Audubon of the Western Everglades

favorite Collier County birding hot spots

The Challenge of Birding: Birds may occur commonly, not so commonly, and/or seasonally at each of these sites. Because they are highly mobile and well camouflaged, it is always a gamble as to whether or not you will see them. That is one of the challenges that makes birding fun. 1. Lake Trafford 2. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary 3. Clam Pass Park 4. Naples Beach 5. Sugden Regional Park 6. Eagle Lakes Community Park 7. Tigertail Beach 8. Collier Seminole State Park 9. Janes Scenic Drive 10. Everglades National Park boat tour 11. Turner River Road Maps to the above birding sites in the information below are not drawn to scale. Additional local birding areas. Return to the Birding page

1. Lake Trafford Location: end of Lake Trafford Road, Immokalee Hours: none Admission: none (there is a fee for guided boat tours and boat rental -- check web site below) Facilities: Lake Trafford Marina (parking, concessions, restrooms, boat tours & boat rental); Lake Trafford Park (adjacent to marina -- parking, picnic area, pier, boat ramp; no restrooms) Description: 1500-acre lake surrounded by wilderness; best way to bird is by boat Web site: www.laketrafford.com Pictured above: Common Moorhen, Least Bittern, Black-necked Stilt

2. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Location: 375 Sanctuary Road West -- (239) 348-9151 Hours: 7 am-5:30 pm (entry closes at 4:30 pm) Admission: $12/adult & $6/child with discounts for National Audubon Society members Facilities: parking; restrooms, nature store, limited concessions at visitor center Description: 11,000-acre sanctuary owned by National Audubon Society; 2.25-mile boardwalk (wheelchair accessible) goes through five habitats including pine flatland, wet prairie, marsh, lettuce lakes, bald cypress forest Web site: www.corkscrewsanctuary.org (click on "Wildlife" and then "Birds" to get frequency of sightings charts) Pictured above: Barred Owl, Painted Bunting, Wood Stork

3. Clam Pass Park Location: 410 Seagate Drive Hours: sunrise to sundown Admission: parking $3/day or have a Collier County beach parking permit Facilities: parking; restrooms and concession stand at beach; tram ride to beach Description: 35-acre park with mangrove forest, tidal lagoon, coastal dunes, & beach; 3/4-mile boardwalk through mangroves Web site: www.colliergov.net Pictured above: Ring-billed Gull, Royal Tern, Sanderling

4. Naples Beach Location: Gulf Shore Blvd between 5th Ave N and 32nd Ave S Hours: none Admission: parking meters for City of Naples non-residents Facilities: parking at ends of the avenues; restrooms and snack bar at pier (pier at 12th Ave S) Description: expanse of beaches along Gulf coast Pictured above: Black-bellied Plover, Brown Pelican, Sandwich Tern

5. Sugden Regional Park Location: 4284 Avalon Drive Hours: 8 am - sundown Admission: none Facilities: parking; restrooms; 1.5-mile paved fitness trail around lake; beach & swimming; fishing piers Description: 120-acre park with 60-acre lake Web site: www.colliergov.net Pictured above: Laughing Gull, Osprey, Little Blue Heron

6. Eagle Lakes Community Park Location: 11565 Tamiami Trail East Hours: 8 am - 10 pm Admission: none Facilities: parking; restrooms; fitness trail; picnic shelter; lighted athletic fields Description: 32-acre park; pine flatwood with three lakes, 2.5-mile nature trail on berm around lakes (lakes are on the perimeter surrounding the athletic fields); bird checklist Web site: www.colliergov.net Pictured above: Bald Eagle, Wood Duck, Dunlin

7. Tigertail Beach Location: 400 Hernando Drive - Marco Island Hours: 8 am to sundown Admission: parking $3/day or have a Collier County beach parking permit Facilities: parking; restrooms and concession stand at entrance; picnic area Description: 31 acres along the shore; boardwalks over dunes from parking area to beach Web sites: www.colliergov.net, Friends of Tigertail Beach Pictured above: Peregrine Falcon, Piping Plover, Reddish Egret

Location: 20200 East Tamiami Trail -- (239) 394-3397 Hours: 8 am - sundown Admission: $4/car (up to 8 people in car) Facilities: parking; restrooms; visitor center & store; several campgrounds, 3/4-mile nature walk with boardwalk and observation tower; 3.6-mile off road bicycle trail, 6.5-mile hiking trail; 13.5-mile canoe trail (& canoe rental); private concessionaire offers boat tours into mangrove forest Description: mangrove forest, cypress swamp, salt marsh, pine flatwood Web site: www.floridastateparks.org/collier-seminole Pictured above: Pileated Woodpecker, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great-crested Flycatcher

9. Janes Scenic Drive Location: Copeland FL; entrance about 16 miles south of I-75 exit 80, about 5 miles north of US 41-SR 29 intersection Hours: state park hours are 8 am - sundown Admission: none Facilities: none Description: Janes Scenic Drive is an 11-mile gravel road that cuts through Fakahatchee Strand State Park, a 75,000-acre wilderness area. Old logging trams (primitive to ultra-primitive condition) are located along the road which visitors are welcome to walk on. Don't wander off the trams; it's easy to get lost. Web sites: Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, alternate site Pictured above: American Crow, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Warbler

10. Everglades National Park boat tour Location: dock at Ranger Station, 1/2-mile south of traffic circle Hours: call (239-695-2591 or 866-628-7275) Admission: call for boat tour times and prices Facilities: parking; restrooms, concessions, gift shop at Ranger Station; canoe rental Description: Everglades National Park boat tour through mangrove wilderness of 10,000 Islands Pictured above: Magnificent Frigatebird, White Ibis, Snowy Egret

11. Turner River Road Location: on US 41 (Tamiami Trail) 7.7 miles east of S.R. 29 intersection Hours: accessible 24 hours a day Admission: none Facilities: restrooms and parking at H.P.Williams Wayside at the beginning of the road Description: 17-mile graded dirt road through a variety of habitats in the Big Cypress National Preserve Web description: National Park Service guide Pictured above: Greater Yellowlegs, Green Heron, Eastern Bluebird

Additional birding spots Delnor Wiggins State Park (web site) 11100 Gulfshore Drive (I-75 exit 111 and then west until road ends at Gulf) Barrier island park with beaches, dunes, mangrove lagoon; ample paved parking, pavillion with restrooms, $5/car admission; open 8 am-sundown Loop Road / Monroe Station US 41 (Tamiami Trail) 20 miles east of intersection with SR 29 Dirt road that begins in Big Cypress National Preserve and returns to US 41 in Everglades National Park; road can be rough in rainy season; no facilities or admission fee Picayune Strand State Forest (web site) Sabal Palm Rd. (4.3 miles south of I-75 off CR 951, and then 3.2 miles east of intersection with CR 951) Use the Sabal Palm Hiking Trail (3.5-miles in figure 8 pattern, look for "Trailwalker" sign); stay on marked trail and take water; there will be wet portions during rainy season; no facilities; open dawn to dark Fritchey Road Wetlands Fritchey Road (from intersection of CR 951 and US 41, go 3.3 miles east on US 41 to Greenway Road and turn left; the go .75 miles to Fritchey Rd. and turn right Bird from the road and look to the flooded fields and wetlands to the right; no facilities or admission fee STA5 (Stormwater Treatment Area 5) Hendry County Created wetlands northeast of Immokalee -- reservations and guide required. Information below

STORMWATER TREATMENT AREA 5 (STA-5) BIRD-WATCHING TOURS HENDRY-GLADES AUDUBON WEB SITE Through a partnership with Hendry-Glades Audubon, the South Florida Water Management District offers escorted birding tours at Stormwater Treatment Area 5 (STA-5) south of Clewiston in eastern Hendry County. The stormwater treatment areas, owned and operated by the South Florida Water Management District, are vast, constructed wetlands that use vegetation to naturally cleanse excess nutrients from water before it enters the Everglades. These remote, shallow-water marshes attract many species of nesting wading birds, migratory and other water fowl such as great blue herons, wood storks, snowy egrets, great egrets and fulvous whistling ducks. Tours are open to anyone, but participants must register to reserve a space on the trips. To sign up for the STA-5 Birding Tour: Send an e-mail to Margaret England with your name and contact information including an emergency cell number for the tour day, the date you want to go, and the number in your party. You may also leave a message at (863) 674-0695 or (863) 517-0202. Reminders: Bring sunscreen, water and snacks and wear hats and closed-toe shoes. Tour-participants must stay on the levee. We are allowed to carpool around levy. There is no age minimum for the trips. Participants must bring the signed liability release. Directions (map below): from Immokalee: Continue east on C.R. 846 in to Hendry County. Turn right (east) at the intersection with C.R. 833 and drive to the intersection with C.R. 835. Turn left. Stay on C.R. 835 to Blumberg Road and turn right (south). Continue another 9 miles to the STA-5 turnoff (dirt road). Go south for 2-1/2 miles on the dirt road to the STA-5 entrance gate. Park before the gate in the area to the right (map below). from US 27: Continue east through Clewiston on Highway 27. Look for Evercane Road (CR 835) and the J & J Ag Products sign. Continue south on CR 835 for about 9-1/2 miles to Blumberg Rd (at the second bend in the road). Turn left onto Blumberg and continue another nine miles to the STA-5 turnoff (dirt road). Go south for 2-1/2 miles on the dirt road to the STA-5 entrance gate. Park before the gate in the area to the right.