J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, near Fort Myers, FL…

A nice side trip from the Fort Myers, Florida area is the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on the subtropical barrier island of Sanibel. It is known for its display of migratory bird populations and that fact that has one of the largest undeveloped mangrove populations in the USA.

Visiting wildlife refuges is a past time I will always enjoy going back to my roots of having studied Wildlife Biology back in college. I am always curious to not only see the refuge and it flora and fauna but I am also curious to see how the refuge is being managed and maintained. While working for Texas Parks and Wildlife I was a Biologist responsible for maintaining the natural integrity of parkland ecosystems in the eastern half of the state of Texas.

As a Biologist I assisted in many events such from prescribed burning to maintain habitat for endangered species such as Attwater's Prairie Chickens to eradicating non-native species such as sika and fallow deer from the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. So when I visit parks and refuges I am looking at them from two different perspectives… and from what I can see they are doing a lot of real good things here at the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

This super scenic four mile driving loop is well worth the $5.00 and if you have the National Park Access Pass your free for entry are waived. The absolute best to time to see the most wildlife will be during low tide. This would also make an absolutely wonderful bike ride, with camera in tow of course…

Blackpoint Wildlife Drive Park, Titusville, FL

If you are near the Titusville area then you really should take a daytrip over to the Canaveral National Seashore. Not only can you visit the National Seashore Park where you can lounge along the beach butyou will also pass a Road Treat along the way… The Road Treat I am referring to is the highlight of this area and it a nice little drive through the Blackpoint Wildlife Drive Park. Now keep in mind both of these parks are fee based but if you have a National Park Access Pass your free for entry are waived.

This self guided drive takes you along marshes, ponds and uplands where you will see a lot of different species of birds… some of the many we were able to spot were the Great Blue Heron, Tri-colored Herons, Green-backed Herons, Wood Storks, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Reddish Egrets, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, large flocks of Gadwall, American Widgeon and American Coots. Double-breasted Cormorants, Common Gallinule, Anhinga, Belted Kingfishers and Pied-billed Grebes. We also saw many other species and other notable were Osprey, Northern Harriers and one stately Bald Eagle.

 

If you are ever in this area I would recommend you take a trip to this beautiful park drive and really enjoy the day…

High Tides @ Snack Jacks, Restaurant/Bar Flagler Beach, FL…

Wednesday we discovered a new road treat as there is a small restaurant/bar on the beach here at Flagler called High Tides @ Snack Jacks. We like to walk along the beach and noticed that this place was within walking distance. The actual address is 2805S. Oceanshore Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL. The Story of Two Women and a Dream on how this place came to be is an interesting read… So we were there on a Wednesday and we looked it up on the internet to see if they had a Happy Hour and guess what? It was Wacky Wednesday at High Tides @ Snack Jacks… whoopie…

Off we went about a quarter mile down the beach and after a short stroll up the stairs, we were at a table overlooking the ocean ordering some frosty beverages. Now what is Wacky Wednesday? Domestic bottles and pints are only a buck fifty!!! Well what can I say we stayed and watched the sun set over the water before making our way back home. Oh by the way they serve food here too but with beer at a buck fifty and an ocean view who is eating…