Roseates are that wonderful pink color that one usually associates with flamingoes.  Well, I think the flamingo copied it from the roseate!

David and I were over in Ding Darling on Sanibel Island this past April (oh boy am I ever late in posting these photos), and while we were on the wildlife drive, we saw a bunch of people pulled off to the side of the road and a crowd gathering.

Lo and behold, there were three…wait, now four roseates gathered!  They were apparently interested in lunch more than a get-together, but what was interesting is that they were pretty close.  Every time I’ve seen roseate spoonbills in the past, they were waaaaayyyy far in the distance.

Now these birds didn’t seem to care too much about the growing crowd; they just keept on preening their feathers and then leisurely stopping to poke around for underwater treasures (i.e. food).

I tried looking up some information on these lovely birds, and wouldn’t you know, Wikipedia doesn’t have much in the way of info.  I searched around some more and found a link to the Honolulu Zoo (of all places).  Not a ton of information, but it was a start!

I have a book on Florida wildlife that has a photo of a flock of roseates in a mangrove tree.  It was truly a breathtaking photo, but then I thought…don’t they look like ornaments on a Christmas tree?

OK, back to Ding Darling and Sanibel. 

If you’ve never been over to Sanibel Island, on Florida’s SW coast, the first time you go you’re stuck by how crowded it is.  It’s a small island, but a big tourist destination, and people are everywhere.

What most people (aside from maybe Sanibel residents) don’t know is that 60% of the island has been set aside for wildlife.  Ding Darling is large part of the 60%.

It’s hidden, though; you have to want to find it.  David used to go over to Sanibel all the time and he didn’t know it was there!  (Naturally, the map reader I am, knew where it was.)

Sanibel is a lovely island, but next time you’re there, take a step back from the beaches and restaurants and hotels and take a look at the real Florida — naturally.

The roseates are probably still waiting for you to drop by!