Please can any of you lucky people that live in Florida, tell me the best time of year to come out for a wildlife and birdlife holiday. As far as the availiability of the subjects can be found. Also the time of year when it does not get too hot 70-80 degrees F is fine. Also the best places to find the bird and wild life. Thanks in anticipation for your help.
Washy in UK
This time of year isn't bad, was in the Orlando area last weekend at Gatorland in Kissimmee and got pix of nesting birds with eggs or chicks. St. Augustine has an alligator farm with lots of nesting birds too, Late February, march and into april have good opportunities. Don't forget the Everglades, always a great place. When it is "cold" the gators come out of the water and lay on the asphalt paths to warm up and you can get very close. Shark Valley in the Everglades is great for that.
one place on the do not miss is Merritt Island refuge,,,it is the meeting area of the north birds and and southern birds, weather feb,mar,apr is outstanding , no bugs and plenty of birds,,, check it on on the internet
Agree - Merritt Island (Canaveral National Seashore)is great but the Everglades, Key Largo, Ocala National Forest, Blue Springs State Park, Ding Darling Reserve, Homosassa Springs Reserve, Briley Farms are all great places depending on what you want to shoot.
Lorendn wrote:
Agree - Merritt Island (Canaveral National Seashore)is great but the Everglades, Key Largo, Ocala National Forest, Blue Springs State Park, Ding Darling Reserve, Homosassa Springs Reserve, Briley Farms are all great places depending on what you want to shoot.
All places mentioned are great shooting spots and March/April is the sweet spot. I took this shot a few weeks ago at Homosassa Wildlife Park which is about 20 minutes away.
Egret seeing itself
Recommendations depend on where in FL you expect to be, it's a big state. In the Tampa Bay area where I live I recommend;
Circle B Ranch Preserve, Lakeland;
Hillsborough River State Park;
Lettuce Lake, County Park;
Homosassa River Park
There is no shortage of flora and fauna at these places.
I lived near Loxahattche Wildlife Refuge west of Palm Beach
for thirty years. March, April and May are outstanding.
Roosting ponds and a boardwalk through a cypress stand never
fail to disappoint. Johnathon Dickinson State Park on the Loxahattchee
River in Jupiter is another gem. I've worn out cameras in these
two places.
Go to MyParkPhotos.com where you will see images from many different places and the descriptions tell when they were taken .....
We were at both Lettuce Lake Park in North Tampa and Homasassa Springs during that same time. Saw lots of birds in both places and a few gators. Loxahatchee is also good. Wakodahatchie in Boynton Beach was great when we were there in February. Lots of babies hatching out. So many places to go its hard to choose just one. I hope to make it up to Merritt Island next year during the (FL) winter months. :mrgreen: Right now we are getting ready to go back to Tampa for DH's Stem Cell Transplant next week at Moffitt Cancer Center.
zuzanne
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