Introduction

• Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island for a huge variety of birds
• The lighthouse at the other end of Sanibel Island, famous for its nesting osprey, also great for warblers during migration
• The St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St Augustine, FL, fabulous for nesting herons, egrets, spoonbills, and wood storks in March through May
• Jacksonville Beach in Jacksonville, FL for numerous shore birds
• The Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, FL for a wide variety of birds including painted buntings
• Anastasia Beach Park, a favorite of ours for many shore birds and nesting palm warblers
• Great Horned Owls at Washington Oaks Gardens
• Fort Mose Park, not only has a graphic story of slavery, but also (in the right season) has pileated woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, migrant warblers, and more
• The Venice Rookery, in Venice, FL, though in honesty we much prefer the St. Augustine Alligator Farm
• Burrowing owls in Cape Coral, FL
• Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Merritt Island,FL, for the endemic species scrub jays and other species
• The Viera Wetlands for all sorts of neat birds, including limpkin, glossy ibis, and crested caracara (in breeding season). Check the website directions carefully, as getting there is tricky (the last turn to enter can easily be mistaken).

• The birds are plentiful and varied in Florida
• We own a one-week springtime timeshare at Casa Ybel on Sanibel Island
• We own a 900-square-foot townhouse (our snowbird home) in St. Augustine, FL
• We have attended two Arthur Morris IPTs (instructional photo tours) in Florida.
• We have come to know many of the best birding spots over the years, including where to go, what month go, what time to go, and what weather is best

Maximize browser window if you don't see small images on the left.