Ospreys Anyone?

Ospreys Anyone? Earl Plato Part Two - Ding Darling Nature Refuge, Florida - We continued and on our left were a series of poles each topped with a small platform. I thought I knew what they were, nesting platforms for one of my favourite birds of prey, the Osprey. Again with the help of other visitors I learned that the refuge staff had built artificial osprey nesting sites. Did we see any? Not one. The nesting population we were told had numbered from 35 to 50 over the past five years. We were there at the wrong time. We saw several alligators along the way. One photo I took shows a Great Blue Heron less than ten feet from a good-sized "gator." The heron seemed to sense the potential danger and moved quickly away to a safer distance. The next stop was the Shell Mound Trail where the Calusa Indians once lived. We walked along a raised boardwalk through the red mangrove jungle. We had been told by one of the volunteers back at the Center to listen for the "Witchity-witchity-witchity" loud call of the Common Yellowthroat. It is a a small, delicate bird that sings anytime of the day unlike other birds. We saw flashes of yellow but did not hear any calls. We headed on to the Bailey Tract Trail where we were told several species of birds would be found. We were fascinated by Great Rgrets and White Ibises "foot raking" in search of food. It was a great sight. Overhead I saw a bird soaring and grabbed my g;asses. Was it an osprey? No, the markings on the wing told me that it was a Red-shouldered hawk, a medium size bird. Spindly-legged sandpipers were standing feeding in the shallows. We heard some beautiful song birds in the mangrove forest behind us. We returned to the Visitor Center with a car completely coated in dust. At the center on a display board was listed 291 species of birds, over 60 reptiles and amphibians and at least 32 different mammals. We would like to come again. It had been a good ramble in a different setting. Through the Internet this February 2005 I have learned that Ding Darling has recovered and is going strong in 2005. Love nature? You’ll love Ding Darling Nature Center on Sanibel Island.