By Tom Cravens, Resident and Florida Master Naturalist
WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
P
elican Bay is one of the
finest places in Southwest
Florida to take a nature
walk. A walk on our berm, board-
walk and beach provides an oppor-
tunity to observe an astonishingly
rich array of plants and
animals. Because of our
geographic location, we
have a near “tropical”
environment, that enables
many plants and animals
intolerant of freezing
temperatures to
flourish here.
ALLIGATORS
It is not uncommon to see
an alligator or two when
walking upon the berm.
Visitors and newcomers are
always thrilled when they get a chance
to see one of these top-of-the-line
predator survivors from the time of
the dinosaurs. Even longtime residents
like to look and speculate on the length
and age of a large alligator.
TROPICAL BIRDS
For both the casual nature lover and a
serious birder, the berm in Pelican Bay
is a wonderful place to see birds.
If you take an early morning walk
on the berm, it is not uncommon to
see more than 20 species of
birds. The roseate spoonbill
probably draws the most
attention from berm walk-
ers, as this rather large
wading bird has recently
become more common along
Pelican Bay’s berm. Its large
spoon-shaped bill and pink
coloration on its wings easily
identifies it. Coloration is
not a factor in determining
the gender of any particular
roseate spoonbill. The roseate
color is thought to be a
Pelican Bay Member Guide 2018
90
PelicanBay.org
WILDLIFE
in the Bay
