Florida Birds (four sections below)
The Venice Area Audubon Rookery (near Venice, FL) is an amazing heron rookery and a mecca for photographers. Dense vegetation on a small island in a pond is the home to dozens (hundreds?) of herons, egrets, anhingas, cormorants and more. There are alligators in the pond which discourage predators from getting to the island. Photographers and bird watchers line up around the edge of the pond jockeying for the best spot to get photographs.
[Click an image to see larger in a slide show. Video at the bottom of the page.]
[Click an image to see larger in a slide show. Video at the bottom of the page.]
The Celery Fields ponds near Sarasota, FL is another interesting wildlife area. All these were taken from one observation platform over one of the ponds. Things were changing every few minutes as birds would come and go. Note the alligator in the pond also,
[Click an image to see larger in a slide show]
[Click an image to see larger in a slide show]
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, FL
We spent a short time, only a few hours driving through the refuge, but we saw a lot of birds. I'd like to spend more time there.
[Click an image to see larger in a slide show]
We spent a short time, only a few hours driving through the refuge, but we saw a lot of birds. I'd like to spend more time there.
[Click an image to see larger in a slide show]
More Florida Birds
[Click an image to see larger in a slide show]
[Click an image to see larger in a slide show]
A short video of the Venice Area Audubon Rookery: