Shore Bird Watching on Sanibel Island

Spend a lazy afternoon doing a little bird watching from your beach chair at this birding hotspot.

Fall in Florida is like spring up north. Floridians slowly emerge from their air-conditioned cocoons, opening the windows and taking deep breaths of cool fresh air that has finally lost the seemingly-endless heat and humidity of the last few months. We recently took advantage of this beautiful fall weather with a trip to one of our favorite Florida getaways, Sanibel Island. In addition to the wonderful J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the beaches are famous for their shells, and shore birds gather there in the hundreds too. If you’re feeling a little lazy, you can just lie in your beach chair with a pair of binoculars and a camera and check out all the action while barely lifting a finger! Here are some of our favorite shore bird watching photos from our recent trip.

Shore Bird Watching - Brown PelicanJill Staake
Jill Staake Brown Pelican
Shore Bird Watching - Royal TernJill Staake
Jill Staake Royal Tern
Shore Bird Watching - Ruddy TurnstoneJill Staake
Jill Staake Ruddy Turnstone
Shore Bird Watching - Ruddy TurnstoneJill Staake
Jill Staake Ruddy Turnstone
Shore Bird Watching - SanderlingsJill Staake
Jill Staake Sanderlings
Shore Bird Watching - Sandwich TernJill Staake
Jill Staake Sandwich Tern
Shore Bird Watching - Sandwich TernJill Staake
Jill Staake Sandwich Tern
Shore Bird Watching - Sleepy Sanderling TrioJill Staake
Jill Staake Some Sleepy Sanderlings
Shore Bird Watching - SanderlingsJill Staake
Jill Staake Sanderlings at Rest
Shore Bird Watching - WilletsJill Staake
Jill Staake Willets

Planning a trip to Florida or other southern shores this winter? Get some Low Tide Beach Birding Tips to make the most of your bird watching time at the shore!

Jill Staake
Jill lives in Tampa, Florida, and writes about gardening, butterflies, outdoor projects and birding. When she's not gardening, you'll find her reading, traveling and happily digging her toes into the sand on the beach.