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Description
The southern entrance of the park starts with a boardwalk with viewing stations leading through hardwood forest and swampy ponds. A trail from the other side of the parking lot leads through hardwoods and cypress-tupelo swamp to Bayou Castine. Year round birds include Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Brown-headed Nuthatch and Carolina Wren. Great Egret may be present in the ponds. Prothonotary Warbler, Northern Parula, Hooded Warbler and Summer Tanager may be present spring through fall.
Entering from the north end adds mixed pine-hardwood forests leading parallel to the bayou. There is a long-leaf pine savannah restoration project here as well. There is a weedy pipeline right of way next to the northern entrances that should be checked for species like Red-shouldered Hawk.
Details
Access
Northlake Nature Center is located just east of Mandeville on US 190/Florida Street. There are three entrances, one from US 190/Florida Street and two from inside Pelican Park. The entrances are not well marked and are easy to miss. The US 190 entrance is very close to the entrance to Pelican Park. If traveling west on US 190 the entance on US 190 is on the right just past the Pelican Park entrance.
Enter Pelican through a well-marked road on the north side of US 190. Inside the Grey Fields are to the left shortly after entering. The Silver Fields are in the north west end of the park. In both places look for the trails through the dense brushy boarder of the pipeline right of way. These lead to the North Loop Trail, one of the better birding spots in the center. Neither are marked well.
Parking is limited at the US 190 entrance but abundant in Pelican Park. There is no public transportation. Press a P on the map for directions to a parking.
Birding on foot is the best. Be aware that the trails are shared with bicycles. Birders usually allow between one and two hours for a visit.