Or even northern Minnesota! This morning I drove over to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary a bit southeast of Fort Myers. The sanctuary has a three mile boardwalk that winds through various habitat including a mangrove swamp. Wow … the habitat is amazing, and I have never walked within a Mangrove Swamp. I did not miss the frozen northern Minnesota bog!

The highlight of the morning for me was a lifer, the Painted Bunting. Better yet, by arriving close to opening at the Audubon sanctuary (7 am), I had a very private experience to begin with on the boardwalk. When I left just a bit before noon, the large parking lot was almost full. Moral to the story … bird early everywhere, but particularly in populous Florida.

Painted Bunting (male and female)

Little Blue Heron

Peekaboo Cardinal

Rory the Raccoon

Barred Owl

Anhinga