dwooddon

I'm planning a photo trip to SW Florida (Ft Myers, Naples, Everglades) in mid to late March with an emphasis on birds, animals, and nature. Aside from the usual suspects (Natl' Wildlife refuges, State parks, Everglades NP, etc), does anyone have any suggestions for locales to check out?

Bill_H

Omitting the 'usual suspects' like Ding Darling ...

Venice Rookery used to be great, now it's still pretty good. http://www.veniceaudubon.org/rookery.html

Corkscrew Swamp near Naples is great, especially if you get there very early. I was first one on the boardwalk one morning and ran into a black bear Have to walk slowly and look carefully, and ask any volunteers what they've seen recently. Usually they'll show you a nesting owl or something you wouldn't notice on your own, or the place where they feed the Painted Buntings. After the crowds arrive it's tough to do much there though. http://fl.audubon.org/who_centers_Corkscrew.html

I think the two best Everglades areas for point-blank wildlife photography are to the east (Anhinga Trail) and in the middle (Shark Valley) so you're a bit far from them, but worth a couple of days to go to that side. The best way to photograph Shark Valley is to get there before it opens (park on 41) and walk in, they you have the sun behind you with nesting birds about 10 yards across a fill ditch, plus many gators.

Clyde Butcher is a famous Everglades photographer (black-white large format images in the Ansel Adams tradition) with a gallery not far from Shark Valley at Big Cypress, and it's well worth the time to stop there and check out the images and perhaps chat with him or his wife. Clyde also has a gallery in Venice if you go to the Rookery, but he's usually at Big Cypress. http://www.clydebutcher.com/

You might check out Art Morris' web site, he now lives in Florida and photographs birds there extensively. He offers photo trips to various places and has written various guidebooks so you can check where he's going and see where the best spots are. Mainly birds. http://www.birdsasart.com/

dwooddon

Thank you for the information. I've added your suggestions to my planning packet.

emalloy

For interesting plants/trees, check out the Thomas Edison winter home/lab on McGregor Blvd. in Ft. Myers.

Keep your eyes open , we've seen sand hill cranes in the drainage ditches on the edge of the road.

tchoiniere

Check out Babcock Ranch
http://www.babcockwilderness.com/photo-tours.php

dwooddon

Thanks guys (girls?) These suggestions have also been added to my planning materials.

321go

I'm going to add a big 2nd to Bill_H's suggestions of Corkscrew Swamp and Clyde Butcher's studio.

atravelynn

I'll save this for later. Good question!

donnawho

This is a more "discovered" or structured type of suggestion, but the new(ish) Naples Botanical Garden located off Rt 41 south (aka "the East Trail") is certainly worth a visit.

dwooddon

Thank you again. Any other suggestions?

dialaspc

I spent 2 days with Jim Shadle of Florida gone Wilds last March and April. We spent the time on the water photographing Rosette Spoonbills and Ospreys. I throughly enjoyed it. As a result of this trip I now do most of my shooting in manual mode.

dwooddon

dialaspc: Thank you for the information. That sounds interesting. What part of the coast were you on? From what I can see on Google, he seems to be a bit further north. Did he use his own boat or were you wading?