Last week I took advantage of a day off to drive to Oscar Scherer State Park. The slightly cooler weather down here is enticing me to explore more inland places, away from the water. I had two goals for my visit, take advantage of the state park pass discount sale and see my first Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens).

I accomplished the first but unfortunately, dipped on the second. There were plenty of other attractions for me to focus my lens on but I didn’t see a single Florida Scrub Jay (though I thought I heard one calling).

While the bird is endemic to the state it only resides in a habitat known as Scrubby Flatwoods. Sadly, this dry, interior landscape is rapidly disappearing due to development. Thankfully, the park protects roughly 1400-acres of their preferred landscape.

There is a movement to establish more protection for this species, including an effort to name it as the state bird. Currently, that spot is held by the chatty and prevalent Northern Mockingbird. While I love mockingbirds, they already represent other states and the Florida Scrub Jay is unique to the Sunshine State.

It may be a symbolic change but it could help drive conservation of the species. After all, nobody would want to admit that they allowed the extirpation of one of their state symbols!

In the meantime, I’ll keep looking for the handsome bird.