Hummingblog

Florida Highlights

My wife and I just returned from a vacation to the Naples, Florida area and were able to do a few days of birding and butterfly watching. The only life bird for me on this trip was Snowy Plover at Tigertail Beach on Marco Island, but had quite a few new butterflies, as that is a more recent obsession. The dates for our trip were March 20-31. Here are some highlights---

Shark Valley, Everglades Nat'l Park (Tram Tour): Snail Kite, Great White Heron (subsp. of Great Blue Heron), Purple Gallinule, Black-necked Stilt. Butterflies: Palamedes Swallowtail, Phaon Crescent, Viceroy, Gulf Fritillary (Stunning!).
Corkscrew Sanctuary: (This is a gorgeous old-growth cypress swamp which is a must visit if in southwest Florida). Painted Bunting(male showing very well at close range at feeder), Limpkin on nest, Barred Owl, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Louisiana Waterthrush, Ovenbird. Butterflies: Spicebush Swallowtail.

Other new Butterflies for the area were Cassius Blue, White Peacock, and Mangrove Skipper.

Click on Butterfly Pics below to enlarge!!

Black Skimmer

Phaon Crescent

Mangrove Skipper

Posted by brianherriott at April 5, 2004 05:40 PM