When to visit Florida??

I am trying to get things together to visit Florida again this next spring. We can visit before March or after April 20th.

When is the best time for joining one of the group tours? For seeing bird courtship and nesting behavior? babies? wide variety of birds? egrets? ospreys? I know baby burrowing owls are in May. Is there anything else going on in May? Or is most activity over by then??

Is there something going on I am completely missing and should try to be there for??

We will probably be staying mostly at Anna Marie Island and two days at St. Augustine. But will drive to where the photos are. :D

Cheryl,

There is a LOT going on now. Spring should be very hot almost everywhere. If you have time visit S.W Florida.

Good luck!

What is happening and where in SW Florida?

De soto is full of birds right now, not to mention Frigate Birds are displaying. So much to photograph.... very little time to do it!!

Good luck!

DeSoto was my favorite spot from my first visit. That and the nearly tame birds at the boat docks at where we were staying. lol

If you plan to hit stuff in the far south like Everglades National Park then I would recommend the before March option...often lots of young anhingas and usually tons of egrets/herons. If you plan for more along the west coast of the state or central Florida near Orlando then I'd probably go for the late-April option. You'll also have the side benefit of seeing the returning neotropical migrants (warblers, tanagers, etc.)

Hello,

long time no see but we will be back in Miami - SW Florida starting from 12/7 until 12/17. We have not really planned much (we are currently being guests at a wedding in Cancun) but any tips for the Sanibel are and the Glades are gladly appreciated. We do have Art's SW-Guide but we never have been to Florida in December.

Peter

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Originally Posted by PeterGruener

Hello,

long time no see but we will be back in Miami - SW Florida starting from 12/7 until 12/17. We have not really planned much (we are currently being guests at a wedding in Cancun) but any tips for the Sanibel are and the Glades are gladly appreciated. We do have Art's SW-Guide but we never have been to Florida in December.

Peter

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Are you looking to do landscape work? avian? wildlife? Lot's to see between Key Largo -- Everglades --- Big Cypress -- Tamiami Trail -- Marco Island (good for burrowing owls) -- Estero Lagoon, Sanibel/Captiva (ding darling and blind pass);

How much time do you want to spend in each area?

Hello Michael,

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Originally Posted by Michael Pancier

Are you looking to do landscape work? avian? wildlife? Lot's to see between Key Largo -- Everglades --- Big Cypress -- Tamiami Trail -- Marco Island (good for burrowing owls) -- Estero Lagoon, Sanibel/Captiva (ding darling and blind pass);

How much time do you want to spend in each area?

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I am mainly interested in birds and other wildlife. Marco Island is good for burrowing owls? I did not know that. Are there any recommended places? We know the Estero Lagoon and Sanibel/Captiva as well as DeSoto/Venice. Some birds of prey (any other than osprey or bald eagle) would be a plus, too.
From what I have read so far is that the Everglades are still carrying plenty of water.

Thanks,

Peter

In Marco Island, there are nests all over the place...usually in empty lots, or at the library ... you have to drive around and look for the perches and yellow tape.

Tigertail Beach is good for osprey and skimmers and tern colonies. Some huge colonies out there.
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The glades is hit and miss. If you go off the beaten path, mainly on a kayak/flats boat you may be able to reach some spoonbill colonies out in the 10,000 Island areas; or out near Flamingo in ENP. But otherwise, you really have to search ENP for hawks and owls, and other interesting species. Flamingo has a lot of osprey nests and you can get decent action out there.

There's a public park in Broward County that has a lot of burrowing owls ... on the east coast (near fort lauderdale), but dunno if that's out of your way (same thing with Delray Beach has a lot of wetland areas/boardwalks and lots of bird species there as well)