B12. Venice Area Audubon Rookery
SiteID: S12
Region: South
County: Sarasota
Nearest City: Venice
Phone Number: 941-496-8984
Website: B12. Venice Area Audubon Rookery
Amenities: Some viewing is barrier free, Good for beginners, Birding by foot/hiking, Best time of day: All day, Recommended length of visit: quick stop
Habitats: Lake/Pond/Impoundment
Description:
An easily-accessible roosting and resting area for a variety of wading birds, this site is great for those who like to sit still and watch closely. Offering a covered pavilion for shade and plenty of pond-side grassy areas for lawn chairs, this small site has become a mecca for bird photography. Less than a stone’s throw from the shoreline, herons, egrets, anhingas and ibises pose and repose, seemingly unconcerned by the people watching them. Come during late spring and early summer and watch as parents delicately feed and brood their ungainly offspring – truly a special glimpse into these birds’ lives. Scan the pond edges for common and purple gallinules and smaller birds such as common yellowthroats. Birds are forming a second rookery in the recently-acquired wetlands across the road. Check out the Audubon Visitor Center located 0.1 miles north of the parking area (west side) for recent sightings.
Directions: From intersection of US 41 and SR 776 (Englewood Rd.) in Venice, drive 0.4 mi. south on US 41 and turn right (S) on Annex Rd; parking area at shelter is 0.2 mi. ahead on the left.
Open all year, dawn to dusk.
