We just got back from two weeks in florida. My wife and I helped with Red knot surveys and then travelled the west coast from crystal river to key west. Florida is in the second year of a bad drought and the interior lakes are quite low. That said it make it easy to find certain species i.e Snail Kites. I was told Merrit Island is quite impressive this winter.
My wife and I snorkelled with manatees at Crystal River. It was a life experience. They are like a cross between a cow and baked potato and a golden retriever. You cannot approach them but they can approach you looking for belly scratches and they do it.
Trip highlights 145 species
8 Scissor-tailed flycatchers (1 at key west 7 in interior south of lake okeechobee)
1 Western Kingbird
1 Long-billed Curlew Bunge beach adjacent to Sanibel island Great shorebird location
1 Red-whiskered BulBul South Miami
3 Parrot species (monk, black-hooded and mitred)
4 Snail Kites in downtown kissimee at the boat ramp. Told by florida wildlife staff we volunteered with that most of the population is in the kissimee area this winter.
2 Florida Scrub Jays at Oscar Sherer State park Sarasota.
Common Myna in Homestead, miami and key west.
200 +Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, 4 Fulvous Whistling Ducks, and 4 Limpkins at the celery fields in Sarasota area.
Short-tailed hawks common in the keys and east side of the everglades
plus several new species of butterflies, dtragonflies and fish.
