After the water returned, the wildlife
miraculously returned
A well-documented hot spot for bird watching,
Celery Fields hosts large numbers of diverse bird
species. In early 2001 the Sarasota Audubon Society
began conducting bird surveys at the Fields. To
date, 246 species have been recorded. Wintertime
offers particularly good birding, hosting sparrows,
marsh and sedge wrens and several species of
rails, including sora and Virginia. The Fields also
host breeding birds, including black-necked stilts,
king rails, least bitterns, limpkins, purple gallinules,
barn owls and eastern meadowlarks. Least terns
breed on nearby buildings and use the ponds as a
primary food source. In winter of 2018 unsuspecting
birdwatchers spotted the fi rst least fl ycatcher and an
ash-throated fl ycatcher at Celery Fields. These birds
are unusual for Florida, and even more unusual in
Sarasota County.
Roseate spoonbill
Red-winged blackbird
Snowy egret with a bluegill
Wood stork
Painted Turtle
Cloudless sulfur butterfl y