Update: Ding Darling, Corkscrew Swamp etc
PSsquare
around Southwest Florida. First, it was unseasonably hot there this past
week- typically 60's to start and rising to the upper 80's with intense
sun. A bit of early fog , but not substantial. In 4 full days plus two
half-days, I visited Ding Darling, Venice Rookery, Myakka State Park and
Corkscrew Swamp. I photographed 18 different bird species plus Green Tree
Frog, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Fiddler crabs and large alligator. There were
another eight birds I identified but did not photograph. I shot 21 rolls in
all.
I was at Ding Darling the afternoon of Jan 26, all day Jan 27 and half of
Jan 28. The gate opens about 7:20am and there is a line of car ready to
roll. Daily admission is $5, so for more than two days, it is better to buy
the $12 annual pass. Also, the paved road is a welcome change. It is
quieter than the old road surface leading to possibly less stress on the
birds. There is no dust from passing cars either. Roseatte Spoonbills were
around the observation tower all three evenings until sunset when they
departed for a roost. Either they were on the right side just before the
tower or past the tower on the left at the water control gate. Colors were
great as were opportunities for sunsets framed with the outline of wading
birds. The first morning coincided with low tide and the activity was
intense. Excellent closeup shots were available for Little Blue Heron,
Tri-Color Heron, Anhinga, Double Crested Cormorant, Snowy Egret, Wood
Stork, Brown Pelican, White Ibis and Black Crowned Night Heron. The sun
burned out most photography and I went over to the Bailey Tract on Tarpon
Bay Road hoping for a large alligator. No luck, but got some excellent
images of a Snowy Egret. The second morning was a comparitive dud at Ding
Darling although I did get some good images of few birds. The evening was
excellent especially for the Roseattes. Many people left before the sunset
really reached its peak color. Also note that the traffic on Sanibel is
terrible on weekends and in the middle of the day. Sunrise and sunset times
weren't too bad. Also, the Wildlife Drive is closed on Friday so don't go
then. (I was told the crocodile hadn't been seen there for a while also.)
The next day I went to the rookery at Venice and it was good. The Great
Blue Heron were, depending on the pair, building nest, copulating, sitting
on eggs or feeding very noisy hatchlings. The Anhinga and egrets were
seemingly all beginning to nest as I saw no young for sure. After the light
punked out, I went over to the Myakka State Park were I got good closeups of
large alligators and a Great Blue Heron. Head for the dam next to the boat
basin. The heron stands next to the anglers waiting for any small
bluegills. You can get VERY close to this bird. Just watch for the
alligators below the dam. The fishermen seemed to have a good idea where
they were lying.
My favorite site was Corkscrew Swamp. Traffic can be a hassle if you are
trying to get there at 7am. The biggest problem was the exit 17 at I-75.
(I wonder if they train the Highway Patrol how to direct traffic since these
guys would stop exit traffic for 3 and 4 cars on the cross road when the
ramp was backed up 4 miles. They second day there was more traffic but no
backup and no troopers. Duh. ) The action at Corkscrew was continuous the
entire day, but be sure to have fairly fast film since it is often in
shadow areas. The large cypress trees cut down on the intensity of the sun
making it better in mid-day than Ding Darling. Hardly saw a mosquito at
Corkscrew which was not the case at Ding Darling. I was at times so close
to egrets and ibis as they hunted crayfish that it was within 2.5meter close
focusing limit of my 300mm lens. Also was very close to Alligators, Red
Shouldered Hawks (which were courting at the time) , Yellow Crowned Night
Herons and various warblers. There is a small snackbar at Corkscrew which
helps given the distance to any food otherwise. I expect that my best
images will come from Corkscrew. It is possible to get very good shots of
the wading birds catching the crayfish. The volunteers at Corkscrew were
also very helpful.
As far as logistics, I stayed in an inexpensive motel in North Ft. Myers.
Rates on Sanibel are high, and access off the island could be slow at times.
I could reach Ding Darling and Corkscrew in under an hour with an early
start; Venice was more like 1-1/2 hours but worth it. I would be tempted to
stay further south around Bonita Springs the next time and open up getting
to the Everglades along with Corkscrew Swamp.
HOpe this is useful.
PSquare
Bill Hilton
>Bill Hilton asked me to post a message about conditions at subject locations
>around Southwest Florida.
Thanks for the detailed report PSsquare. Not leaving for 4 more weeks, but
will be spending a week at Venice - Sanibel - Corkscrew and then a week near
the Glades so really glad to hear there's lots of water and lots of birds this
year! And it sounds like the new paved road at Ding is working out well.
Have never been to Myakka State Park, is it as good as the other spots you
mentioned? We're flying in/out from Tampa so can stop by there our last day on
the way back from the Everglades. Our current plan is to shoot at Venice just
one morning on the way to Sanibel, then one morning on the way back two weeks
later. If you had one more morning would you shoot at the Venice Rookery or at
Myakka?
Bill
Foto28
Your post is *very* helpful and timely, since I'm going to these same areas in
2 weeks, mostly for bird photography with some landscapes on the side.
I should arrive mid-afternoon in the Venice area, with enough time to preview
either the Venice Rookery or Myakka SP. Then I will spend the next day at
Venice Rookery (early am), followed by Myakka and Oscar Scherer. I've not been
to any of these before. Which (Venice vs Myakka) might be the most beneficial
for an afternoon preview? Is Venice strictly a morning thing, or is late
afternoon decent too?
Thanks!
Danny
===============
Danny Burk
www.dannyburk.com
PSsquare
Excellent question about Venice timing. In the morning the sun is directly
behind you and the early light can be very good. Afternoon would likely
need fill flash, and maybe on a cord to avoid red eye. I would opt for
Myakka in the afternoon around the dam. It is not a really hot photo spot,
but you can get closeups of Black Buzzards, alligators and Great Blue Heron
if it is the same as when I was there. Also, keep you camera at hand in the
car as I did see a really nice Wild Turkey gobbler on the drive out. I don't
think there is much purpose to previewing the rookery. It is not that big
and there are only a few locations to stand. Typically the sun first lit up
the right side of the island.
Good luck.
PSsquare
Foto28 wrote in message <20020202012044...@mb-fu.aol.com>...
PWW
bhilt...@aol.comxspam (Bill Hilton) wrote:
> Thanks for the detailed report PSsquare. Not leaving for 4 more weeks, but
> will be spending a week at Venice - Sanibel - Corkscrew and then a week near
> the Glades so really glad to hear there's lots of water and lots of birds
> this
> year! And it sounds like the new paved road at Ding is working out well.
>
> Have never been to Myakka State Park, is it as good as the other spots you
> mentioned? We're flying in/out from Tampa so can stop by there our last day
> on
> the way back from the Everglades. Our current plan is to shoot at Venice
> just
> one morning on the way to Sanibel, then one morning on the way back two weeks
> later. If you had one more morning would you shoot at the Venice Rookery or
> at
> Myakka?
>
> Bill
I'd vote for Venice, Myakka was never as productive for me.
PWW
PWW
fot...@aol.comnospam (Foto28) wrote:
> I should arrive mid-afternoon in the Venice area, with enough time to preview
> either the Venice Rookery or Myakka SP. Then I will spend the next day at
> Venice Rookery (early am), followed by Myakka and Oscar Scherer. I've not been
> to any of these before. Which (Venice vs Myakka) might be the most beneficial
> for an afternoon preview? Is Venice strictly a morning thing, or is late
> afternoon decent too?
>
> Thanks!
> Danny
If Venice Rookery has birds then it is hard to beat Venice for
nesting/mating type shots (on the West Coast of Florida). I have shot
there all day on many days. Morning does have a little advantage but
evening can bring some really nice shots also. You are almost guaranteed
images here.
Ding has MANY more varieties of birds and provides feeding behaviors
images with some limited roosting images. You are almost guaranteed
images here.
Myakka can provide a few birds at times but is much more sporadic. It
never has came close to the opportunities provided at Venice or Ding.
Oscar Scherer is well known for Scrub Jays.
Again for a limited time my priorities would be Venice, Ding, and maybe
if I had the time, Corkscrew. Of course that depends on what type of
images you are hoping to capture and how much time you had.
PWW
Bill Hilton
>If Venice Rookery has birds then it is hard to beat Venice for
>nesting/mating type shots (on the West Coast of Florida). I have shot
>there all day on many days. Morning does have a little advantage but
>evening can bring some really nice shots also.
I've only shot here in the mornings, leaving around 10 AM or so. Appeared to
me that the light was on the wrong side in the PM. Are you able to move off to
the left in the brush or do you shoot silhouettes or in-flight shots, or ?
Just curious what the PM opportunities are, compared to morning when the light
is perfectly placed.
>Myakka can provide a few birds at times but is much more sporadic. It
>never has came close to the opportunities provided at Venice or Ding.
Thanks, this is what PSsquare told me in an email too, so due to limited time
we'll skip Myakka this trip and do Venice one more morning.
>Oscar Scherer is well known for Scrub Jays.
Where is this? Close to these other spots?
>Again for a limited time my priorities would be Venice, Ding, and maybe
>if I had the time, Corkscrew. Of course that depends on what type of
>images you are hoping to capture and how much time you had.
We're going to spend one AM at Venice on the way from Tampa to Sanibel, then 5
days at Sanibel (mostly Ding but also the other spots near Bowman's and the
lighthouse), then one PM and one AM at Corkscrew (we have a hotel in Naples one
night), then off to the Glades for a week. Maybe one more PM at Corkscrew and
the next AM at Venice on the return trip to the Tampa airport for a late
afternoon flight out. Does this sound about right to you? Really keen on
spoonbills and waders at Ding, then raptors (got good shots of hawks and owls
at Corkscrew last year). Hard to shoot at Corkscrew at times with a tripod and
long lens, even with IS, due to people walking on the boardwalks.
Thanks for the help.
Bill
Foto28
Many thanks to all for the information. I think I'll preview Myakka in the p.m.
and then Venice the following morning. Actually, I'm planning Myakka more for
landscapes than for birds, although the ref's I seen mention that some good
bird activity could be found there as well.
I'm spending a week in all, moving down the SW coast and then toward the SE and
N from there. After the Venice/Myakka area, I'll spend a day on
Sanibel...Causeway at first light, Ding when it opens, do some poking around
during midday hours (and check out the Lighthouse/Captiva Bridge areas, which
I've never visited), then back to Ding in the late evening. Next two days are
for mainland Ft Myers-vicinity areas, i.e. Cape Coral for Burrowing Owls, maybe
Pine Island (are the Bald Eagles still nesting??), Estero, Corkscrew, etc., and
possibly Ding again one morning if it's good.
I'll stop at Ochopee and Shark Valley in late afternoon, then the next whole
day in the Everglades (first/last light at Anhinga Trail)...the following day
first light at Wakodahatchee, remainder of the day at Loxahatchee (the latter 2
both new to me), and finally a stop at Merritt Is. the following morning before
driving back.
Any last-minute news on must-see areas, or slow areas that should be skipped?
Thanks!!
PSsquare
Good conversation here. Perhaps someone can fill in some blanks on a place
in or near the Everglades. I was in part of a conversation with a birder
who mentioned Turner River Road somewhere past exit 29? on I-75. There were
lot of wading birds along the road. I didn't have a map and could not keep
up with it all, my being unfamiliar with a lot of the area.
Can someone fill in the details for my future use?
Thanks,
PSsquare
Foto28 wrote in message <20020202174906...@mb-mp.aol.com>...
Lew
I also saw and photographed Yellow-Crowned Heron, Osprey, Belted Kingfisher,
Periwinkle, and Mangrove Crab. Pictures at
http://lewbar.tripod.com/2002/darling/darling.htm.
--
Lewie
http://lewbar.tripod.com
"PSsquare" <nospamp...@stny.rr.com> wrote in message
news:yiH68.7140$QG.13...@typhoon.nyroc.rr.com...
PWW
"PSsquare" <nospamp...@stny.rr.com> wrote:
> Friends,
>
> Good conversation here. Perhaps someone can fill in some blanks on a place
> in or near the Everglades. I was in part of a conversation with a birder
> who mentioned Turner River Road somewhere past exit 29? on I-75. There were
> lot of wading birds along the road. I didn't have a map and could not keep
> up with it all, my being unfamiliar with a lot of the area.
>
> Can someone fill in the details for my future use?
>
> Thanks,
The problem with following birders advice is that to a birder a good
sighting of a bird could well be a hundred yards away. If the birds are
just next to a road and not aclimated to people walking around, as they
are at Ding or Venice then the birds fly away well before a photographer
can get some good images. Almost, never as good as well known places.
Links for Turner River Road
http://www.birdingamerica.com/Florida/turnerriverroad.htm
http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/bigcypress/
PWW
PWW
bhilt...@aol.comxspam (Bill Hilton) wrote:
> I've only shot here in the mornings, leaving around 10 AM or so. Appeared to
> me that the light was on the wrong side in the PM. Are you able to move off
> to
> the left in the brush or do you shoot silhouettes or in-flight shots, or ?
> Just curious what the PM opportunities are, compared to morning when the
> light
> is perfectly placed.
I too like frontal lighting but side lighting and a little backlighting
can be very dramatic and very illustrative also. The rookery is in the
middle of a small pond so the light does work almost until sunset.
> >Oscar Scherer is well known for Scrub Jays.
>
> Where is this? Close to these other spots?
Just north of Venice and south of Sarasota in a town called Osprey.
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/district4/oscarscherer/index.asp
The only thing I have photographed there were FL Scrub Jays.
> We're going to spend one AM at Venice on the way from Tampa to Sanibel, then
> 5
> days at Sanibel (mostly Ding but also the other spots near Bowman's and the
> lighthouse), then one PM and one AM at Corkscrew (we have a hotel in Naples
> one
> night), then off to the Glades for a week. Maybe one more PM at Corkscrew
> and
> the next AM at Venice on the return trip to the Tampa airport for a late
> afternoon flight out. Does this sound about right to you? Really keen on
> spoonbills and waders at Ding, then raptors (got good shots of hawks and owls
> at Corkscrew last year). Hard to shoot at Corkscrew at times with a tripod
> and
> long lens, even with IS, due to people walking on the boardwalks.
>
Sounds pretty reasonable.
Couple of suggestions.
A great link is http://www.birding.com/wheretobird/florida.asp
If Venice is good I might spend a little more time there. It is a very
nice place to get all the nesting habits of GBH, GE, and Anhingas IF you
wait long enough you can get all sorts of action shots. If you got a 500
or more lens. Corkscrew was nice but it still is #3 or #4 on my list for
your trip.
Also there is a place just over the toll bridge from Sanibel in Fort
Myers Beach is another well known place for shorebirds it is.
http://gator.naples.net/presents/audubon/flyways.html
6. Fort Myers Beach - Perhaps the best shorebirding site in SW FL.- My
list for the area South of Holiday Inn exceeds 100 species. Anyone
visiting SW Florida should be steered to this site for a day of great
shorebirds.
Good luck and let us know how it went.
PWW
PWW
fot...@aol.comnospam (Foto28) wrote:
> Many thanks to all for the information. I think I'll preview Myakka in the
> p.m.
> and then Venice the following morning. Actually, I'm planning Myakka more for
> landscapes than for birds, although the ref's I seen mention that some good
> bird activity could be found there as well.
If you can try and get out the back entrance (open only on certain
days). I have taken some nice Red-Tailed hawks and Sandill Cranes in the
farmland behind Myakka.
> I'm spending a week in all, moving down the SW coast and then toward the SE
> and
> N from there. After the Venice/Myakka area, I'll spend a day on
> Sanibel...Causeway at first light, Ding when it opens, do some poking around
> during midday hours (and check out the Lighthouse/Captiva Bridge areas, which
> I've never visited), then back to Ding in the late evening. Next two days are
> for mainland Ft Myers-vicinity areas, i.e. Cape Coral for Burrowing Owls,
> maybe
> Pine Island (are the Bald Eagles still nesting??), Estero, Corkscrew, etc.,
> and
> possibly Ding again one morning if it's good.
>
> I'll stop at Ochopee and Shark Valley in late afternoon, then the next whole
> day in the Everglades (first/last light at Anhinga Trail)...the following day
> first light at Wakodahatchee, remainder of the day at Loxahatchee (the latter
> 2
> both new to me), and finally a stop at Merritt Is. the following morning
> before
> driving back.
See my other post with some great SW Florida Birding links and info.
Wakodahatchee is a great spot.
Let us know how it went.
PWW
Bill Hilton
>Also there is a place just over the toll bridge from Sanibel in Fort
>Myers Beach is another well known place for shorebirds it is.
>
> http://gator.naples.net/presents/audubon/flyways.html
>6. Fort Myers Beach - Perhaps the best shorebirding site in SW FL.- My
>list for the area South of Holiday Inn exceeds 100 species.
PWW, is this the place Arthur Morris calls the Estuary or Estuario or similar?
One end of it is right in front of the Holiday Inn in Ft. Myers? We were
thinking of going there on a Friday when Ding is closed but have never spoken
to anyone who actually shot there (forgot to ask Morris when I saw him at
Bosque a few weeks ago).
Thanks for all your tips and help.
Bill
Foto28
I thought I'd mention a *terrific* book that I got a couple weeks ago: "A
Birder's Guide to Florida" by Bill Pranty. It's available from ABA for $22.95
(or so)...it's a special order from Amazon that takes weeks, so buy it direct
from ABA.
It's amazingly detailed...it includes obscure locations everywhere throughout
the state, and lists particular species that you might expect, best times, etc.
I've learned a huge amount from it already. Buy it!! :)
===============
Danny Burk
www.dannyburk.com
PWW
bhilt...@aol.comxspam (Bill Hilton) wrote:
> PWW, is this the place Arthur Morris calls the Estuary or Estuario or
> similar?
> One end of it is right in front of the Holiday Inn in Ft. Myers? We were
> thinking of going there on a Friday when Ding is closed but have never spoken
> to anyone who actually shot there (forgot to ask Morris when I saw him at
> Bosque a few weeks ago).
>
> Thanks for all your tips and help.
>
> Bill
YES
Behind (beach Side) the Holiday Inn. Park across the street.
PWW
SDAbrams
one along the Indigo trail on Jan. 29. What was even more interesting were the
people lined up along the shore at dusk watching and photographing the
spoonbills and other birds, who almost seem to pose. Someday, the birds are
going to unionize and start charging fees.
PSsquare
SDAbrams wrote in message <20020204160747...@mb-ck.aol.com>...
Maybe they will send you a bill. Huh?
Sorry.