Tag: Tri-colored Heron

  • The Celery Fields

    The Celery Fields

    An area in eastern Sarasota County that was once farmland, was purchased by Sarasota County in 1995 and eventually transformed into a park. The area was known for growing celery and is comprised of ditches and wetlands. Today it is a popular destination for birders, walkers, and runners. There is a manmade hill in the center of the park that provides a nice challenge for fitness enthusiasts. The Sarasota Audubon Society has a small nature center on site, and they offer tours and educational services through a network of volunteers.

    Black Necked Stilt Chick Walking Through Water
    Black-necked Stilt Chick Walking through the Water

    But for us, the main attraction is the habitat. The park has a series of flooded marshes, lakes, creeks, and grasslands. The great habitat means a lot of birds. It’s also a hotspot during the spring and fall migrations and attracts not only the birds, but bird enthusiast from all around the world. There have been almost 250 bird species reported at the Celery Fields.

    Great Egret Flies By To Left In Morning Sun
    Great Egret Flies by to the Left in the Morning Sun

    For more information about the Celery Fields, please visit the links below.

    A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.

  • Myakka River State Park

    Myakka River State Park

    One of my favorite places for nature photography in this area is Myakka River State Park in eastern Sarasota county. It is a huge park consisting of 37,000 acres with the Myakka River cutting through the center. Along the way, the river is dammed creating a large lake and vast wetlands. There is a wide variety of wildlife in the park. It’s common to see deer, eagles, ducks, spoonbills, wading birds, turkeys and plenty of alligators.

    Black Necked Stilt Flying Low Across Water With Reflection
    Black-necked Stilt Flying Low Across the Calm Water

    This past week was another great visit. In addition to seeing most of the wildlife listed above, we also came across a large flock of green-winged teal. More to follow in a separate post.

    A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.

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