The Birds of Heritage Harbour
Help Our Birds
Improve their diet (fish, frogs, snakes and other small creatures) by helping protect and develop the aquatic plants in the lakes and vegetation immediately surrounding the lakes and wetlands. Areas in lakes with vegetation provide 10 times the food for wildlife as areas without.
Stop using chemicals within 10 feet (minimum) of all lakes and wetlands. During heavy rains these chemicals wash into our lakes helping poison the water. Talk to your lawn chemical guy and tell him to back off the lakes.
Don't feed the birds. Sandhill cranes may seem to be begging food but our foods (even bread) are harmful to their young and can kill them.
A Special Place
Heritage Harbour hosts numerous large Florida birds year round. We see great diversity because of the number of lakes and preserve areas prevalent in our community. In January though, the bird landscape begins to change significantly.
As Northern snowbirds check into our hotels and inns, we see their winged counterparts glide onto our lakes and other natural areas. There are large numbers of migratory flocks that pass through Heritage Harbour on their way to the Everglades and other southern locations such as Sanibel Island. In recent years many of these birds have opted to fly a little less and winter with us. Every year we have lots of breeding pairs that nest and reproduce right here in our very own special place.
Sandhill cranes are one large, obvious example. If you haven't seen these striking four foot tall birds sporting cranberry colored caps, you cannot have missed their klaxon calls when they let you know how they feel about your proximity to them. They unabashedly walk about our backyards, making it clear that they are the natives here and we are but interlopers grateful to come so near to one of nature's natural wonders.
All birds shown are seen yearly in Heritage Harbour. Photos are courtesy of Peter Wallack.