Orlando area Wildlife locations?

[Abinoone]

Greetings,
I'll be staying in the Winter Park/Orlando, Florida area in Jan & Feb, and would like to visit favorable locations for wildlife photography within approximately 1 hour of where I'll be staying. What are your favorite spots, and what might I be able to find there during these winter months? Thanks for any advice you may have.

 

[FB101]

I think you’ll get a robust list from everybody as your location is quite central so let me start with the obvious ones

circle B Bar - you’ll see most of the usual Florida suspects (except spoonbills which I have never seen there) plus migrants like whistling ducks, buntings and usually sandhill cranes with babies. If you are lucky a few owls do make the park their home. The most unique opportunity are birds in flight over the lake at sunrise. The beauty of Cicle B bar is that you have at least 4 distinct habitats with very different visitors.

Orlando wetlands - its feast or famine there but overall feast more often than famine. most Birds from Florida (except burrowing owls) can be found there.

Blackpoint wildlife drive: a bit further away but yet another type of environments. One of my most lucky places so far for kingfishers and reddish egrets.

‘Sebastian Inlet: 2hr drive from Orlando so outside of your desired range but well worth the effort to get up early once or twice to see the ospreys diving. Need to be there before sunrise ideally.

 

[ajrmd]

I think you’ll get a robust list from everybody as your location is quite central so let me start with the obvious ones

circle B Bar - you’ll see most of the usual Florida suspects (except spoonbills which I have never seen there) plus migrants like whistling ducks, buntings and usually sandhill cranes with babies. If you are lucky a few owls do make the park their home. The most unique opportunity are birds in flight over the lake at sunrise. The beauty of Cicle B bar is that you have at least 4 distinct habitats with very different visitors.

Orlando wetlands - its feast or famine there but overall feast more often than famine. most Birds from Florida (except burrowing owls) can be found there.

Blackpoint wildlife drive: a bit further away but yet another type of environments. One of my most lucky places so far for kingfishers and reddish egrets.

‘Sebastian Inlet: 2hr drive from Orlando so outside of your desired range but well worth the effort to get up early once or twice to see the ospreys diving. Need to be there before sunrise ideally.

How can you forget Lake Apopka, less than 20 miles/30 minutes away from Orlando? North of that is Emerelda Marsh (hit or miss). Gatorland in Orlando used to be a favorite though it's better later in nesting season. Of course, if he wants to drive further, there are a plethora of sites.

 

[JAJohnson]

I think you’ll get a robust list from everybody as your location is quite central so let me start with the obvious ones

circle B Bar - you’ll see most of the usual Florida suspects (except spoonbills which I have never seen there) plus migrants like whistling ducks, buntings and usually sandhill cranes with babies. If you are lucky a few owls do make the park their home. The most unique opportunity are birds in flight over the lake at sunrise. The beauty of Cicle B bar is that you have at least 4 distinct habitats with very different visitors.

Orlando wetlands - its feast or famine there but overall feast more often than famine. most Birds from Florida (except burrowing owls) can be found there.

Blackpoint wildlife drive: a bit further away but yet another type of environments. One of my most lucky places so far for kingfishers and reddish egrets.

‘Sebastian Inlet: 2hr drive from Orlando so outside of your desired range but well worth the effort to get up early once or twice to see the ospreys diving. Need to be there before sunrise ideally.

I second each of these locations mentioned by @FB101 and add the egret and heron rookery at Gatorland if you can be there in late February.

Have fun!

 

[kanonka]

Yes, Orlando wetlands is great, but it's hit or miss. Gazillion of spoonbills few weeks ago, none a week ago. Blackpoint wildlife drive - been there three times April-June this year, basically no birds :(

 

[abc123brian]

That is a great time to be in the area and you will have a lot of opportunities nearby. There will be many migratory birds around. A note on Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive recommendations. It is a great place to see many birds, including small warblers and buntings, but it is only open to vehicle traffic on Friday-Sunday and is often crowded. You are able to walk or cycle through other days but there is no shade and the paths are quite long and don’t loop. I’ve seen a couple snow geese, Spoonbills, peregrine, and otters there but they are not common. Black Point Wildlife Drive has all the common large birds that hang out near the coast including spoonbills. There is also an area near there to see scrub jays and the visitor center has a boardwalk that you may see buntings and other small birds. There are also flamingos around there but I’ve heard you need a kayak to get to where they are hanging out. Near winter park there is Meade Botanical Gardens. I’ve only been there a couple times and primarily seen ducks, but I’ve seen photos from others of many different species including Barred Owls. Orlando Wetlands is not far and has many great opportunities for birds. I have many great shots of spoonbills from there. Circle B Bar is a bit further than your listed range but worth the trip. Also some areas to see some of the unique invasive species like peacocks, monkeys, and parakeets not too far.

 

[JAJohnson]

Yes, Orlando wetlands is great, but it's hit or miss. Gazillion of spoonbills few weeks ago, none a week ago. Blackpoint wildlife drive - been there three times April-June this year, basically no birds :(

I’ve been to Orlando Wetlands twice this year, mid March and late April. March was great, April, not so much. Blackpoint Drive was wild in March. Spoonbills, Several varieties of Egrets, Wood Storks, White Ibis, White and Brown Pelicans, Skimmers, Anhinga and no bugs.

 

[ajrmd]

That is a great time to be in the area and you will have a lot of opportunities nearby. There will be many migratory birds around. A note on Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive recommendations. It is a great place to see many birds, including small warblers and buntings, but it is only open to vehicle traffic on Friday-Sunday and is often crowded. You are able to walk or cycle through other days but there is no shade and the paths are quite long and don’t loop. I’ve seen a couple snow geese, Spoonbills, peregrine, and otters there but they are not common. Black Point Wildlife Drive has all the common large birds that hang out near the coast including spoonbills. There is also an area near there to see scrub jays and the visitor center has a boardwalk that you may see buntings and other small birds. There are also flamingos around there but I’ve heard you need a kayak to get to where they are hanging out. Near winter park there is Meade Botanical Gardens. I’ve only been there a couple times and primarily seen ducks, but I’ve seen photos from others of many different species including Barred Owls. Orlando Wetlands is not far and has many great opportunities for birds. I have many great shots of spoonbills from there. Circle B Bar is a bit further than your listed range but worth the trip. Also some areas to see some of the unique invasive species like peacocks, monkeys, and parakeets not too far.

Yes, Apopka is open to vehicles (~15 mile loop) only on the weekends, however it is open to foot/bike traffic on other days. In addition to the plethora of gators, it is a waterfowl haven (dozens of species depending on the year), lots of osprey near the pump house, eagles, GBH, Egrets in every conformation, Greenies, Night Herons,... and winter is a great time to be there. https://lakeapopkawildlife.us/access-trail-map/

 

[doclrb]

Good Evening. Any particular recommendations for early-mid January, pls?

TY

Les

 

[RickW]

Ft. DeSoto Park in Tampa. Might be a tad longer drive than 1 hour, but one of the premier birding locales in the U.S.

I should add….if you decide to make the drive, be sure to factor in the God awful traffic on I-4. Time it wrong and it could take 2+ hours.

 

[RickW]

Forgot to mention Viera Wetlands