Along the western edge of Charlotte County are barrier islands and the Inter-Coastal Waterway.  This is a great area to find shorebirds.  Many shorebirds breed far up north, but spend their winters here or migrate through here.  Of course we do have our year round residents also. The bridgeless barrier islands are especially nice because they have fewer people to chase off the birds.  Don Pedro State Park lies in the middle of our bridgeless barrier islands and is a great isolated beach.  Stump Pass State Park is also a relatively secluded beach with parking for only about 30 cars and one and three quarter miles of beach ending at Stump Pass.  The majority of these pictures were taken near Stump Pass.  Click on the links below to get detailed photos and a link to the USGS site about each species. USGS links includes the song, taxonomy, history, identification tips and more!