Low flying Owls on Sanibel Island

One of Sanibel's best and biggest claims to fame is its heart for our winged and four legged creatures.

Every road on the island is posted with caution signs.

Tortoise crossings are well marked.

Bayous all have "beware of alligators" designated in signage.

Snowy Plover nests are protected with roping and warnings.

Postings on beaches clearly demonstrate that collecting shells is fine, as long as they have no living inhabitants.

And the whole Island, end to end, has no street lights to assure that the sea turtles do not get distracted and lose their way to the water.

Sanibel is a tropical spot designed to protect and preserve non human species of all kinds.

And now, there is one more feathered friend under the Island's safety net.

The Screech Owl.

This small and  beautiful owl was being reported as road kill in record numbers.  And an alert Sanibel resident already interested and active in its preservation on her own property, made the connections of place and timing and took an advocacy role in making her findings known.

She eventually was in contact with the Sanibel Natural Resource director Holly Milbrandt about the increasing screech owl deaths occurring by car strikes between mile markers five and seven.

Milbrandt said the number of screech owls being killed as result of flying low to the ground during the night hours was alarming. "Although we don't have any records of screech owl population on the island, anytime there is that much reduction, it is concerning," Milbrandt added. The Sanibel City Council voted 5-0 to install two lighted signs, with the warning of: "Slow! Low Flying Owls" between mile markers five and seven. The LED lighted signs are 30-inch across, with eight lights framing it. The lights are solar powered and will have a dusk to dawn sensor to activate it, and a motion sensor to stop blinking 30 seconds after a car has passed it.

We are happy our resident was so aware and willing to fight the battle for these owls and appreciate the efforts made by the Sanibel Natural Resource Director and the Sanibel City Council.  Now , we are hopeful that the sign is observed and we can witness an increase in the number of Screech Owls on our little island.

Lots to C.R.O.W about on Sanibel Island

Those of us who know Sanibel well, know that even on our small peaceful island, danger and death for wild life is part of the normal cycle.

Many of the island's creatures, such as sea turtles and several bird species, have very large numbers of offspring to ensure that some of them make it to maturity.  Predators in the sea and on land create the need for prolific reproduction.

But attacks do not always kill and the number of accidents that our sweet animals and birds encounter are not always caused by other wild life.  In some instances, they are caused by cars, some by careless fishing habits and in a few situations, there is no readily explainable cause for the injury.

The one thing that remains constant, however, is that when an injury does occur, we are not left wringing our hands in frustration.  Sanibel's Center for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, CROW is always there to help.

In just the last few months alone, heroic efforts were made to save a wide variety of creatures. 

There was the simply adorable bobcat kitten who was saved from the brush fire and nurtured by CROW. 

And the gray fox who had a bad leg wound , again rescued and rehabilitated.

Any number and variety of birds, such as pelicans,  have been pulled out of the sea with fishing line hooks creating such problems that they never would have survived in those situations.  Their conditions improved significantly as a result.

And, of course, the celebrity of rescues, Ozzie the American Eagle, found the greatest care at CROW.  It probably brought tears to a lot of eyes to see so magnificent a creature pulled back from the doors of death and then released into the wild again.  What a joy that was!

For those interested in where, when and how CROW does its magic , their website does provide updates on all their patients and there are daily details of happenings on their website as well.

We love all our neighbors on Sanibel, most especially those who are stewards of our land and our wild life.  Those are the most special of all.

Sanibel guests vote on best bets for Island Fun

Because the Island attracts such a diverse group of people,  "favorite" Island activities are quite spread out as well.

If you clump them in like things with like, it is rather simple.

The fishermen love to fish.

The bird watchers love to see  birds.

Sally loves to collect sea shells by the sea shore.

But of course there are over laps with all these preferences, and this blog post will describe some of the Island's favorite activities, where best found and who might enjoy them most.

Probably the most popular attraction is the Ding Darling Nature Preserve, and it may well be because the preserve can make so many people happy and satisfied.

While many people choose to drive through in their autos, bikers also love the preserve.  As do walkers, bird watchers and fisherman as well as canoeists and kayakers. The preserve is the number one most visited attraction on Sanibel.  They often pick their own routes and spots, but the weather patterns, tides and migration routes help drive the focus of the visit to Ding Darling.

The second most popular attraction may come as a bit of a surprise, but the Sanibel and Captiva Chamber of Commerce is a great resource for so many people, providing information on everything from accommodations to restaurants.  Many visitors make this their first stop on Island, and for good reason.  Friendly and helpful staff and volunteers make it a point to try to make each person's experience on island special.

In fact, points of information all rank high on Sanibel.  Classes and workshops are huge hits for kids and adults alike with the awarded and recognized Sanibel Library a very frequent stop.  The same applies to the Sanibel Sea School, The Sissi Janku Art Studio and the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (C.R.O.W) 

But learning is supplemented with excitement on Island, and other popular activities include such boat adventures such as the wild ride on the Sanibel Thriller and the more serene dolphin and whale watching boat rides. 

And for those most interested in moving on their own, the surfing and windsurfing can be superb and are sought after by large numbers of Sanibel guests.

But no matter what your favorite Sanibel treat may be, it is unlikely you will not find something to your liking!


 

Sanibel Island Leads the Pack for Family Fun

If you have read this blog with any regularity, you know that we post pretty frequently about the awards Sanibel has garnered over the years.

Awards for best beaches, best biking, best bird life....oh, the list goes on.

Celebrities and brand name publications are among the fans of our tropical island.

Now, Family Fun Magazine has bestowed its own honor on Sanibel giving it the number one spot for a family getaway.  For their annual travel survey, presented with Go RVing, the magazine asked 2,000 families to rate hundreds of popular spots across the country in five categories.

With its laid-back style and sun-soaked beaches, the tourist town of Sanibel, Florida earned the top spot overall, surpassing such destinations as The Smithsonian Museums (both Natural History as well as  Air and Space) in addition to the St. Louis Zoo.  The nominations and winners are very impressive, and yet Sanibel stood out as the best choice.

In glowing terms, the writers wrote about the special joys of Sanibel.

"If you're trying to get a handle on the appeal of this island town off Florida's west coast, consider that the number one outdoor activity there is strolling along the beach hunting for seashells. Families come to Sanibel to unwind, and its broad, white beaches, gentle surf, and bountiful array of shells encourage them to do just that. As one Texas mom wrote of our top-rated attraction overall, "it's just a relaxing place that lets kids be kids."

Yes, there's also cycling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and even gator-gazing through the tropical foliage at the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. But in laid-back Sanibel, doing next to nothing is just fine, too."

With Sanibel now a year round destination, its fame through articles and awards like this is certainly evident.

Bailey's on Sanibel Island Expands for Greater Convenience for Island Visitors

Most people who come to Sanibel are self catering.  That is they take at least some of their meals in, whether they stay at a condo or a private home.  It does get a bit tedious, as well as time consuming and costly, to eat breakfast , lunch and dinner out.

Fortunately , the Island does offer many nice options for eating out and several for eating in.

The two most established grocery stores on Sanibel are Jerry's and Bailey's, with Bailey's being the older of these great choices.

Now, in addition to the traditional Bailey's, where one can purchase every edible as well as hardware goods, there is an alternative for vacationers who are staying further east on Island.  Called Bailey's Marketplace, the new store is located at the Sundial Beach Resort.

Bailey's Marketplace is a slimmed-down version of the original, carrying fresh produce, meats and seafood, wine and beer as well as deli meats and sandwiches along with gifts and beach supplies.

Bailey's General Store is located in Bailey’s Center at 2477 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island. Bailey's General Store has a full-service grocery store and hardware store combined in the heart of Sanibel Island.

 

Bailey's Marketplace is a special place and is located on 1451 Middle Gulf Drive at the Sundial Beach Resort & Spa on Sanibel Island.

 

Bailey's Sanibel Shopping Center, on the corner of Tarpon Bay Road and Periwinkle Way, is an ideal shopping locale for guests and residents of the island. Home to numerous businesses offering a wide spectrum of shopping experiences including fine dinning, entertainment and grocery shopping; it's essentially one-stop shopping.

Recent Sightings on Sanibel

We sometimes hear guests say that they did not see much of wildlife visiting the island.

And though there are always variables in sightings based on time of day, time of year and location, the most significant reason for not seeing an abundance of wild life is the lack of looking for it, as well as the great camouflage of some of our critters.

Some of our wild life is very apparent and a short walk on the beach will allow the average birder to see pelicans, sea gulls, sand pipers, ibis,  even a great blue heron on occasion.

But there are so many more birds and creatures that live happily on Sanibel a bit under the radar.

Here is a sample of the great island residents that  have  been sighted in the last few weeks and some tips of where, when and how to spot them.

The Pileated Wood Pecker is the largest woodpecker in the United States.   You may well hear him before you see him, though, as he is a bit on the shy side. The call is a loud, far-carrying laugh, sometimes described as a "jungle bird" call due its wild, un-fettered quality.

Usually, pileated woodpeckers excavate their large nests in the cavities of dead trees. Woodpeckers make such large holes in dead trees that the holes can cause a small tree to break in half. The roost of a pileated woodpecker usually has multiple entrance holes. Pileated woodpeckers raise their young every year in a hole in a tree.   So a tree with a large hole may well be the home of a pileated wood pecker and worth keeping an eye on.

And while there are many heron to be seen, some quite apparent, the Green Heron may be more of a challenge to distinguish.  As with the pileated wood pecker, the sound of a green heron may precede the sight.  The green heron's call is a loud and sudden kyow; it also makes a series of more subdued kuk calls. During courtship, the male gives a raah-rahh call with wide-open bill, makes noisy wingbeats and whoom-whoom-whoom calls in flight, and sometimes calls roo-roo to the female before landing again. While sitting, an aaroo-aaroo courtship call is also given.  Keeping your ears open may result in an eye opening experience.

And one of the most enjoyable sights you may have on island is that of swallow tail kites.  Our most beautiful bird of prey, striking in its shape, its pattern, and its extraordinarily graceful flight. Hanging motionless in the air, swooping and gliding, rolling upside down and then zooming high in the air with scarcely a motion of its wings, the Swallow-tailed Kite is a special joy to watch. At one time it was common in summer over much of the southeast, but today it is found mostly in Florida and a few other areas of the deep south.

We hope you will keep your eyes and ears open and let us know what your sightings are!

Sanibel's Strong Presence on the Internet: Getting to know us

While we applaud and appreciate all the efforts made to familiarize the public with our enchanting Sanibel Island, we realize that many web sites, promotional pieces and even blogs like our own have certain limitations.  All of us, invested in the Island and well seasoned as residents and business owners, see this small piece of heaven through our veteran eyes.

Though we keep things honest in what we say, we do have a different process for filtering information that is not necessarily present with the average vacation renter....or even above average vacation renter.

For those looking for an off the beaten path view of Sanibel, a quick excursion through the internet may provide that opportunity.

There are many pages devoted to the Island on such social media outlets as Facebook, where feedback is numerous and virtually on a daily basis. Those weighing in with opinions are doing so with, in most cases, no bias, or at least no apparent one. 

Some of the groups are marked "closed" which means you have to join the page to see the comments or make one yourself, but the back  and forth remarks certainly give the reader a look into the Island that more formalized approaches miss.

And, as they say, one picture is worth a thousand words.  There are several photo pages where not only can you see some beautiful images of the island but also find some good background on the pictures taken.  Among the image rich sites for Sanibel are instagram , now known as iconosquare, and pinterest.

Again, with some of these pages you may have to register to see the offerings, but some are very special with ways to catalogue and book mark what you are viewing.

Of course there is the dowager of internet pages for Sanibel discussions which are posted in the forums on TripAdvisor.  As with anything you find on the internet, discretion is always important since there is no way to verify exactly who is posting and what their intention is.  But you will find a lively group discussing all aspects of Sanibel in these forums and can generally discern the realities by reading between the lines.

Yelp also offers reviews of various aspects of the island and can be helpful in reviewing where and how to spend your time and money on island.

A well read consumer will always enjoy Sanibel the most!