Snail Kites and Turkeys.