White pelicans gather in Myakka River State Park
Winter months bring a seasonal sensation to Sarasota and Her Islands-- a wildlife wonderland when sightings are plentiful and bird watching is at its best.
Our trees reveal deer, bobcats and fox; alligators bask on the banks and migratory birds join year-round residents.
Wading birds feast on fish easily found in waters most shallow in the winter months, and nesting comes naturally as there’s plenty of food for the entire family.
Manatees are drawn to the warmth of the bay and pop up in bayous as offshore waters cool.
With all this activity, it’s no surprise that winter is an ideal time to meet our furry, feathered and finned friends in Sarasota.
An excellent place to start is Myakka River State Park. It features a vast tract of Florida prairie, Sarasota's two largest lakes, river marsh and twelve miles of the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. There are 39 miles of backcountry trails, boardwalks, nature tours by tram or boat and a visitor center.
Winter and spring find flocks of ducks, warblers, wading birds and hawks. Roseate spoonbills, wood storks and ducks increase in numbers and rarely seen birds like the avocet and caracara appear. Wildlife is more concentrated and visible in winter.
The eastern indigo snake is among the special residents of Oscar Scherer State Park. The park’s 1,382 acres, comprised of pine and scrubby flatwoods, a blackwater stream and two freshwater lakes, are also home to a large population of gopher tortoises, gopher frogs and the threatened Florida scrub-jay.
Winter adds warblers, ducks, geese, red-tailed hawks, white pelicans and whip-poor-wills. Bald Eagles are here from October through May.
One of the star attractions at Crowley Museum and Nature Center is a 2,000-foot boardwalk, which traverses Maple Branch Swamp and the Tatum Sawgrass Marsh.
Visitors can safely enjoy the sights and sounds of the swamp without getting their feet wet. An observation tower at the end of the boardwalk is a favorite spot for birders.
Some lesser-known hotspots for viewing coastal creatures are on the bay side of South Lido Beach, at Bay Walk on City Island and at Bird Key Park.
You can find horse conch, lightning whelks, pink shrimp and seahorses in knee-deep water. The male sailfin molly flashes a blue iridescent dorsal at Bay Walk, while bottlenose dolphin frolic offshore.
The bay side of the beach at Palmer Point hosts oystercatchers, roseate spoonbills and other wading birds attracted to these fish-fertile flats.
Further north, the Bird Colony Islands are a series of mangrove islands with hundreds of nesting birds at the height of the season from January through April.
What are you waiting for? Grab your binoculars, scoop up the kids, slap on some sunscreen and see Sarasota’s show of wildlife this winter.
