Miami has a variety of attractions for tourists that revolve around animal and bird
life. These include the Miami Seaquarium, Parrot Jungle Island, Monkey Jungle and Miami
Zoo. However even more attractive are the truly wild animals and birds that can be seen in
South Florida. The Intracoastal waterway and other canals along the highways and roads
plus numerous lakes in residential areas and along the highway attract birdlife
particularly water fowl. For the best experience, South Florida, in the areas around
Miami, has numerous parks where the truly wild can be seen.
In the Palm Beach area there is Grassy Waters Preserve, Marinelife of June Beach,
Hungryland Boardwalk And Trail, John D. Macarthur Beach State Park, Okeeheelee Park Nature
Center. In the Boca Raton Area there is Gumbo Limbo Nature Center
and Fern Forest Nature Center.
In Hollywood there is Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park. Broward County has
Tree Tops Park, while Greynolds Park is located on Miami Beach. Two of the parks that are easily accessible for those in the south Miami
area are Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park.
Biscayne National Park is located at 9700 SW 328th St., Homestead. Ninety-five percent
of this marine park is underwater and features colorful coral reefs and undeveloped keys
in Biscayne Bay. Most of the keys are covered by mangroves and tropical hardwood hammocks.
The park has a walkway along the seafront that is fringed with mangrove. It is a good
location for seeing various species that associate with water, including ring-billed
gulls, double crested cormorants, ruddy turnstones, woodpeckers and grackles. Fishing is
allowed at designated areas in the park plus kayak and canoe rentals are available. The
park is open from 7am to 5.30pm daily and entry to the park is free of charge.
Close to Biscayne Park is the Biscayne Boat Dock, which has a $5 entry fee. At the boat
dock there is a small beach for swimming with lifeguards, rest rooms and a snack bar. For
a more active afternoon or morning, saltwater fishing is allowed among the mangroves and
along the walkway. For the birdwatcher, sapsuckers, ospreys, grebes and cormorants can be
seen.
To get to Biscayne National Park take Florida's Turnpike south to Exit 6 (Speedway
Boulevard), turning left from the exit ramp and continuing south to Southwest 328th Street
(North Canal Drive). Turn left and continue to the end of the road. The entrance is about
approximately five miles on the left.
Everglades National Park covers over 1.4 million acres with a diverse habitat
ranging from the marine and estuarine areas of Florida Bay to pinelands, hardwood
hammocks, and vast sawgrass marshes and freshwater sloughs. The park offers the
opportunity for a wide range of activities including; beach combing, birding, camping,
diving, fishing, hiking, photography, ranger led activities, snorkeling, swimming and
wildlife watching.
There are three campgrounds inside the park; Long Pine Key, Flamingo, and Chekika and
all campgrounds are open year round. Canoes may be rented at Flamingo and Gulf Coast.
Bicycling is permitted along the main park roads, on the Shark Valley tram road, on the
Old Ingraham Highway, on Long Pine Key Nature Trail, and on the Snake Bight and Rowdy Bend
trails at Flamingo. Visitor centers are located at the main entrance (west of Homestead),
Royal Palm, Flamingo, Shark Valley, and Gulf Coast (south of Everglades City).
It is however in the area of wildlife watching that the Everglades National Park truly
astounds. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded, seven of which are rare or
endangered. Migrating birds use Everglades National Park both as critical wintering areas
and as a stopover. Species include the Cape May warbler, peregrine falcon, bobolinks, and
tree swallows. Wading birds you may encounter on a visit include the great white heron,
great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, tri-colored heron, little blue heron, cattle
egret, reddish egret, black-crowned night heron, yellow-crowned night heron, least
bittern, glossy ibis, and the very colorful roseate spoonbill. Some birds of prey of the
Everglades include the red-shouldered hawk and the barred owl. Along the mangrove island
areas of Everglades National Park, you are likely to see an osprey dive into the water to
catch a fish. About fifty pair of bald eagles, who also feed on fish, nest in the park.
One of the most threatened birds in the park, is the Everglades or snail kite.
Anhinga Trail over Taylor Slough at Royal Palm is a good place to watch anhingas nest
in the spring, as well as year-round viewing of herons, egrets, double-crested cormorants
and white ibis. Eco Pond near Flamingo is a good place to observe herons, white ibis,
roseate spoonbills, white-eyed vireos, red-shouldered hawks and numerous species of
butterflies. From the Flamingo Visitor Center, you can see white pelicans, gulls, terns,
shorebirds, white herons, reddish egrets and other birds along the fringe of the bay.
Over forty species of mammals are found in Everglades National Park. It is not uncommon
to see white-tailed deer wading through the sawgrass prairie. The marsh rabbit is common
in higher fresh water marshes, pinelands, and coastal prairies. Raccoons and opossums are
common creatures throughout the park. The gray fox is most frequently seen near hardwood
hammocks. River otters are commonly observed in the spring at the Anhinga Trail and Shark
Valley. The Florida Panther which is a subspecies of mountain lion is found in the park
but elusive so rarely seen. The bobcat, unlike the endangered Florida panther, is common
in Everglades National Park. Although primarily nocturnal, this small (15 - 25 lb.)
short-tailed feline is frequently seen during daylight hours. It may be seen walking the
Bear Lake Trail, the Snake Bight Trail, and the Main Park Road.
The West Indian manatee is a marine mammal that grows to 1,000 pounds and roams U.S.
coastal waters from Louisiana to Virginia. In winter months they seek the warm waters of
Florida Bay, where they are often seen by visitors. They can be frequently seen in
Whitewater Bay, Hells Bay and along the west coast. Alligators are common throughout the
fresh water marshes of the park, and occasionally enter the brackish waters of Florida
Bay. The best time to see alligators in the park is during the winter dry season. At that
time, they get together near the deeper water holes. All sizes and ages, from ten-inch
babies to an occasional twenty-year-old, ten-foot-long adult, can be seen lounging on the
bank along the Anhinga Trail.
To get to Everglades National Park take Florida's Turnpike south to its end in Florida
City. Turn right on Southwest 344th Street (Palm Drive), follow signs on Florida Highway
9336 to Everglades National Park.
South Florida and Miami in particular is a magnet that draws shoppers from South &
Central America and the Caribbean. It seems as if at every neighborhood in the city there
is a mall and there is variety in the malls. There are strip malls, regular malls, outlet
malls. Shopping in Miami is year round but seems to reach a fever pitch on the 3rd
Friday in November which is the day immediately after the American Thanksgiving holiday.
Known as Black Friday because the hordes of shoppers are expected to drive retailers into
the black (profit). Black Friday is a day of deep discounts that marks the start of the
Christmas shopping season. At some malls shopping starts at midnight, while at others the
shopping begins at 5am. As soon as the stores open the hordes descend.
South Florida is also a magnet for migratory and Neotropical birds. Located along the
Atlantic Flyway, Florida is in the pathway of birds migrating from their summer breeding
grounds in northern and central U.S.A. to their winter grounds in Central or South America
and the Caribbean. For some species Florida is their winter home. An abundance of ponds,
lakes and waterways means that Florida is especially good for waterbirds.
This dual magnetic force means that during Thanksgiving you can combine two passions;
shopping and birding. Or husbands can accompany wives to the mall and while the wife shops
the husband indulges in some bird watching. Dolphin Mall located on NW 12th
Street off the Florida Turnpike is a good location. The Mall has a huge selection of
stores with a wide variety of items. The mall also has two ponds along 12th
Street next to the mall parking lot. Among the birds that can be seen in those ponds are
Anhingas, Coots, Grey Herons and Snowy Egrets.
At other malls, the desire to introduce greenery into an asphalt and concrete jungle
has resulted in trees around and within parking lots. These trees have in turn attracted
various bird species. So simply wandering the parking lots gives you the opportunity to
see different species of birds.
Even if you do not go near the malls on Black Friday, it is easy to indulge in bird
watching in South Florida. The numerous lakes and ponds in residential areas attract
birdlife particularly waterfowl. Among the most easily seen Florida waterfowl are
Double-crested Cormorant, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Moorhen, Green (Green-backed) Heron
and the most common waterfowl found in Florida’s suburban areas, Muscovy Ducks. The
Intracoastal Waterway and other canals along the highways and roads are also good
locations for spotting avian life and it is easy to stop at an attractive spot. For the
more dedicated birdwatcher South Florida has an abundance of state and national parks.
So when next you are planning a trip to South
Florida, remember, you can combine shopping and bird watching.
