First, you'll want to get Bill Pranty's guide to Florida birding in the ABA Birdfinding series. There's a fairly new edition; I had the '96 edition and was somewhat confused about some places that have changed since then. If you travel through Tampa and stick mostly to the Gulf Coast, check out Oscar Scherer State Park near Sarasota as an easy place to find Florida Scrub Jays. I found Myakka River State Park pretty touristy and full of people, though you can enjoy pleasant walks through the woods there. The Babcock-Webb WMA near Punta Gorda is a classic spot for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, but you must be there early in the morning or around sunset; I missed them, even though I followed good rules about how to see them (and reported this to Birdchat folks, some of whom responded with better ideas about good spots for this species--I could dig up some of that advice if anyone wants it). Corkscrew Swamp is a great place, excellent for Swallow-tailed Kite, and the Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Island is great for many species, especially water birds. I won't venture opinions about areas closer to the Atlantic Coast, but Pranty's book will tell you essentially what you need to know.

Burt Guttman
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA 98505 guttmanb at evergreen.edu <mailto:guttmanb at evergreen.edu>
Home: 7334 Holmes Island Road S. E., Olympia, 98503

________________________________

From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu on behalf of Knut Hansen
Sent: Fri 3/6/2009 11:47 AM
To: Tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Extralimital (Florida birding)



Florida bound travelers,



I went to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary earlier this week and had a great time. There were no migratory birds around yet, but for a northwest birder plenty to see. Most interesting (for me at least) were: Several Swallow-tailed Kites, Painted Buntings, White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, Great-crested Flycatchers, Yellow-throated and Pine Warblers and a ton of Palm Warblers. In addition the regular herons, egrets, anhingas red-tailed hawks etc.



The place gets pretty crowded and noisy by mid-morning with families, kids etc. I also made a visit to Sanibel Island, but the crowds there were unbearable in the mid-day. I am going back next week and might do Sanibel in the EARLY morning.



I have a handful of pictures posted on m flickr site.





Knut Hansen

Renton

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22333182 at N04/