Winsome, Awesome: Some Remarkable Creatures on Sanibel Island

Years ago, I had not heard of Sanibel Island.


And when first I did, it was described as a delightful, little, tropical island with great shelling.


All of that is true, but it was only after I visited a couple of times that I realized that the nature of the Island is what sets it apart from most destinations in Florida as well as the rest of the world.


Sanibel is largely a nature preserve (Ding Darling) that sees 238 species of birds migrating to and through its environment.


Two of the biggest draws for those enamored of birds are the year-round Roseate Spoonbills and the White Pelicans which can be seen on large ponds during the winter. The best time to see birds tends to be early morning hours, especially when it coincides with low tide.


The Spoonbill, a lovely shade of pink from its diet of shrimp, is indeed a winsome bird.


A large wading bird with a distinctive spatulate bill, it is one of the most striking birds found in North America. Roseate Spoonbills stand 2 feet tall and have nearly as wide a wingspan. They detect and catch their meals by wading in shallow water and sweeping their bills from side to side. Their distinctive call sounds more like someone rapping at the door than a bird song!


Perhaps more awesome than winsome, the American Bald Eagle also makes its home on Sanibel.


Though there may be as few as two who reside here, their appearance is sure to make the fortunate sighters perk up with pleasure. The Bald Eagle has been the symbol of the United States of America since 1782. At one time, the word “bald” (balde) meant white—not hairless—referring to the white head and upper neck of the adult Bald Eagle. They can live up to 40 years in the wild and even longer in captivity.


As awesome as the Eagle but even more difficult to sight is the Bobcat.With a gray to brown coat, whiskered face, and black-tufted ears, the Bobcat resembles the other species of the mid-sized Lynx genus. It is smaller than the Canadian Lynx with which it shares parts of its range, but is about twice as large as the domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail, from which it derives its name.


But of the thousands of creatures, large and small, perhaps the Island "darling" is the Armadillo, both awesome and winsome.


Armadillo is a Spanish word meaning “little armored one” and refers to the bony plates that cover the back, head, legs, and tail of most of these odd looking creatures. Armadillos are the only living mammals that wear such shells. Armadillos dig burrows and sleep prolifically, up to 16 hours per day, foraging in the early morning and evening for beetles, ants, termites, and other insects. They have very poor eyesight, and utilize their keen sense of smell to hunt. Strong legs and huge front claws are used for digging, and long, sticky tongues for extracting ants and termites from their tunnels.


I just wonder why someone has not yet created a calendar built on Sanibel's winsome and awesome creatures. Now there's a bunch of pin ups I would stick on my wall!