Florida’s West Coast – A Bird Photographer’s Mecca
Text and images copyright E.J. Peiker, all rights reserved

Each winter, droves of photographers from around the world flock to Florida to photograph birds. Why Florida? The birds in Florida are more approachable than most other places on the planet; the weather is mild, while much of the rest of the northern hemisphere is in a deep freeze, and there is a large variety of beautiful subjects. The entire state is great for winter bird photography but the west coast, on the Gulf of Mexico, provides some of the best opportunities found anywhere. From north to south, starting in the Tampa Bay region, here is an outline of some of Florida’s west coast hot spots.

Fort DeSoto Park
On the southern tip of the peninsula that forms the Tampa Bay, just south of St. Petersburg, is a series of small islands, the largest being Fort DeSoto Park. Bird photography throughout the entire island can be productive but the best opportunities might be discovered on the northern-most part of the island. There you will find numerous shorebirds, including a Long-billed Curlew that may be one of the easiest to photograph anywhere. Oystercatchers, plovers, sandpipers, Willets, and Marbled Godwits are also abundant. Another special treat in this park is the resident White-morph Reddish Egret which typically has stunning breeding colors in its lores and bill during February and March. In addition, a normal Reddish Egret, which also has incredible breeding color, resides there.

Venice Rookery
If nesting egrets and herons are on your list of subjects to photograph, a stop at the Venice Rookery is a must. The Rookery is just off US41, north of Jacaranda Boulevard. The entrance road is between a Florida Highway Patrol building and the Sarasota County Courthouse. Great Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Anhingas are some of the species that can be photographed at this location. In late winter, chicks may be found in the nests. Numerous other species can be seen and sometimes photographed here, including Common Yellowthroat and Pileated Woodpecker. A long lens in the 500 to 600mm range is required as most photography will take place across water. Venice Rookery is also a great place to photograph egrets in flight with a smaller lens as they fly to and from nests.

Cape Coral
West of Fort Myers lies the community of Cape Coral, famous for its abundance of Burrowing Owls. Throughout the Cape Coral vicinity, areas are staked to protect the burrows of these beautiful creatures. Always remain outside the marked off area and stay off private property. A slow and calm approach will help acclimate the owls to your presence resulting in some excellent photographic opportunities. For more information, see our article on the Burrowing Owls of Cape Coral.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands
Just off the coast of Fort Myers are the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. Slightly north of the small bridge that links these two islands is a public beach commonly referred to as Blind Pass. This is a great place to photograph the uncommon Great White Heron (white morph Great Blue Heron) at close range. Head shots are possible with 300mm lenses! Other species that are photographable here include White Ibis and a variety of shorebirds. Osprey and Brown Pelican can often be seen fishing at sea here and, occasionally, Bald Eagles can be spotted in the trees.

Sanibel Island is home to the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. This large refuge is home to most species of birds found in west Florida. Some days at Ding Darling are incredible with an astounding number of birds, while other days can be more challenging, but there is almost always something to photograph here. Almost every type of wading bird of North America can be seen here, including all heron and egret species. Additionally, White and Brown Pelican, Red-shouldered Hawks, Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorants, and Osprey are present and photographable. This refuge is closed each Friday.

On the eastern tip of Sanibel Island is the Sanibel Fishing Pier and Lighthouse. This is an excellent area to photograph Brown Pelican, Osprey and Snowy Egrets in flight. The fish caught by people at this location are a major attraction for these birds and, accustomed to human presence, they will often get so close you can take full bird shots with a wide-angle lens.

When visiting Sanibel and Captiva islands, be prepared for paid parking and possible heavy traffic.

Little Estero Lagoon
The city of Fort Myers Beach is located on a barrier island south of Fort Myers. After crossing the Fort Myers bridge (beware of very heavy traffic), continue south on the island for about four miles. A lagoon can be found in the vicinity of the Holiday Inn. This lagoon has an abundance of shorebirds, egrets, and ibis: all approachable and easy to photograph. Wading in the lagoon may provide the best opportunities.

Corkscrew Swamp
On a cloudy day, a trip to Corkscrew Swamp east of Naples can result in some good photographic opportunities. I do not recommend this place on a sunny day due to extreme contrast. Walking the boardwalk trail here can result in encounters with numerous species including Red-shouldered Hawk, American Bittern, Barred Owl, Purple Gallinule and many of the other more common Florida species.

Besides the most popular spots summarized here, there are many other places that can yield great bird photos along Florida’s southwest coast. Others include Honeymoon Island north of Clearwater, Myakka River State Park southeast of Sarasota, Oscar Scherer State Recreation area north of Venice, the Naples Pier, Marco Island and the Western Everglades. Florida is rich in birdlife and there are few places where the birdlife is as approachable for photographers. It’s a great place for that winter photo vacation.

E.J. Peiker is the Senior Technical Editor at NatureScapes.Net and has been photographing seriously for over thirty years. For more information on E.J., please visit his website at www.ejphoto.com.

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