Hi.
We are planning our first family birding trip for next spring (three weeks between February and May). Then our toddler will be about one year so too much driving will not be reasonable. Since we have visited Western USA before, the flight to the East is not that long and the country is not too big we are considering a trip to Florida.
- What is the best time to visit Florida (not too hot, still migrants and already breeding birds)?
- Are there good and spacious campgrounds or any other family friendly accomodations in Florida (actually we hate motels).
- What are the the must-have-visited sites in Florida (especially for Eastern US birding newbies)?
- Is it worthwile to camp on the Dry Tortugas?
Regards
urbandove
I think that, of the months you are considering, March would probably be the best month, a time when it's not too hot, and still lots of migrants around. While I highly recommend the Keys in general, camping at Dry Tortugas would not be a good idea with a toddler. The campsites are primitive. There is much more family friendly camping in the lower or middle Keys. I highly recommend Curry Hammock near Marathon for some nice campgrounds along the Great Florida Birding Trail. A day trip to Dry Tortugas would be perfectly reasonable, however. Just leave from Key West at about 6am on the American Freedom ferry and you can get in a solid four to five hours there. And if it's March or April it's a great time of year for the Magnificent Frigatebirds.
The Keys are great because you can see all sorts of birds that you're not going to find in the northern and central parts of Florida. Caribbean birds like the white-crowned pigeon are fairly common in the Keys, and you might even get lucky and see a Key West Quail Dove.
The South Florida region is really terrific because are all sorts of shorebirds, gulls, terns, herons, egrets, and raptors. Virtually every species of these birds found in Florida can be found in the southern region, and some, such as night herons, or the roseate spoonbill, are far more readily seen in South Florida than elsewhere.
There is some really terrific birding to be had in the Everglades, a little spot called Flamingo is a very nice place with spacious campgrounds. But it is not the best place for a baby, even in the middle of winter you'll get eaten alive by mosquitos. Not to mention that there are snakes, alligators and crocodiles. But you will definitely see a breathtaking variety of birds, just do so at your own risk.
Kissimmee Prairie State Park is nice as well, just north of Okeechobee. You'll be able to see some interesting birds you won't readily find elsewhere, like the Crested Caracara, which are abundant in the Kissimmee Prairie. The campgrounds here are also very nice.
