Suggest Florida preserves, parks (wildlife)

Ok so the goal is to try and attempt to get as much out of a 7 day trip to Florida as possible. I will be going area into Tampa and willing to drive many miles from the area to achieve an awesome 1 week wildlife shoot. Last year I did a few days this time I have more time to kill. So basically any and all suggestions that I can put into the agenda would be GREATLY appreciated.

I am trying to put the list of places to visit together now I have roughly 2 weeks to try and put together my itinerary.

Not one suggestion for great birding. No help

kcrunchone wrote in post #18811890
Not one suggestion for great birding. No help

Sorry I can't help with birding specifically but Weeki Wachee Springs might have some good opportunities for wild life shots. It's about an hour or so from Tampa depending on where exactly you're going to be.

thanks, hopefully before I leave i get some more intel..

https://www.nps.gov/bi​cy/planyourvisit/maps.​htm
Had a blast on the Turner river Road Florida seen many Ibis, Egrets, osprey, vultures, cormorants, Be Aware to be there early in the morning due to the heat of the Sun. Or later on the day on the sunset.

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The very best birding spot in west central Florida is Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland.

90+% of the bird pictures I post here I shot at the B. It's nearly 1300 acres so bring good shoes. In fact, I take my bike. Be aware of the gators.....there are plenty of them. Go for the sunrise or set.

Here's a map. The little hook looking thing at the right in the water is the dock. Usually lots of activity. Don't bother with the Eagle's Roost trail. There's nothing there. Marsh Rabbit Run and Wading Bird are good as well, but not always.

Honeymoon Island State Park is near Tampa and has dozens of nesting Osprey pairs and one Bald Eagle pair. Distance from the birds can frequently be an issue though.

I would highly recommend the Orlando Wetlands for a variety of birds including spoonbills, egrets, herons, hawks and owls.

Over here in St. Augustine we've got the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. True, it's not a preserve, but it's definitely the safest way to view and photograph them. They've also got a nice rookery there for bird shots. Washington Oaks State Park is okay, but wildlife is hit or miss. More often than not you'll see some osprey and that's about it.

Aside from wildlife, though, we are the oldest city in the United States (est. 1565), and have a wealth of history...

fantastic images. this is my first break from work and I am able to actually respond. I have started making a list of all the suggestions that are coming in. Thank you anything that you might be able to think of I would appreciate it. I am flying down with a group and any Intel that could make the trip and group happy is really appreciated.

thanks a million we have this on the list as well. we went last year and it was absolutely fantastic. It will definitely be on the list again this time as well

what is washington oaks more known for?? I am up for any place that will be a productive part of the trip. thank you so much I appreciate the help

I posted about some places in south Florida a few years ago. Some of these places might be of interest.
https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=18352823

A couple other places:
Merritt Island near Titusville is famous and can be great, but has been less productive more recently
Orlando Wetlands Park near Christmas, FL is excellent.
Gatorland near Orlando is a special place. You can get in early on some days to do bird photography in their rookery.

I haven't been to Florida in a while and things might have changed.

Here are a couple of maps showing birding spots around Bradenton and Orlando. Some detail is obscured, but I can zoom in on areas of interest. Let me know.

The Rookery at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine is amazing.

Here's a couple of images that I got there.

Thank you I have added the location to my list