The Birds and Wildlife of the Everglades photography workshop is a six-day expedition in southern Florida. This is a must-do expedition for anyone who wants to improve their bird and wildlife photography skills. There are ample opportunities to photograph wildlife, both on land and the water. Here at Backcountry Journeys, we ran two trips in February 2024. This is the combined trip report for both departures.

Our trip began with a visit to the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. The sanctuary contains a 2.25-mile boardwalk that weaves through a wet prairie into the largest old-growth bald cypress forest in North America. During the quiet hike, guests spotted animals such as raccoons, alligators, and a variety of birds. Sadly, during the first tour, it rained most of the day, so there weren't many bird sightings. The second departure had warmer weather, resulting in more bird activity. After two hours at the sanctuary, we moved on to our next location.

One of the great things about the Birds & Wildlife of the Everglades photography tour is the boat rides. With a total of three voyages, these rides are each about three hours long.

After visiting Corkscrew Swamp, we had our first estuary outing that evening outside of Chuckaluskee. The other trips were in the morning: one from Marco Island, and the final one leaving Chuckaluskee. All three departures took place around Ten Thousand Islands, a coastal estuary that is part of Everglades National Park.

A variety of wading birds can be photographed during these trips. We also see other species such as osprey, bald eagles, vultures, pelicans,
cormorants, and more Raccoons were seen foraging for food among the sand bars.

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins were also a rewarding site to see on these voyages. As we slowly cruised by, the boat created a small wake that the dolphins loved playing in. It provided an entertaining show as they surfaced in the wake and leaped out of the water behind the boat. During one of our final boat rides, we had a mother with her baby play beneath the bow of the boat. They cruised alongside us for about half a mile as we worked our way back to the docks. It was a fun conclusion to the boat rides.

While staying in Naples, the Ten Thousand Islands Wildlife Refuge was our destination for an evening departure. Within an eighth of a mile from the parking lot is a two-story observation tower which is great for capturing birds in flight. Marshland occupied both sides of the paved trail. Herons, egrets, storks, and waterfowl foraged in the shallow water. Pelicans and ospreys dove beneath the surface to capture fish. The refuge was full of activity, making it a great place to perfect your bird photography skills.

As the sun went down, large flocks of egrets were photographed flying toward their roost in the evening light. With the appropriate settings and the right position, it was also a great opportunity to get silhouette shots of birds flying past the sun.

After spending two nights in Naples, we traveled south toward Homestead where we spent two more nights. While here, our first mission was to get to Flamingo. Flamingo has a visitor center, general store, and boat docks where manatees can be seen surfacing.

During our visit, we also got lucky and saw two large, American crocodiles basking on the boat ramp. Florida is home to both alligators and crocodiles. The best place to find the American crocodile is along the southern tip of Florida. On both departures, we were lucky enough to see these large reptiles. Compared to the alligators, the crocodiles definitely appeared more prehistoric and powerful. That may also be because they’re not as common and were larger than most of the gators we saw.

After leaving Flamingo, both groups visited an osprey nest near the campground. After spending some time at the nest photographing raptors, the second group rolled around in the grass to observe the shorebirds who were feeding in the pools of water. The first group, on the
other hand, continued back through the park.

During this drive, we came across an unexpected scene–a black vulture eating a dead python. Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the park, so it’s always good to see a dead python.

During the final full day, we spent about two hours in the morning at Anhinga Trail. This short trail loops around a slough filled with water lilies and crystal-clear water. Alligators, cormorants, and anhingas make their home there. One of the best parts of spending a morning there is capturing the beautiful morning light shining on all the birds. The purple gallinules, which are a species of rail with vibrant colors, are a prized specimen to photograph along the trail.

As the sun climbed higher, we returned to our hotel for an afternoon classroom session before returning to the park for the evening.

The trip concluded with our final stop at Shark Valley, which is a part of the national park. Shark Valley is also the headwaters of the Shark River. The site contains an 11-mile paved loop that is a popular site for cyclists and folks interested in riding the tram. As for us, we focused more on
the path that followed the slough where birds and alligators can frequently be seen. Personally, I think this is one of the best spots to photograph gators because you can get down on your stomach to get eye-level with a reptile as it cruises through the water.

After a couple of hours here, it was time to pack up our gear and conclude an excellent week-long photography expedition.