A Day at the Celery Fields!

Early one cloudy Sunday morning a friend and I headed south to Sarasota. We went to a place called the Celery Fields on Palmer Blvd which is a regional storm water facility.

A popular place for birding and a favorite place for the Audubon. We walked around the southern cells, viewing from the two boardwalks or piers into the marsh. We counted 28 different types of birds from Black-bellied Whistling Ducks to Northern Cardinals. The Ibis (White and Glossy) and Boat-tail Grackles were the count leaders.     We saw all sorts of Egrets in the marsh and a few Sandhill cranes flow overhead. Watched a Green Heron hunting for food, always a joy to watch.

We did see a pair of Red Shouldered hawks flying around together, chasing one another. A behavior I have never witnessed before. There were reports of a Broad Winged Hawk, but we didn’t get to see it.

The Celery Fields is a interesting place to walk around and spend the day. As we walked, we heard something you do not hear every day, a Lion roar.  Then I remembered there is a big cat rescue about a block away.

But definitely a place I will visit again, soon.