Sure, it sounds like some lovey-dovey name for your sweetheart, but Ding Darling just might be the best place in all of Florida to see birds. The wildlife refuge on Sanibel Island, a subtropical barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico just west of Ft. Myers, is home or at least a rest stop to a wide variety of beautiful wading birds. A paradise for bird lovers. Mangrove islands provide a roosting habitat.
Shallow water makes fish and invertebrates accessible.
And finally, the nearby mainland has the fresh water that these birds need. These factors make the area a haven for waders , or wading birds , in particular. The warm waters surrounding Ding Darling are prime real estate for fish-loving wading birds. Here, everything lives on stilts. The black-necked stilts even owe their name to their long, slender legs, which they use to get into the water without being submerged in it.