Ft. Myers, FL (03-01-13)

I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised by the Ft. Myers area.  Of course, nearby there are the “exclusive” islands, such as Marco Island and Captiva Island.

Then, on the other end of the spectrum, there is “North” Ft. Myers.  That’s where we are staying- at a really inexpensive park- just to give my fellow RVers an idea- they accept Passport America with no limitations! ( Passport America is a discount program- most parks will only let you have the 50% discount for one or two nights,and never on a weekend.)  The park is nothing to write home about, but the site is level and the laundry is about 50 feet away.  Extremely convenient!



bald eagle being chased by an osprey

     
We took a day trip out to  nearby Sanibel and Captiva Islands, where we drove through the DIng Darling Wildlife Preserve.  A wildlife preserve is different from a national park in that  the national parks try to balance wildlife needs with the wants and desires of us humans. A wildlife preserve’s purpose its to be a refuge for wildlife.  They come first, and we come a distant second.  But of course, we all win, when the wildlife is protected.

Jay “Ding” Darling, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist and cartoonist was also a conservationist who was instrumental in starting the (now ) 530 wildlife preserves in the United States. Ding also designed, in 1934,  the first Federal Duck Stamp-.  the stamp is a required purchase for hunters who wish to hunt ducks and geese.  It is also considered to be a collectible, and 98% of the proceeds go to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.

This particular refuge, like so many others, preserves habitats for migrating birds. There are 4 Flyway zones in the United States, providing safe refueling spots throughout most of the U.S for these birds.  Fact I learned: most birds migrate at night, when the air is cooler. calmer, and more  humid.



There are many beaches along the shores of these islands, but unfortunately, Red Tide is taking a toll at the moment.  The bacteria causes not only the death of many fish, but can cause respiratory issues for people walking on the beach.  Paul  and I both coughed quite a bit while on the beach and decided it wasn’t worth spending much time there. 

There  was plenty of beach parking, and we were so excited to find special parking spots, just for people like us! There was a small car parked in one of these spots next to us, and I must say, I didn’t cry too much when I saw that they got a parking ticket.  It’s so hard  to park a dually, its frustrating when someone  takes one of the few spots that will fit us.  Of course, its even worse when people park small cars in spots that are designated “RV or Bus” spots.

Of course, Florida beach towns are well known for their food and music,  and Ft.  Myers Beach is no exception.  We met up  with Eric and Karla , who are fulltimers who we first met in Michigan two years ago.  We went out to dinner with them, and their friends Priscilla and Al.

High Tide

We had a great time, great food,  and listened to some awesome music by High Tide, a  local reggae band. We enjoyed the music so much, we bought the CD!

Paul and I have been trying to stay active and found a great excuse to get some exercise.  About 4 miles from where we are staying there is a Bald Eagle’s nest. A local Real Estate Company has set up a camera 6 feet above this nest, sending continuous feed, 24 hrs a day ( Eaglecam ).  I’ve been watching the eaglets on my ipad for the last few weeks, and it was a real treat to see the nest in person.  The first day we went to see the nest, we walked the 4 miles each way.  The second time, we drove, on the way to dinner one day, and the third time, we took our bikes.  I really enjoyed being able to watch the two parents come and go, and to see the young birds poke their heads out of the nest.  The youngsters are about full grown now, although they haven’t fledged (flown for the first time) yet. They are still being brought food by the parents.


the nest is in this tree, and the dead trees were where the parents were sitting.



both parents watch over the nest from nearby



getting ready to take flight.

  

eaglet stretching his wings in the nest



preening in the nest

  



watching over the nest





something caught their attention!

   




this is a picture taken from the webcam soon after the babies hatched.



a recent picture taken from the webcam