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Re: birding question



Terry,

It gets real busy at the northern springs that time of year. Both Alexander 
and Juniper Springs have campgrounds, but fill up quickly. You can rent 
canoes at both and the canoe run will amaze you! I once soloed down 
Alexander Springs and had this happen all at once. I pulled my canoe into a 
opening in the vegetation to photograph a very close Great Blue Heron, once 
I stopped I realized my 100-300 zoom was too close to the bird. Then a 
otter came up and begged along the gunnels of my canoe then swam right 
between the legs of the heron! I sat there too close to photograph either 
the otter or the heron and found more action on my left.. There was a 
family of deer and several raccoons wading in the water with a Little Blue 
Heron and Snowy Egret right in with them not 50 foot away. Luck would have 
it a dark cloud passed my slow ASA50 film was useless in my camera with the 
light I had. No maybe you might not want to visit there. If you do check 
out this map to a killer campsite that used to be free, there maybe a small 
fee now I made a page on it back in 1997 it`s at 
http://www.concentric.net/~birdcr/hopkinsprairie.html and it`s only 15 mins 
from either springs.

If heading south I would check out Myakka State Park(great boardwalk for 
photos and the drive along the lake is nice as is canoeing the river) and 
Collier Seminole State Park a fantastic place to stay at the north end of 
the Everglades!

Personally Ding Darling was way to commercial for my taste but good for a 
few photos if you don`t mind the mess. Camping is $30 a person in a tent 
there last I heard. Rooms are impossible, but if you go do check out Lovers 
Key State Park for manatees just south of Ding Darling. We canoed Lover`s 
Key and I took many photos of waders in the mangroves with in the canoe.

Randy L Emmitt
Rougemont, NC




>I am planning to go camping in Florida from Dec 23 - Jan 1.
>At the moment I have no particular destination. Last year I managed to be at
>Flamingo for Bird Week the first of March, and then went over to Ding
>Darling. That really spoiled me.  Saw birds I never dreamed existed. Ran
>through a gazillion rolls of film.
>
>Does anyone have any suggestions for the late-December timeframe as to where
>I could go in FL and see some birds, maybe enjoy some light hiking ??? (Would
>also love to see manatee in the natural; have been told to go to the
>"springs" areas, but I don't know where that is)
>
>Since last year's trip was my first-ever time to go to FL; its obvious that
>I've never been to FL in December and I'm not sure where to go.
>
>Would appreciate any help. You can respond privately or to the list.
>
>Terry
>tham9281@aol.com