From Andy’s Camera …

Grabbing a few shots from Andy’s camera to share with you today!

He was all excited after his latest visit to The Dunes, where he saw hundreds of Lesser Scaups, a rare sight indeed. From everyone he talked to, the consensus was that it might have been the first time that species had ever been seen there.

Fun fact from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

The Lesser Scaup spend the winter farther south than any other diving duck in their genus (Aythya) —  » Read more

Through a Photographer’s Eye

On Thursday, April 5, the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) will host a free “Meet the Artist” reception for bird photographer David Jeffrey.

Jeffrey, a talented amateur photographer who winters on Captiva Island, became seriously interested in bird photography in 2010, after retiring from a career in finance. The self-taught photographer took inspiration from Arthur Morris, author of The Art of Bird Photography.  » Read more

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail!

One of our favorite annual events on the island for families, the 24th Annual Spring Festival for the Children’s Education Center of the Islands will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2018 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Sanibel City Park (next to the Sanibel Community House).

The Festival begins with a free Easter Egg Hunt by age group at 9:00 a.m. sharp.  » Read more

A Hairy Triton

Now this is certainly unusual!

Longtime guest Don. P. from Farmington Hills, MI, who found a rare Junonia during his visit here last year, shares this photo along with the story of finding this most unique-looking shell:

I found this shell while at Ocean’s Reach last year, after I had found the Junonia shell.  I thought it was covered with something that had attached itself to the shell.   » Read more

Good Things Come to Those Who Bait!

Many of our friends are “hooked” on fishing! We certainly can’t blame them, as the waters around Sanibel are ideal for casting a line.

Owner Bob. G. shared this photo of a recent fishing excursion in which he caught a nice-sized permit. Now Bob is too modest to mention it, but many anglers regard the permit as one of the most difficult gamefish to catch.

In “The Definitive Guide to Permit Fishing,”  » Read more

More Baseball Fever!

Photo by Ballpark Digest

Just a half hour from the Sanibel Causeway is the second Spring Training facility we’re lucky to have near by: The Century Link Sports Complex, home to the Minnesota Twins.

This stadium was originally built in 1991, but underwent an extreme makeover in 2015 that earned them the title of Ballpark Digest’s Best Major Ballpark Renovation that year.  » Read more

Fenway South

Around these parts, the month of March means trying to catch every Spring Training game you can!  With another Spring Training season winding down, we thought we’d dedicate our blog to our two “hometown” teams this week, with a post on the Boston Red Sox today and the Minnesota Twins tomorrow.

Fort Myers has been the Spring Training home of the Boston Red Sox since 1993.  » Read more

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