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| Casperson
Beach |
| From Port Charlotte, take US 41 north. In the
Venice area, where US 41 splits into US41 (bypass) and US41 (business), turn
left onto the business portion. After crossing the Intercoastal
Waterway, turn left onto Avenida del Circa, then right onto Airport Avenue,
then left onto Harbor Drive. Look for the Service Club Park signs and
turn right into the Park. Restroom facilities are available in the
Park. Take the path to the beach. Be sure to look for Scrub Jays
along the path. You can also follow Harbor Drive south, which
parallels the beach. |
| Celery Fields |
| The Celery Fields were previously used for agriculture,
with celery being the primary crop. In 1995, Sarasota County purchased
a 300-acre tract, which it now uses as a flood retention area. The
area consists of open marshlands, deep ponds, shallow pools, and canals.
The Sarasota Audubon Society conducted a bird survey from January 2001 to
October 2003, tabulating 178 species. From I-75, take
Exit 210 to Fruitville Road. Turn right (east) on Fruitville Road and then
right onto Coburn Road. Follow Coburn as it curves; the Celery Field will
be on your left and
Ackerman Park will be on your right. You will find birds along the
Ackerman Park lake and in the canal on the opposite side of the road.
Continue south
on Coburn and turn left (east) on Palmer Road. There are small ponds on each
side of this road, which may have some water birds in them. Stop at the
gazebo on the left side. Below the gazebo is a marshy area that may have a
number of birds when water is present. There is also a berm to the right
of this marshy area separating the retention ponds along
which you may walk. Notable birds include sandhill cranes, soras, king
rails, black-bellied whistling ducks, limpkins, and bobolinks.
There are picnic tables in the
gazebo and at Ackerman Park for eating lunch. There is also a Burger King
on Fruitville Road, west of I-75, for a pit stop. |
| Laurel
Landfill |
| The Laurel Landfill is a Sarasota County solid waste
disposal landfill facility. The landfill is open Monday through
Saturday, 8-5 and closed on Sundays. From I-75, take Exit 195 and go
east 1/4-mile. Turn left onto Knights Trail Road. Continue on
Knights Trail Road (2.1 miles) to the entrance gate of the landfill.
Then proceed another 0.4 mile to the weigh stations and facility buildings.
Turn right and park in front of the Adminstration Building. Visitors
are required to register before entering the landfill area. Be sure to
ask for a map showing the layout and where birders are permitted to drive.
(Note - The 2.5-mile entrance road has some good birding areas along the
right side of the road. If stopping , pull completely off the roadway
to avoid high speed trucks.) After registering, you may drive around the perimeter road of the Complex.
Look in the center fields for Meadowlarks and Killdeer.There are seven small
ponds situated on the perimeter road of the Complex.
You may see various species of water birds on the ponds, including a
variety of Ducks, Egrets, Gulls, Herons, Ibises, Sandpipers, and Wood Storks.
Other
birds you may see as you drive around the perimeter road include:
Bald Eagles (adult and immature), Hawks, Grackles, Sparrows,
and Woodpeckers. Taking photos may be a challenge, because most of the
area on the right side of the road is fenced off with six-foot high chain
link fence. |
|
Oscar Scherer State Park |
| This Park is located south of Sarasota and north of
Venice, in historic Osprey. This Park is about 1400 acres in size and
has a small creek, called South Creek running through it. There
are also two small lakes, Lake Osprey and Big Lake. It contains
many acres of pine flatwoods and scrubby flatwoods
that are populated with the threatened Florida Scrub Jay. There are 15
miles of well-maintained hiking trails. About 100 tent and RV
campsites with complete hookups for electric and water are available.
There is a $4 entrance fee. The Park is open from 8 a.m. to
sundown.
From Punta Gorda, take I-75 north to Exit 195, Laurel
Road. Head west on Laurel Road to US 41. Take a right on US
41. The Park entrance will be on the right a few miles north on US
41. |
| Venice
Rookery |
| From I-75, take exit #35, Jacaranda
Blvd. Head west to US 41. Turn right (north) on 41. Go a few hundred
feet and turn left on Annex Road, which is between the Florida Highway Patrol
Building and the County Administration Building. Go to the end of the road
and park on the left. To the right is a small lake with an island in the
center. Various water birds, such as Anhingas, Great Egrets, and Great
Blue Herons nest on the island. Peak nesting time is January - March. |
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