2/16 Ding Darling National Wildlife Reserve on Sanibel Island

I have been here several times, but you can always see something new.  There is a one-way road you take through the reverse that you can drive on or ride a bike.  There are also some tram tours, but I prefer to drive or bike so I can go at my own speed.  

There is also a visitor center with lots of nice volunteers who can answer your bird questions.

This is one of the outside walls where someone has painted a large mural.  The restrooms are the pale blue doors. 

Some white pelicans--very large birds!!

And a small sandbar with a lot of pelicans and other birds. 

Need to look these guys up, but they are some sort of terns. 

This is a reddish egret, which I have never seen before.  The bird books say he is in breeding plumage because his head and neck are dark.

Very busy fishing.  One thing interesting about this bird is that he will use his wings to shade the water so he can see fish better.  I saw him do this but could not get a picture of him doing this.

Same bird next to a snowy egret.  You can identify a snowy egret by the black beak and black legs.  His feet are pink, but they are in the water. 

Sanibel Island prides itself in not having stop lights.  Instead, it has traffic directors at all major intersections.  Wouldn't traffic lights be more efficient?

By the way, if you are ever on Sanibel Island in the busy season, make sure you leave by no later than 3:30 pm or it will take you an hour to drive the three miles just to get on the bridge!  I got off on time this trip, but one other, I got stuck in the late afternoon traffic jam, so I know this from experience.