birder585 Loc: Rochester, NY

Florida has done an awesome job in making their wastewater treatment plants into beautiful sanctuaries for many birds & other wildlife.

Check out Wakodahatchee & Green Cay Preserves in Delray Beach:

http://www.floridarambler.com/southeast-florida-getaways/florida-birding-wakodahatchee-green-cay/

Another place is Peaceful Waters Sanctuary in Wellington:

http://www.floridarambler.com/florida-bike-hike-trails/wellington-peaceful-waters-top-birding-spot/

I had to back off my tele to get the pics because the birds were so close to the boardwalks!

Have a great trip[!

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

I've spent a great deal of time in that area over the past 45 years. My take on the boat rides in the Everglades is they're a bust, not worth the time nor the money.
A short distance from the east entrance to Everglades NP has a vey nice figure "8" boardwalk, and right now is a wonderful time to visit. The nesting birds have their young still largely in the nests, and the variety and numbers are staggering. The alligators are generally plentiful and close to the walk (not at all dangerous), if the winter has been dry enough. Dry (normal) winters produce pooling of water in low areas, and wildlife congregates there. The boardwalk is in such an area.
Corkscrew Swamp, mentioned above, is similar, though with a smaller variety of birds and far fewer alligators.
There are a few (very few) American Crocodiles in the 'glades too - I've only seen them near Florida City, though I've been told they're sometimes found elsewhere.
If you drive across Alligator Alley, there are a few places where you can stop and may see 'gators and a variety of birds.

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

One other place that I enjoyed in Key West was the butterfly conservatory there. You can photograph a wide assortment of unusual butterflies but there are also a few birds there. That was the one place I have ever seen a painted bunting, for example. Down in that same area you are apt to see a lot of feral chickens roaming the streets and some pelicans down near the water. All along the keys you are apt to see a lot of pelicans, particularly where fishing boats come back at the end of the day.

For the Everglades, you might consider the tram tour at Shark Valley http://www.sharkvalleytramtours.com/. Mostly you ride in an open-air tram and you do get fairly close to a variety of birds.

One other place that you might enjoy - though a bit to the north - is Flamingo Park, just to the west of Ft. Lauderdale. As the name suggests, there are flamingos but also a lot of ducks, peacocks, ibis, and egrets wandering around and free to come and go as they like. Fenced-in areas have many other species that are not free to leave but you can walk among them inside the open-air enclosure. And there are a few birds of prey and a couple Florida panthers behind bars.

Grnway Loc: Manchester, NH

Thanks for info! I've been looking for some feral chickens to shoot

FordPrefect Loc: Indiana

Corkscrew Swamp bird sanctuary near Naples is certainly worth a visit..

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

That area of Key West is touted as the southernmost point in the continental U.S. A look at the map suggests otherwise, but that's what the signs say. But accepting the claim here is what I could call the southernmost chicken in the continental U.S.

rplain1 Loc: Dayton, Oh.

Also, don't give up on air boats. Yes, they are noisy but we were provided with headphones so we could communicate with each other and the captain. The one I was on the captain would go anywhere we asked and stayed as long as we wanted. Basically all we had to tell him was what bird we wanted to see and he knew where they could be found. And the air boat did not disturb the birds in the least. In many cases we got within 10-15 feet and not a single bird flew. The one we took was out of Kissimmee so probably not on your route but just FYI so you don't rule out this possibility.

Grnway Loc: Manchester, NH

Whoa! That's one colorful rooster! Nice shot!

RG4073 Loc: Kettering, OH

Agree on Corkscrew Swamp and Shark Valley (where you can bring your own bicycle and ride the paved bus route). Plenty of birds and crocs in both!

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

Comment on maps - they are distorted to make the keys fit. If you look at a different projection (map type) you'll see the keys are farther south than portrayed on regular maps.

Great rooster shot by the way.......

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

The Everglades can't be beaten for quantities of wildlife, however, the expanse of the place is enormous, so if one has a physical disability it can be difficult . That's why I recommended Corkscrew. Here are the alligators I saw there just yesterday morning.

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

Actually there are a couple issues that made me question the marker and one could possibly be from map orientation but I think not. The marker is at the edge of a military base and it looks on the map as though the most southern part of Key West is on that base. The marker does appear to be near the most southern civilian point on Key West, however.

The other question is whether an island like Key West is really a part of the continental U.S. And if it is then why is not Ballast Key as well? Ballast Key is further south than Key West as is the larger Boca Grand Key.

Billy Bob

On my 10 year living on the road trip. Its one that I will never forget. JUST GO. I was there a year living it up.

Billy Bob

Key Deer

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

If you can get up to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (a long way from Key West, though) the boardwalk is great - see my recent post at http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-445941-1.html

However - the big birds of Florida are not very intimidated by people, so you can often get good photos from your car window or even on the beach. It is almost like magic that if you have a fishing pole and a bait bucket on the beach, a blue heron will show up and walk up near you, hoping for a handout. So look for a good fishing spot - a cluster of fishermen will attract pelicans, storks, herons, and more.