Honeymoon Island

November 18th, 2015
86 degrees Fahrenheit
70% cloud coverage

Honeymoon has a long and rich history in Dunedin. I will leave you with baited breath to hear the full story when Alice and I present on this park, but we'll start with when Honeymoon came into developer's hands. In preparation to build condos, much of the forestry was cut down. Due to financial trouble and public backlash, the building project was halted indefinitely, thankfully. Honeymoon Island acts as an important stopping point for migrant species, as well as housing endangered species who nest there. One of the island's most esteemed guests is a pair of American Bald Eagles who have nested there for the past 8 years. Usually, they produce two hatchlings. Unfortunately, Florida's persistent warm weather lately has increased the likelihood of the baby birds developing fungal infections in their lungs, a condition which typically takes their life before park rangers can get to them to treat the infection.

Also in the area reside Great Horned Owls. Even the Bald Eagles don't mess with these guys, instead passively abandoning their old nests when the owls decide to take up residence in the already present nests. Their large and threatening stature has allowed them to adapt and save energy, stealing other bird's nests instead of using energy to build their own. Last year, there were 24 active nests of various species of  birds.

Honeymoon can be primarily characterized as beach and mesic flatwood ecosystems. Pines are abundant but spread out, easily overtaken in number by the sea grape and especially the cabbage palms. The thick groundcover and understory must be burned every 3-5 years to prevent an unplanned fire from wreaking havoc on the area. A prescribed burn on October 8th cleared parts of the Osprey Trail, removing dead material and leaving burn scars in its wake.
The main beach of Honeymoon Island was lined with limestone and sugar sand, which is now proving to be a substantial issue. Limestone and sugar sand are easily eroded, taking the park's primary tourist attraction. The sand bar off of Caladesi has been utilized to replenish the disappearing beach, as well as adding jetties. Due to these circumstances, the beach on another side of the island, next to the dog park, has been redesignated as the main beach area. In preparation for repairs, sections of the other beach have been closed down.