Honeymoon Island

2 Chicas and the Osprey Honeymoon

January in Florida is pretty special. While most of the country is shivering in cold artic temperatures, we are basking in 60-70 degree beauty!  So 2 Chicas are off and running with the kids to Honeymoon Island. Before we can get a few miles down the road, Chica 2 is screaming she's hungry.  Lawd! Honeymoon Island is named for the cottages that were on the property back in the 30s and were used almost exclusively by honeymooners. The quaint little thatched spaces were right on the beach and provided room for only two– how romantic! The first stop on the island is the Nature Center, especially if you want to know what to expect on the island. It has a variety of displays, the history of the island, why it is called Honeymoon Island, shells, artifacts, snake skins, raccoons, gopher turtle burrows, etc. After leaving the center, we decided to take a hike to get to know the residents. As we skipped down the Osprey trail, we realized the real stars of the island are the birds! Everywhere you look there are osprey nests and ospreys flying high in the sky. They are also sitting in the trees looking down on the forest floor letting all know you are there. Chica 1 kept saying look over there; look up here; what bird is that?  Woodpeckers, Forsters Tern, Ground Doves and God’s precious sparrows are cohabitating with the osprey. The kids really enjoyed looking at the animal tracks and trying to guess what kind of animal made the marking. Chica 1 was in love with the ospreys.  Chica 2 was worried that Chica 1 would try to scale a tree and climb into one of the huge nests. She imagined Chica 1 slapping the female osprey in some comical soap opera scene. Move over honey, there's a new queen moving in and Chica 1  is her name! A large osprey flew right over us and perched in a tree with his half eaten lunch. Chica 1 felt he was bringing her a token of his affection.  Snap out of it Chica 1, it's just a bird. The osprey too seemed to realize this fleeting moment was over and flew away with his trusty fish clasped beneath him. The 2 Chicas hoped to see a horned owl, but no luck  Maybe next time... The water was too choppy to really hang out on the beach today, but don’t miss out on the beach fun on less windy days.   This is a beautiful piece of real estate.  Get out the house and enjoy the beauty of the world around you!  Maybe you will see 2 Chicas peering down from a nest somewhere in your neck of the woods!