We're visiting SW FL (Sarasota down to Naples) early next month and would like to know the best places to see birds. Myakka? Cayo Costa? Ding Darling? Other favorites? I read that there's a large wood stork colony at Corkscrew Swamp; can you get a good view of them?

Ding Darling on Sanibel Island is great. We were there a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. We saw a variety of birds; also alligators and raccoons. And Sanibel is great. Beautiful island; great shelling. Also excellent key lime pie.

We loved Ding Darling.Aligator watching there also, be careful~

Yes be careful. I think we're moving into a phase of modern day Animal Farm with animals beginning to fight back. (Maybe that's what all those shark attacks last summer were about! gt;)

There was a kayak attacked by a gator here in FL last week. Knocked the kayaker into the water but he got to shore ok. Then yesterday I heard that another kayak was attacked in Sydney Harbor...this time a shark. They may be getting sick of us invading their habitat.

Seriously, despite the above, for the most part they are pretty shy...I don't worry about them when boating. Anywhere there are mangroves, there are plenty of shore birds. We live in Tampa on Tampa Bay in a 35 acre nature preserve. We are also right next to the airport, but even so, have wood stork, ibis, egrets, roseate spoonbills, herons of all sizes and descriptions. The wood storks seem to have their season here then move on and I haven't seen any in a month or so. Also have bald eagle and osprey...all this right next to the city! Just find the mangroves and you'll find the birds as well.

Visited Ding Darling on Christmas Day and it was full of birds. Would recommend you go round by bicycle, much easier to stop and birdwatch. In fact, bicycle anywhere on Sanibel Island and you will see birds. Saw a Wood Stork by the roadside on the way back to the hotel, also Ospreys and woodpeckers on the telegraph poles, white ibises in a parking lot, etc. In the reserve - Ibises, herons, egrets, ospreys, roseate spoonbills. Racoons, no alligators but it was a bit cool and cloudy (saw masses of alligators later in the Everglades). Plenty of waders on the beaches all over Sanibel Island. Didn't go to any of the other places you mentioned.