Many small islands formed by the spoils from digging the canal surround
the bay. The Oyster catcher Trail is made up of the spoil islands extending
out in the Gulf for ten miles. Our tour includes the bay area and a
trip out to island number four.
Oystercatchers, willets, all the wading birds, shore birds, bald eagles,
brown pelicans, black skimmers, roseate spoonbills, and many other
species are present. Porpoises and many varieties of fi sh can be seen
in the shallow waters of the bay. The beauty of the bay and the islands
especially at sunset must be experienced.
On the return to the boat dock, we will
drive back out to the bay on
the
Withlacoochee Bay Trail to observe
the bay from the lookout at the end of
the trail again.
Next, we will drive over to Lake Rousseau
where we will board another boat and tour
the lake to watch thousands
of cattle egrets
nesting and roosting on the islands in the lake.
Ospreys are flying overhead, bald eagles can be seen, and anhinga and
cormorants are
spreading their wings to dry. All the wading birds are present including
great blue herons, little blues, great egrets, and snowy egrets. The
beauty and peacefulness of the lake begins to relax us. It makes us
forget the world around us, but we must move on in our journey in the
real Citrus County.
Back at the boat landing, we cross the dam to our third trail, the
Inglis Island Trail. The island divides Lake Rousseau and the barge
canal. The trail takes us through wooded hardwood campgrounds, along
the lake, and turns north through a cypress swamp. In the spring, warblers
abound as well as vireos, tanagers, orioles, and Carolina wrens. A
walk out to the point where Lake Rousseau and the canal begins gives
us a good view of large alligators and beautiful views of the lake.
This is a trail not to be missed.
Now in keeping with our theme, we head down to the Homosassa Tract
in the Withlacoochee State Forest to Rook’s Trail, a trail
that could be called the Tranquility Trial for its isolation, a trail
through complete wilderness. It is two miles from U.S. 19 on Burnt
Bridge Road. We have the possibility of seeing a bear. But more important,
the beauty, peacefulness, and isolation soon overwhelm us. There is
no sound of civilization, only the sound of birds and the wind in the
peacefulness of nature. The trail is a loop starting from the parking
lot and returning to the parking lot. It takes us through a hardwood
swamp, pine forest, mesic fl at woods, and grass land. Once a person
walks this trail, he will want to return.
Next we move down to the boat ramp at the headwaters of the Chassahowitzka
River, one of Florida’s designated Scenic Rivers,
for a ride out to Dog Island in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife
Refuge. For four miles on the river, we pass along another scenic wonderland,
watching for river otters, alligators, turtles, manatee, porpoise,
wading birds, eagles, and osprey. The only signs of human life are
the few grandfathered cottages along the river.
When we come back to the boat dock, we head for the center of Citrus
County and the Brooksville Sand Hill Ridge for our next trail in the
Citrus Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest to look for the red
cockaded woodpecker, an endangered species. More important, the beauty
of the Citrus Tract should not be missed for the sheer size of the
forest with its stand of long leaf pines and oaks. The Citrus Tract
is approximately ten miles long by fi ve miles wide and is an easy
drive on well-maintained sand roads. It holds the largest collection
in thepeninsular of red-cockaded woodpeckers with 48 clusters throughout
the forest.
After we have visited the Citrus Tract, we will continue north to Two
Mile Prairie and the Johnson Pond Trail on County Road 39 between State
Road 200 and U. S. 41. This is a 1.8-mile loop trail (include sentence
about the history).
Johnson Pond has an observation deck to look over the pond for limpkins,
wading birds, purple gallinules, hawks, and shore birds. Like the other
trail we visited, we will again feel alone in the wilderness at Johnson
Pond.
Moving right along, we drop down to Potts Preserve and the Withlacoochee
River Trail for a beautiful walk along the river watching for pileated
woodpeckers and other woodpeckers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, titmice,
tanagers, and waders. This trail is an easy walk along the river in
hardwood forest and cypress swamp.
Finally, we will wrap up our wilderness journey through Citrus County
at Flying Eagle Preserve Loop Trail, located in the Tsala-Apopka Lakes
of Moccasin Slew Road, south of Inverness. On the walk across Moccasin
Slew in hardwood forest, we may see an alligator. Good birding starts
right in the parking lot. As we continue across the bridge to the sign
for Loop Road, we will pass through open prairie and back along fresh
water marsh and wooded areas. After we have
enjoyed the sensory experiences along the trail, we must double back
to the parking lot.
It’s an experience you won’t want to miss.
