Southern Florida in August- places to go?

[SPF]

I was wondering if anyone could give me any pointers on places to go birding/ seeing any sort of wildlife in the Key West area. I am staying in Tavernier for 17 days in August and am hoping to go to the Everglades (Shark Valley, flamingo etc- I have been before and thought it was a fantastic place) and do a spot of diving. I am doing a little research for other places to go and I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on Big Cyprus, Dry Tortugas and Biscayne National Parks. I’ve just ordered the National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the US and been on the NPS website but I was wondering if anyone has any first hand knowledge of these places.
Anyone’s thought would be greatly appreciated,
Paul

[bobsofpa]

I have been to Everglades National Park in the summer and the only word I have for it is "mosquitos". So few people go there in the summer that camping is free. We tried it one year and left after only an hour.

Key West may be fine. Someone else will have to answer that part.

[skink1978]

Corkscrew Swamp and Ding Darling might be worth a visit, although both require a bit of a drive. If you're interested in all wildlife you may want to visit the Marina Store at Flamingo (Southern Everglades) as it's good for American Crocodile.
Sorry I can't help you with the Keys unless you want to see Key Deer.

[lockbreeze926]

In any back-country location in August, that far south, you can indeed expect your most loyal companions to be mosquitoes. However, I'd guess they could be less of a hassle in specific places in the keys, given the influence of the sea, but in the 'Glades you'll need a helicopter to keep them away.

I've never been to the Tortgugas, but reports are variable - the Florida birders' guide says something like "It can be sensational in spring, so why not in fall, too? It's just that nobody goes then", whereas a leading Fl birder reckons he has gone down there in fall and found it "empty".

[SPF]

Insects- last time I was okay with the mosquitoes (probably due to me bathing in repellant every morning) but I did get eaten by some large pink fly which took chunks out of my arm when I was walking round one of the hammock trails in the Everglades; the bites looked similar to the Predator's red scanner sights, nice.
The National Geographic book has come through the post this morning- so I'll be studying that this weekend.
They'll be 3 of us and we're probably going to go to the Everglades for a couple of days and then diving for 3 days after- so we’ve got 10 days to go about.
I’ve got Selby as well as one with the Rosetta spoonbill on the front and I’ve downloaded a couple of the birds lists- do you reckon it'll will be enough?

http://www.fosbirds.org/RecordCommittee/StateListFebruary2005.htm
http://www.nps.gov/archive/ever/eco/birds.htm

I hopefully keep good enough notes without them getting covered in sun screen for me to interpret what I've seen.

[lockbreeze926]

Insects- last time I was okay with the mosquitoes (probably due to me bathing in repellant every morning) but I did get eaten by some large pink fly which took chunks out of my arm when I was walking round one of the hammock trails in the Everglades; the bites looked similar to the Predator's red scanner sights, nice.
The National Geographic book has come through the post this morning- so I'll be studying that this weekend.
They'll be 3 of us and we're probably going to go to the Everglades for a couple of days and then diving for 3 days after- so we’ve got 10 days to go about.
I’ve got Selby as well as one with the Rosetta spoonbill on the front and I’ve downloaded a couple of the birds lists- do you reckon it'll will be enough?

http://www.fosbirds.org/RecordCommittee/StateListFebruary2005.htm
http://www.nps.gov/archive/ever/eco/birds.htm

I hopefully keep good enough notes without them getting covered in sun screen for me to interpret what I've seen.

In terms of guides for species and locations particular to Florida, the Bill Pranty book published by the ABA is the best, by a margin of miles. Just make sure you get the 5th edition.

Insects - yes, heavy application of repellent is generally effective for moskies, and also (in my experience) good enough to stop deer flies biting although not landing on you. I'm no entomologist, but the latter are like old-school Space Invader-type creatures, purple and oddly triangular.

However, the third grade of insect menace (which must be what you suffered from) is the horse fly and I don't know of anything that stops them, other than a swat. I believe the reason for their level of damage is that (unlike most insects) they don't sting or stab with a lance, they literally do bite with razor-sharp jaws, leaving big wounds. Luckily, they tend not to be found in great numbers in Florida, so you have a reasonable chance of fighting back. However, if they are evident in any type of abundance, I'd concede defeat and move elsewhere.

[csanchez7]

For the tamer and less-mosquito infested version of Everglades National Park, why not try Green Cay and Wakodahatchee Wetlands? These artificially constructed wetlands will give you a higher concentration of wildlife (birds) than Everglades National Park. Limpkins, Purple Gallinules, all the common waders, Anhingas and their ilk should be out in force. You should also get Mottled Duck and Black-bellied Whistling-duck, as they are reliably seen in both. Wakodahatchee Wetlands even has several small rookery islands featuring Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, and Anhinga nests.

I've never birded Key Biscayne National Park, but I know Bill Baggs State Park would probably be relatively unproductive in August. It's best to bird in that park when the migrations are going through, unless you really want to see Common Ground-doves and Northern Cardinals.

Big Cypress is neat, but I've only been there twice and both times in May. Sweetwater Strand is a reliable spot for Swallow-tailed Kite, Barred Owl, and Prothonotary Warbler. I've seen the owl and kite both times and the warbler the last time. Great views of King Rail, White-eyed Vireo, and Wood Stork were also nice. The Kirby Storter Boardwalk should have Tufted Titmouse and Eastern Bluebird, as well. This was in May though, and you're talking August.

You don't have to go all the way up to Merritt Island for Florida Scrub-jay, either. They are very reliably seen much farther south at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

Carlos

[SPF]

Greatly appreciated.
In my ignorance I didn't know there were State as well as National parks. I've been on the website and there seems to be plenty of different habitats for me to have a look around and I've picked up a book. Hopefully I won’t be bitten by every type insect whilst I'm doing it, but with my luck you never know.

[Guidenet]

As many have said, the Everglades can be pretty emty in the Summer. BUT, if you're willing to hike back into the trails and be fairly stealthy, you might happens on a lot more than one might think. I remember hiking with my gal way back down a trail and we heard a spash in the water beside us. I couldn't even see the water for the brush. I pushed back in, almost stepped on a snake, got some thorning vines wrapped around me, and never saw what made the splash, but up on a limb right above me was a beautiful Black Crowned Night Heron juvenile. It happens regularly if you're willing to get a little dirty.

http://www.guidenet.net/birds/blackcrownednightheron.jpg