Fort Myers & Sanibel/Lee County Traveler's Guide 2008 - (Page 36) ®® B I R D S I N T H E N AT U R A L W O R L D nto the woods, along the beaches, deep in the mangrove forest and wading through wetlands, birding in The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is a hoot – and a cackle, a caw and a squawk. Named best in the U.S. for birding by USA Today, the area sports a new A BIRDING section of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Here’s a sampling of the more than 300 species that populate the area on a full- and part-time basis. More information i primer about the natural world can be found after some entries here i.e. (see p123), and additional listings appear beginning on page 86 and at www.fortmyers-sanibel.com. ® Osprey A great time to see this bird of prey is during morning feeding times at the shore. ® Egrets Several varieties call the area home: snowy, reddish, great and cattle. ® Bald eagle Pine Island has the largest concentration in the area. There are three or four nests in Cape Coral. ® Anhinga Don’t confuse this fresh- and saltwater bird with the cormorant, which also dries its wings in the sun. ® Burrowing owl Only nine inches tall, Cape Coral is the place to see these owls, active both during the day and at night. ® Roseate spoonbill Pink birds feed in dark-brown mud flats at sunset in the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. (see p89) [ PAGE winged tips birding hot spots include: Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary I Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium I CREW Land and Water Trust I Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve I Hickey’s Creek Mitigation Park I J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge I Lakes Regional Park I Lovers Key State Park I Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation I Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Find contact information for these natural attractions on pages 86-92. 36 ] http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com
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