Crescent Lake Park

Crescent Lake Park

Crescent Lake is a 22 acre lake which is 40 feet deep. It is part of the Tampa Bay Estuary, and empties into Coffeepot Bayou near 22 Avenue North. Volunteers of Friends of Crescent Lake have been working with grants from Tampa Bay Estuary Program to create wetland habitats of native plants at the north and south ends of the lake. It is one of the few lakes in the city of St. Petersburg where wetland areas have been permitted to establish and provide habitat for many species, including many wading birds.

Birding at Crescent Lake Park is getting better all the time, and is a great place to see diversity in a single stop. With the increasing size of the wetland areas new bird species have been found nesting and feeding each year. Recently, at least two Limpkin pairs have successfully nested and raised their young. Some of the species you are likely to see include Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Green Heron, Little Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown Pelican, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Anhinga, Common Gallinule, Black Skimmer (early morning), Black-crowned Night-Heron, American Coot (winter), White Ibis, and on rare occasions Roseate Spoonbill.

The winter season list includes American White Pelican (occasional), Wood Stork, Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged Teal and Ring-billed Gull. Eastern Phoebes can be seen perched on top of young bald cypress trees growing along the shoreline.

This review courtesy of Lucy T., Organizational Chair, Friends of Crescent Lake (08/2017)