Sounds in the Night on Sanibel

It has occurred to us that though there is great peace and tranquility on our little Island, that there are Island sounds all day long.

The singing of birds, the wind in the palms, the lapping of the Gulf, are familiar sunshine "songs" that we hear all day.

But the sounds actually increase after the sun sets.

Since the sounds we want to discuss have been recorded nicely, we hope that you might be sufficiently interested and that you will click on our links and take a listen.

One delightful bird that you will hear more often at night than in the day is the Chuck-Will's-Widow. Sometimes confused with the Whip-Poor-Will, they are actually two different birds. The Chuck-Will's Widow is found in pine woods and swamp lands and can actually be posted right outside your bedroom window saying good night to you in his chipper way.

Another bird that shows up at dusk and later is the Great Horned Owl. Great Horned Owls have a number of calls, but the males owl's territorial hoot can be heard miles away on a still night. Great Horned Owls can be quite large with the female the larger of the sexes. They attack, kill and eat a wide variety of fish and amphians and can snatch and kill smaller prey 2 to 3 times larger than themselves, including little dogs and cats. Fortunately, little dogs and cats do not roam at will on the Island and this is a word to the wise human owners for certain.


Not nearly as common, but a most startling sound of the night is the gray fox call. It is an eerie sound and varies in tone and duration. Foxes are generally nocturnal animals and have retractable claws, like cats. As you will see by clicking on the link, the call has a large number of variations. The dense, natural landscape of Sanibel makes the Island an ideal habitat for the gray fox though no one has yet documented their existense with photos.


Then there are the smaller critters. There are a variety of frogs, lizards, crickets and other little Sanibel residents whose calls, croaks, clicks and shrills during the night blend into one unending lullaby. The frogs may be nocturnal or diurnal, but it appears that rain at any time of day waters their urge to call out.

If you can envision a night free from the usual urban or suburban sounds of traffic, sirens, barking dogs and tv's blaring, you might want to try the evening and night time sounds of Sanibel Island.