Stromboli's Rolling Log

November 8, 2012 Part II
Sanibel Island and the "Ding" Darling NWR

Thursday November 8, 2012 At Ft Myers FL

Today was Ruth and my day to “do a some birding”. We had a leisurely AM with breakfast in the Hotel (La Quinta), and headed out without Cathy as she was down with a stomach problem. We will check on her later. (She was fine by 2:30 when we returned.)

Ding Darling is a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) situated on Sanibel Island and has been designated as such since the 1940’s when the state of Florida in all its “wisdom” wanted to sell the wilderness to developers for $.50 an acre. “Ding “ gathered his forces and saved the area for posterity. It contains the last natural Mangrove swamp in the country.

Jay “Ding” Darling was one of the best known men in his time and was a famous cartoonist, started the “Duck Stamp” program, designed the Blue Goose for the NWR system, and contributed many years to conservation efforts.

New bridges to Sanibel Island . Toll is $6.00 (ouch!)

The day was sunny, and the drive was over a few bridges (more islands) to get to Sanibel Island. Hurricane Charlie in 2004 devastated the Refuge, but it is recovering . A short 4 mile walk/drive allows all to get a first hand look at the wildlife there . This includes mammals, invertebrates, butterflies, birds and plant life. Some drive, some walk, and some ride bikes through the 4 mile one lane road of the Refuge. There is much to see. As the Refuge is now extended to 15 islands surrounding this one on PIne Island.

We were able to see the following birds there today:

Roseate Spoonbill, Mockingbird, DC Cormorant, B. Kingfisher, Laughing Gull, G B Heron, Gr. Egret, Sharp Shinned Hawk, Crow, Osprey, Turkey and Black Vulture, White Ibis, Rock Dove, Cattle Egret, Little Blue Heron, Kestrel, Catbird, White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Snowy Egret, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wood Stork, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Bald Eagle (immature) , Willet, Cardinal, Reddish Egret and Common Tern.

The Eagle, a 2nd year one, dove into the water and brought up a fish for its dinner. Great sight.

Snowy Egret (Yellow feet, black bill)

Some of the White Pelicans

Ruth spotted this Wood Stork in a tree on a "drive around" Ding Darling NWR

Western Sandpipers

Less frequently seen is the Reddish Egret

It was good to get out and stretch every once in a while. We did meet people from other places in the world. There are many European travelers especially , Belgium, Germany, England, and Japan as well. These we did talk to. We did not see any alligators , however , which surprised us. Many White Pelicans had started coming to the NWR and they were there in some large numbers. The visitor center was rebuilt in 1999. It has more than 1 million visitors per year. An excellent birding spot.

When we returned ,Ruth took the time to instruct Cathy on the new camera she bought her as the old one was really eating up the batteries that would cost more than the camera! I think Cathy has it mastered now so she can have a digital camera with a battery pack for recharging.

We did dinner one more time at “Mel’s” Diner. One of 5 here in Florida. This is one fantastic place and I would recommend the food, the ambiance, the staff, and of course the 1950’s era atmosphere on the walls and in the air. (Elvis, Marilyn, Bobby, “American Graffiti”,etc) It is a bit noisy as the crowd gets larger, but it is worth the effort. Oh yes, Ruth had the Lobster ($10.99), I had the Filet Mignon and three shrimp ($10.99) and Cathy had the Salmon for the same price. I celebrated with a Manhattan, my favorite. There were “senior” soft ballplayers in town for a National Tournament from many states in the country and they liked eating there.

So tomorrow we head north to the Tampa area where we will drop in on Cathy’s God Mother (Venice) and head for Busch Gardens on the next day. It is going well.