We have a small amount of time that will put us in the Everglades right after Thanksgiving (into Tampa - out of Ft. Lauderdale) and we will have about 1.5 days in the Everglades. Will have family (older teens) traveling with me, and of course want the best of all possible worlds. Where would you go in and spend your time to both see and photograph what comes along? This is more of a vacation, where I hope to get a few good photographs out of.
If you are willing and able, you can go out on a boat where the captain can take you to areas where birds are waiting to be photographed. By then, the white pelicans would be a primary target. Here is a link: http://www.facebook.com/evergladesareatours. I recommend them, the captains are not photographers, but they know where to take them.