At the Apollo Beach Nature Preserve,
a tiny coastal park packed with diversity,
little blue and great blue herons frequent
the area, as they wait to steal food from
local fishermen. Ospreys nest around
the park, as do terns, sandpipers, and
gulls. Some of its prettiest birds are the
common ground-doves, tricolored herons,
loggerhead shrikes, and belted kingfishers.
At the Little Manatee River State Park,
there are over ten miles of trails that wind
through the woods, and the picturesque
Little Manatee River flows throughout
the area. To me, its main attraction is
the sandy pine and palmetto forest in
the northeastern section of the park.
Many habitats such as these have been
destroyed throughout Florida, as a result
of development. However, here you can
see what much of central Florida once
looked like and where Florida scrub-jays,
gopher tortoises and armadillos still live
in harmony.
At the mouth of Tampa Bay in Fort De
Soto Park, you can find huge numbers
of shorebirds and terns along the park’s
sandy beaches. Migration is the big draw
for birders and naturalists. Since it is
located just off the Gulf Coast, Fort De
Soto Park is flooded with thousands of
birds that migrate north over the park
each spring. Migrating birds use natural
landmarks like this island to find their
way. You can also find a staggering
diversity of warblers, orioles, grosbeaks
and vireos in the area’s scrub woodlands.
These hungry migrants are easy to spot
in the low-hanging mulberry bushes. In
addition to songbirds, you can observe the
rambunctious sandwich and royal terns,
152 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
A number
of shorebird
species nest
along the
shores of
Tampa Bay,
including these
sandwich terns.
plus active herds of sandpipers and plovers
dancing in the waves as they touch the
shoreline.
Florida has a well-earned reputation
for being an incredible area to view birds
and other wildlife. Plenty of its smaller
parks are worth visiting, if only for a
peaceful stroll through the woods. We
live in paradise, and all we have to do is
take the time to enjoy it. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Nature photographer Brian
Magnier, a graduate of Cornell University and
the University of Miami, can be contacted
at (413) 426-6029. His work can be viewed
at https://www.flickr.com/photos/
brianmagnier/.
NATURE
Florida has a well-earned reputation for
being an incredible area to view birds
and other wildlife.