Sanibel Island, FL–The shy Great Blue Herons and skittish Cormorants of the Skokie Lagoons rest comfortably in their winter home on Sanibel Island. The Cormorant, in fact, is quite the opportunist here, using the shadows of my kayak to sneak up on fish as he dives under and around the boat, following me and fellow paddlers. In this great gathering place for birds and wildlife lovers, it’s easy to get close to nature.
On a naturalist-guided kayak tour with Tarpon Bay Explorers–just $30 for a two-hour+ trip– I’m back with my birds in their mangrove-rich winter home. The Commodore Creek Trail, a 1-mile marked canoe trail, winds through J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Here herons of all sorts relax and chatter with old friends. Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Reddish Heron, and my favorite–the shy Black-crowned Night Heron with his sassy long white ponytail-like feather–all have arrived. There are other beauties, too, like the White Ibis with its long, curved orange beak and yellow legs, and the Anhinga, its long tail feather a fashion statement against the mangrove branches.
It’s an easy trip through this small section of the 6400-acre preserve, part of the Great Calusa Blueway, 190-miles of paddling trails that run through Lee County, FL. Our guide, Jenna Fulgham, points out little crabs scurrying up from the water and into tree branches, and a family of raccoons using a bridge of branches overhead to cross the water.
The shy but stunning Roseate Spoonbill also makes an appearance, wading in the roots while spooning up breakfast. I’m able to watch it for quite a while before a crawd of kayakers pushes it up into the trees. There we can all see the full outline of the pink-tinged bird and its obvious spoon-shaped bill. We’re left to wander on our own after this show, slowly making our way back to the canoe livery station. In these off-peak months, Tarpon Bay Explorers will let you keep the kayak as long as you like. Naturally, I am the last person to return their craft. It’s fun just to hang around near the boat entrance, where a pair of Osprey are nesting on a pole above me. How often can you circle an osprey nest without disturbing their airy?
I’ve brought a hat and worn long-sleeve shirt and lightweight pants, but the no-see-ems have found my neck and wrists. Their bites will remind me for days of the price to pay for not wearing bug spray in a mangrove swamp. Ah, but it was so worth it to see my feathered friends and know that they are having a good winter. 
