The term “snowbird” is used a lot here in SW Florida, mostly meaning part time residents who spend the summer months “up north” and migrate back to the Sunshine State in the fall. Birds also migrate to warmer climes for the winter. Here is one of our favorites, the American White Pelican (Pelicanus erythrorynchos).
Wealways look for these birds to return to Placida in November….We summer in Maine and usually return before the pelicans!
This yearwe werelucky enough to see migrating flocks before any landed atthe local pelican hotspot behind Miss Cindy’s Fish Market in Placida.
A few days later and “our” birds arrived. Much larger than our year round Brown Pelicans, with an impressive 9 ft wingspan.
There are lots of places to seeAmerican Whites.
You can see them from the shore, but take a paddle out into Placida Harbor and Gasparilla sound…..there’s lots more to see!
Steven Scott
Steven Scott is a photonaturalist blogger based in Florida and Maine. He has surveyed butterflies with Earthwatch Institute in the mountains of Vietnam, tagged juvenile snook with Mote Marine Laboratory in the mangroves of Florida and filmed a BioBlitz insect survey in Acadia National Park. A registered nurse and retired Army officer, Steven believes man is an integral part of nature and travels annually to Vietnam with humanitarian medical teams from Vets With a Mission.
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