bird photography in Tampa Bay area

I will be in Tampa Bay, Florida first week of May. I would like to

know of any good spots for bird photography within a one to two hour

drive.

There's a place in Sarasota (about an hour from Tampa) called Jungle Gardens. They have a parrot show which is the main attraction, but for photography, there's a large natural looking environment which you can stroll through. They have a pretty decent variety of wild birds there including all kinds of Macaws, Flamingo's, some various waterfowl, etc. It's kind of cheedy looking from the outside, but you'll be pleasantly surprised by the photo oportunities you'll get.

Honeymoon Island(Near Palm Harbor) is a excellent place to get Osprey Photos,take bug spray!Lettace Lake Park in Tampa is nice for Ibis,Great White Heron , Great Blue , Wood Ducks Etc. This time of year just check the retention ponds and ditchs.

About an hour south of Tampa just off I-75 is Myakka River State Park (http://myakka.sarasota.fl.us/). Rent a canoe and paddle the river, or take the boat tour. Birds, alligators, bugs and heat. The last two shouldn't be too bad in May, though. Go real early in the day.

 

Also: from Sarasota south is a chain of barrier islands that are breeding sites for Florida sandhill cranes, skimmers, egrets, herons (great blue, little blue, tricolored, yellow-crowned night) etc. Most are developed to some degree, which has resulted in some funny symbioses...everyone fishing has an elsewhere-shy great blue heron in attendance, standing hopefully near the bait bucket. It's a beautiful area. The AAA Florida map will take you there.

 

Gerald Stone

If your time is limited and you don't mind zoo shots, Lowry Park in Tampa has a naturalistic walk-in aviary that may provide some good opportunities.

The famous Venice rookery is only about an hour or so south of Tampa, although I don't know whether May is the best time there.

 

Closer, Fort DeSoto in St. Petersburg can be good for warblers at that time of year (if you have a long lens).

 

Mitch

I will second Lettuce Lake as a nice place to shoot, nice boardwalks, but be prepared for low light in many areas. I live about 45 minutes south of Tampa and one of my favorite places is on Anna Maria Island, across the street from Bradenton Beach, a jewel of a place called Coquina Bay Walk. You will almost always find a cooperative Great Blue, White Egret, Little Blue and Black-capped Night Heron. I have also recently seen a Reddish Egret, a few kingfishers and woodstork. The man-made canals are created and continue to be restored by an Estuary organization as a place for fish to hatch and find their way back into the bay, so the boardwalk and trail lined canals are connected to Coquina Bay and the Gulf. Obviously where there are fish, there are wading birds. Coquina Bay is popular with Birders, but less with photographers. What will be nice in May is that you should see a number of immatures and the mangroove and saltmarsh setting makes nice background. You can also photograph Pelicans gliding over the water or diving for food from the many boardwalks overlooking the bay. At low tide the birds often feed on the flats near the boardwalks. If you have a the patience there are also palm warblers and other song birds to photograph. You could actually do a hop from Coquina Bay in the morning, then Oscar Scherer State Park along US 41 for scrub jays during the day, and hit the Venice Rookery in the afternoon. Have Fun, Donna B.

Donna B.

I just returned from a trip to Tampa where I was able to scout some locations for a future visit. I would highly recommend Honeymoon Island State Park, as someone else has suggested. Go to the north parking lot by the nature trails and take the trail at the north end of the lot. It's called the Osprey Trail and it didn't take long to figure out why. I lost count after 15 occupied nests. They were also on snags devouring fish, some perhaps 50 feet off the trail.

 

Phillipe Park in Safety Harbor is good. Follow the entrance road to the end. There is a pedestrian bridge where at low tide you can get egrets (snowy, great) and herons (great blue, yellow-crowned).

 

There's a road heading south from the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa (maybe it's called S. Bayshore Drive)where it intersects with Main Street. This will cross over a small bridge. There were brown pelicans on the spillway to the right (West) about 20 ft away. There is also a rookery in that small pond though it is not as close as the one in Venice. Good luck.