MUSAP ~ Martha's United States of America Photos: Florida

Final full day ~ off to Sanibel

MUSAP enjoying Ding Darling

Best thing about Day #5? Catching up with my friend Blair. We spent summers together in Duxbury when we were teenagers - lots of family memories. He moved to Florida over 30 years ago. We lost touch, then reconnected. We share a love of nature photography and push each other to do more and work for better photographs.

Blair looking for a heron that was hiding

Blair wanted to start the day with a sunrise shoot - I declined! He went without me and then came to pick me up for a day of photography fun.

shorebird with a fish, or it might be a shrimp

First stop of the day was Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. This has been a place we have visited together every winter for the past several years. Ding Darling is part of a mangrove ecosystem. It’s a stopping point for lots of migrating birds.

white pelicans

To see Ding Darling you drive along their Wildlife Drive and pull over whenever you see something of interest. Lots to see and not too much walking. We saw lots of egrets (great & snowy, herons (great blue, little blue, tri-color), anhinga, and pelicans.

tri-color heron

There was a flock of roseate spoonbills and I caught them in flight. Also saw a bald eagle when I was scanning the skies.

roseate spoonbills

There were lots of birders and photographers along the drive. Also some hopeful fisherman.

fisherman hoping for a bite

CLICK HERE for Ding Darling photos.

white ibis

After grabbing a quick lunch and picnic behind the store we headed to the Bailey Tract. This is another place we have photographed together on previous visits. It’s managed by Ding Darling, but far less crowded. There are several looping trails.

wildflower

Most of our photography was plants on this stop.

great egret

We saw an egret who posed well for the camera. Also a butterfly that stayed still for a photo op.

white peacock butterfly (thanks BTH for the ID on this one)

Blair noticed a rain gauge and discovered a little frog in the top of it.

frog (no idea what kind)

CLICK HERE for Bailey Track photos.

foliage at Bailey Tract

We were both getting tired but we weren’t done yet. Last stop on Sanibel was the fishing pier near the lighthouse at the south end of the island.

egret at dusk

It was nice to stroll on the beach and there were some birds at the water’s edge that were good subjects for my camera.

reddish egret

Our last stop of the day was Bunche Beach back in Ft Myers. We thought we might get some sunset photos but clouds had moved in so we weren’t successful with that idea. But being on the beach at the end of a day spent with a good friend was a nice ending to this adventure.