Turtle Beach - A pair of black skimmers swooped in low along the water looking for baitfish. Skimmers are a fairly common sight along Florida's shoreline, yet it is always a thrill to see the birds perform their aerial acrobatics.

So I pull out my notebook and record the time, date, and location of the species observed, adding "black skimmer" to my birding "life list."

My companions, however, do not share my excitement.

Mention bird watching to most people and the word "thrilling" is usually not the first thing that comes out of their mouths. But then again, they haven't seen a red-shouldered hawk do battle with an osprey over a fresh-caught fish.

But that is what you are in for if you join the ranks of the thousands who've discovered America's fastest growing outdoors sport.

Yes, "birding" is the number one form of outdoors recreation in the United States today. And there is no better place to get started than the wild areas of Sarasota County.

When it comes to bird watching, Florida is blessed with the richest diversity of birds in the nation. More than 480 species (start your life list now) and about half of those can be found on Florida's Gulf Coast.

Take the reddish egret, for example. The bird is the rarest heron in North America, with only 2,000 breeding pairs in the U.S., 400 of which can be found in Florida. Prized for their plumes, reddish egrets were hunted to

Snowy egrets Dick Dickinson

near-extinction by 1910.

Opposition to this "plume trade" led to the rise of the National Audubon Society and the passage of the first wildlife protection laws in Florida. By the 1940s, the reddish egret had re-established itself in Florida Bay, and gradually, the birds moved north.

Today, birders giggle with delight to catch a glimpse of this rare bird at its nesting sites, which include Sarasota Bay.

In fact, the Sarasota area is nationally recognized as one of the top birding areas in the nation.

From the dry prairies of Myakka River State Park to the sugar-sand beaches of Siesta Key, the intrepid birder will see numerous endangered species, including the wood stork and peregrine falcon.

Birders will also find several threatened species, including the bald eagle, American kestrel, crane, snowy plover, piping plover, least tern and Florida scrub jay, in the wild and urban areas of Sarasota County.

In addition, Sarasota Bay and surrounding waterways are also the home to species of special concern, including the brown pelican, snowy egret, little blue heron, tricolored heron, white ibis, roseate spoonbill and limpkin.

To catch of glimpse of these birds - and know for sure what you are seeing - all you need is pad and pencil, a field guide and binoculars with 7 x 35 power. An excellent, introductory book for beginning birders is Peterson Field Guides' A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America. The Sarasota Audubon Society (www.sarasotaaudubon.org) has recently published an excellent resource entitled Birding Hot Spots in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Copies are available for $6 from the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau, 655 N. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota, FL 34236; 941-955-1877.

While it is difficult to pick the top birding sites in an area with so many good ones, the following is a brief listing of some of the more popular places to go:

Sarasota Keys
Quick Point Nature Preserve is located at the South end of Longboat Key. Park in the lot on the west side of Gulf of Mexico Drive then walk underneath the bridge into the preserve. The trails and boardwalks here offer an excellent vantage point to see a variety of wading and shore birds. You'll see oyster catchers and ibis on the mud flats and sand bars if you go at low tide.

Celery Fields
A former flood-control project, the Celery Fields, located at Fruitville Road and I-75, has deep lakes and is truly for the birds. This exceptional birding habitat and wildlife haven attracts hundreds of species - bald eagles, wild turkeys, ruby-throated hummingbirds, snow geese and peregrine falcons year 'round.

Myakka River State Park
A large and diverse natural area, the two lakes and river that flows between them make this an ideal location to view waterbirds. Hiking along the power lines, keep an eye out for red-shouldered hawks, Northern Cardinals and Carolina Wrens. Audubon volunteers help visitors locate and identify birds at the popular boardwalk area.

Venice Rookery
The Venice Rookery, on U.S. 41 just north of Jacaranda Boulevard, is a small island in the middle of a lake (which forms a natural barrier) providing a safe nesting place for many water and wading birds. Early mornings and late afternoons from November to June, black-crowned night herons, great egrets, great blue herons and anhingas are most active on the island, and visitors can get some stunning views from across the lake.

Crowley Museum and Nature Center
A 2,000-foot boardwalk cuts through the heart of a mixed-hardwood swamp. The swallow-tailed kite is part of the Crowley logo because the birds have been spotted in the area since the pioneer days. Keep an eye out for barred owls and sandhill cranes as well.




Originally posted 5/24/04