Birding in Florida: Will be in Florida in early March. Looking for some suggestions on good birding photography places. Flying into Orlando and will have a rental car so won't be...

Saleavitt10 Loc: Maine

Will be in Florida in early March. Looking for some suggestions on good birding photography places. Flying into Orlando and will have a rental car so won't be restricted to just Orlando. Thanks in advance!

mickeys Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

go near the everglades, then goto Disney :-D

crimesc324 Loc: West Palm Beach, Florida

Saleavitt10 wrote:

Will be in Florida in early March. Looking for some suggestions on good birding photography places. Flying into Orlando and will have a rental car so won't be restricted to just Orlando. Thanks in advance!

Gator land in Kississmee, Shark Valley in the Everglades, Myakka River State Park in Sarasota area, Merritt Island by Cape Canaveral, Fisheating Creek, Highlands Hammock near Sebring, Ding Darling on Sanibel Island to name a few are all great spots.

firtree Loc: Florida, USA

Best spot I have found to assure you will see birds is the Circle B Bar Ranch Nature Preserve. We have seen everything from Sandhill Cranes, to Glossy Ibis, to Black Bellied Whistling Ducks. You may have to Google directions from Orlando. Paynes Creek Nature Preserve may be closer but I have not been there yet. I've heard it is nice and has a lot of wildlife. You may want to Google "Great Florida Birding Trail" for more suggestions.

Add Loc: S.W.Florida

Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples,on toad between Naples and Clewiston.Has a two mile boardwalk through a mostly swamp,with good sightings.

GordonB. Loc: St. Petersburg, Fl.

firtree wrote:

Best spot I have found to assure you will see birds is the Circle B Bar Ranch Nature Preserve.

I agree that Circle B Bar Ranch is a great place for all kinds of wildlife including, of course, birds. It is located relatively close to Orlando also.

banjonut Loc: Southern Michigan

Saleavitt10 wrote:

Will be in Florida in early March. Looking for some suggestions on good birding photography places. Flying into Orlando and will have a rental car so won't be restricted to just Orlando. Thanks in advance!

Forget advice of visiting Disney. I've done it twice, both times under protest, and I am still protesting. However, I did enjoy Epcot.

gwong1 Loc: Tampa, FL

I live in Sarasota, and agree with all of the recommendations above. Gary

Saleavitt10 wrote:

Will be in Florida in early March. Looking for some suggestions on good birding photography places. Flying into Orlando and will have a rental car so won't be restricted to just Orlando. Thanks in advance!

Ugly Jake Loc: Sub-Rural Vermont

GordonB. wrote:

I agree that Circle B Bar Ranch is a great place for all kinds of wildlife including, of course, birds. It is located relatively close to Orlando also.

Triple agree - it's just south of Lakeland. I got armadillo, alligator, wild pig, spoonbills. cattle egret, sandhill cranes, red shoulder hawks, bald eagle, black vulture, some awesome live oak / moss shots . . . . and water birds, too!! (Be careful of the raccoons - they'll mooch anything you set down!) Oh, and admission is free!

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Viera Wetland near Melbourne is excellent and check out http://floridabirdingtrail.com/ has guides to many birding places in Florida

jwhphotos Loc: Maryland

I would agree with all of the above and add the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine which contains a rookery and you, the visitor, are very close to the action.

One caution is that you will probably be driving up and down I95 or the Fl turnpike and I believe that all the toll booths have been removed and they rely on a Sunpass box for tolls or they take a picture of your license plate and bill you later which costs an arm an a leg. Check with your rental car company about getting a Sunpass box with your rental.

Hopefully if I am wrong someone will jump in and correct me.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

jwhphotos wrote:

...One caution is that you will probably be driving up and down I95 or the Fl turnpike and I believe that all the toll booths have been removed and they rely on a Sunpass box for tolls or they take a picture of your license plate and bill you later which costs an arm an a leg. Check with your rental car company about getting a Sunpass box with your rental....

No tolls on I-95 but there are tolls elsewhere where you might not expect them. Best to have them billed through the rental company - they are not too high.

jwhphotos Loc: Maryland

Thanks for the correction. I was down there this spring and went thru a couple toll areas on the turnpike and they charged me about $10-12 for the toll by plate method.

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

Saleavitt10 wrote:

Will be in Florida in early March. Looking for some suggestions on good birding photography places. Flying into Orlando and will have a rental car so won't be restricted to just Orlando. Thanks in advance!

IF distance is not an issue, try this place:

http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/

http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/birds.html

A major stop-over point in the East Coast (Atlantic) Flyway.

In 35 years of visiting that place I have NEVER been disappointed. :thumbup:

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

If heading East - the Merritt Island Reserve is great, but also in Melbourne is the "Viera Wetlands" a spot favored by locals but not really on maps because it is in reality the "Brevard County Waste Water Treatment Facility at Viera". For the final aeration stage before returning the water to the river they have huge retention ponds, and you can drive around the dikes holding in the water - several miles. The ponds have grown lots of aquatic plants and they are a popular spot for migratory birds, bald eagles, and alligators. To get there take the Wickham Rd exit from I-95 and go West about one mile. Also, 17 miles South on highway A1A (have to go East over the lagoon to catch this) is the very nice Sebastian Inlet State Park - a nice beach and a good spot to find wood storks.

Alligator, Viera Wetlands
Alligator, Viera Wetlands...