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Visiting Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
 

Sanibel Island Birding

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge appears on any list of the top 10 birding spots in Florida. At a birding "hot spot" like Ding Darling you may observe hundreds of species in just a few days. 230 species of birds occur in this Sanibel wildlife refuge.

If you time your visit to the refuge to coincide with an early morning low tide during the winter months, so much the better. But the refuge isn't the only spot on the island where birds can be observed. Ospreys are nearly as common as crows and can be seen all over the island. White pelicans show up around Thanksgiving and hang around the refuge until March.

Sanibel has a good population of Pileated woodpeckers, some of which we saw on a daily basis. They were in the mangrove swamps as well as perched on the trunks of dry woodland trees.

Where to See Birds on Sanibel Island

  • Wildlife Drive in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
  • Bailey Tract of Ding Darling Refuge on Tarpon Bay Road (fresh water marsh)
  • Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation property
  • Gulfside City Park

All of the beaches have shorebirds, terns and gulls. We even saw a juvenile red-shouldered hawk hunting in the beach dunes.

 
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To find out all the important details about all the beaches on the lower Gulf Coast of Florida, consider purchasing my book: Florida Beaches - Finding Your Paradise on the Lower Gulf Coast. It covers all the beaches from Dunedin to Marco Island, more than 96 named beaches. It has 176 pages, 25 maps, and 48 black and white photographs. If you are going to be on Sanibel, you can buy a copy of this book at MacIntosh Books on the Island. Stop by and browse, you'll love it!
It's FREE for download now!

How to Be Safe From Sharks, Jellyfish, Stingrays, Rip Currents and other Scary Things on Florida Beaches and Coastal Waters. My new ebook tells you what you need to know to have a safe and fun stay on the Florida Islands and Beaches. Click the blue book cover at left to find out more information about what's in the book and to download to your computer. If you are a first-time visitor to the Florida Beaches, this book is a MUST! 70 pages with color photos and illustrations. Where else will you get this information?

 
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