Fort Myers, Florida, 2020

Last month, I put on my snowbird training wheels for the second time and flew to Fort Myers, Florida, to visit my snowbird parents and to, of course, bird. This year’s trip doesn’t necessarily top last year’s trip because last year’s trip resulted in a waterfall of lifers. This year’s trip did involve the following:

• Visiting some of my favourite birding spots
• Visiting some new birding spots
• Complaining about the humidity
• Enjoying the ubiquitous serenade of the Northern Mockingbird
• Joining the Caloosa Bird Club on a visit to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
• Joining the local Audubon chapter on a visit to Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve
• Seeing five lifers: Limpkin, Mottled Duck, Magnificent Frigatebird, Monk Parakeet, and Crested Caracara
• Spending time with my incredible family, including my nephew

What follows are out-of-order photos of my trip, followed by a link to some birding videos.

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Caloosahatchee River, North Fort Myers, Florida, February 2020.

Boat-tailed Grackle, Cape Coral, Florida, February 2020.

Full Moon, February 9, 2020. North Fort Myers, Florida.

Green Heron, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

Yellow-throated Warbler, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

Reddish Egret, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

Snowy Egret (background) and a White Ibis (foreground), Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

Spotted Sandpiper, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

Little Blue Heron, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

Prairie Warbler, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

Anhinga, Lake County Park, Florida, February 2020.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Lakes Park, Florida, February 2020.

Limpkin, Harns Marsh, Florida, February 2020.

White Ibis, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Laughing Gull, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Little Blue Heron, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Willet, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Laughing Gull, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Magnificent Frigatebird, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Ruddy Turnstones, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Florida, February 2020.

Yellow-crowed Night-heron, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

Blue-winged Teals and American Coots, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, February 2020.

North Fort Myers overlooking the Callosahatchie River, Florida, February 2020.

Kayaking at Marsh Point, North Fort Myers, Florida, February 2020.

Kayaking in the mangroves at Marsh Point, North Fort Myers, Florida, February 2020.

For Florida 2020 birding videos, including one with the Reddish Egret’s serious dance moves, visit my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/lburfitt/videos?view_as=subscriber

Fort Myers, Florida, March 7–15, 2019 (Part 2 of 4)

And we’re back!

Before my trip, I did a literature review of the area, searching Florida birding websites, eBird, etc. I started a list of target birds and target areas near Fort Myers and also purchased A Birder’s Guide to Florida from the Book Bin in Salem*. The book was basically written for birders from (or travelling to) Florida and who want to know exactly where to go to bird. It’s a great book.

While reading this book, searching online, and dreaming of Painted Buntings and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, I happened upon a Fort Myers–area birding club, the Caloosa Bird Club. Formed in 1958 as a mostly seasonal club for birding “snowbirds” (aka future Linda), the club hosts field trips in the Fort Myers area in the winter, and they were holding a field trip to the Corkscrew Swamp during my stay in Florida. I quickly signed up a guest.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

On fieldtrip day, Monday, March 11, I left Fort Myers before sunrise and drove down to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, arrived just after sunrise, found a parking spot, and met with at least 20 other birders and our Audubon tour guide.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

The sanctuary is owned by the National Audubon Society. From their website,

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary occupies approximately 13,000 acres in the heart of the Corkscrew Watershed in Southwest Florida, part of the Western Everglades. It is primarily composed of wetlands. These include the largest remaining virgin bald cypress forest in the world (approximately 700 acres), which is the site of the largest nesting colony of Federally Endangered Wood Storks in the nation. (Audubon 2019)

This place is an oasis. We birded all morning along the boardwalk trail that travels through cypress swamps, pine flatwoods, and wet prairies. The birding club members were also very gracious; because I was an out-of-state guest, they did their best to make sure I saw nearly every bird. At first, before they remembered my name, I’d hear “Where’s the guest?!” “We’ve got the bittern!” They also have club hats and nametags that they wear. Of course I wanted both.   

In all, the group collectively saw 61 species that morning! Highlights or lifers for me were Painted Bunting, Summer Tanager (the trip bird!), Anhinga, Indigo Bunting, White-eyed Vireo, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Tufted Titmouse.

Ok, time for photos—some good, and some for the sake of simply seeing a particular bird. Enjoy!

Slash pine habitat; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Brown-Headed Nuthatch; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Caloosa Birding Club; slash pine habitat; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Pileated Woodpecker; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Indigo Bunting; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

American Bittern; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Giant bald cypress; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Giant bald cypress; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Giant bald cypress; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Purple Gallinule; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Anhinga; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Mama alligator; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Baby alligators; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Purple Gallinule; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Anhingas; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

New Florida friends and a alligator; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Caloosa Birding Club; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Green Heron; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Florida cottonmouth; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Barred Owl; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; Collier County, Florida; March 11, 2019.

I love that this trip to Florida included not only new birds, but also new birding friends/contacts. I can’t wait to bird with this group again next year. 

My eBird checklist from the fieldtrip is here. 

Literature Cited

National Audubon Society. 2019. The Sanctuary. Available at: http://corkscrew.audubon.org/about/sanctuary.

Footnotes

* The Book Bin in Salem has become a sort of book-version of the Room of Requirements for me. If I have a book in mind (or really a topic I hope is covered in a book), I simply need to walk in there with intent, and within 15 minutes in the store, I find the exact book I need. I don’t even need a wand for this (even though I have one). This Florida birding book is one example, but another time, I went in looking for a book on telemark skiing, and they had such a book.