birding in naples

we spent a long weekend in naples, florida, visiting the naples staples. while most of the weekend was spent eating and sunning ourselves poolside, our photographs from the weekend were decidedly ornithological in nature.

the first bird sighting was an unusual duck with a suspected facial parasite. we spotted him just outside the staples' condo.

our next sighting was on this fancy collier county manhole cover. behold, the florida turkey!

a trip to the naples pier yielded views of pelican dive-bombing for fish in the warm gulf waters.


here, a birder in action, sets out from the silver oaks condo association.

nothing brings a father-in-law and a daughter-in-law together like bird watching from the lanai.

likewise for mother and son (viewing a nesting barred owl).

we were greeted with the promise of bird sightings at the corkscrew swamp sanctuary.

many beautiful birds live within the sanctuary, protected by the national audubon society.

a beautiful bird perches precariously above awaiting alligators.

let us not forget the most important bird of all: the early bird special. here we are, a group of inadvertent birders, capping the weekend after a delicious meal.

a good time was had.