Also in Florida from 3rd to 10th April, staying at Sarasota on the west coast just south of Tampa.
A family trip but had scope and got out for a couple of early mornings and half a day at Fort Desoto.

2 early morning visits to the Celery Fields area just east of the I75 at Sarasota. A great area for some easy birding and a bit of a hot spot for wintering birds, however most had departed early this year due to warm fine weather during March. I don't know if there is a zoo nearby or some fruitcake is keeping them as pets but hearing Lions roar when on your own is quite unnerving if you don't know where they are.

Birds seen in the area

Osprey (they seem to be everywhere in Florida), Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Crested Caracara, Sandhill Crane, Least Bittern, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Limpkin, Black-necked Stilt, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Mottled Duck, Lesser Scaup, American Coot, Moorhen now named Common Gallinule here apparently, Sora, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Dowitcher Sp.(Long-billed I was informed), Laughing Gull, Least Tern, Common Ground Dove, Mourning Dove, Barn Swallow, Purple Martin, Northern Mockingbird, Common and Boat-tailed Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Savannah Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Palm Warbler. The local birders were quite excited about an American Bittern and a King Rail that were being seen from a boardwalk just around the corner in another part of the reserve.

Had a trip up to Fort Desoto that can be a good place to catch up with migrating song birds especially if the conditions are favourable, I nearly dropped lucky but the front that moved south was held back just north of the island. Some interesting sightings for a British birder though.
Birds seen throughout the island, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Red-breasted Merganser, Willet, Marbled Godwit, Dowitcher sp., Semipalmated Plover, Piping Plover, Wilsons Plover, Grey Plover, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Sanderling, Turnstone, Osprey, Black Skimmer, Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, Herring Gull, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Least Tern, Forster's Tern, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Parula, Prothonotary Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Palm Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, another Waterthrush seen briefly through undergrowth but not identified to species, Indigo Bunting, White-eyed Vireo, Orchard Oriole.
The locals got very excited when someone found an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, I decided to be satisfied with looking at other folks photos though as not too sure how the insurance company would look upon a bite sustained whilst actively pursuing one through the undergrowth.

Some additional incidental sightings from a trip to Myakka River State Park, Swallow-tailed Kite, Stilt Sandpiper, Black and Turkey Vulture, Pied-billed Grebe, Carolina Wren, Black and White Warbler, Pectoral Sandpiper, Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite and frustratingly whilst on a tourist tram through a wooded area the driver called Barn Owl, I thought strange area for a Barn Owl, the bird was on the opposite side of the carriage so leaning across trying to get a view of a pale owl in a tree I just couldn't get onto it, my wife however got great views and even took a couple of photos, on looking at the photos once the bird had flown I said where is it, there she said in the top right corner, there it was Blinkin BARRED OWL perfectly camouflaged against the foliage. Note to self do your homework on local birds names before you set off.

A few other birds seen whilst visiting the Ringling Museum north of Sarasota. Green Heron, Blue Jay, flock of about 50 Cedar Waxwing, American Kestrel, Anhinga, Sandpiper flew across the water at the front of the Ca'D'Zan that if in the UK I would have said Common so probably Spotted and an immature Bald Eagle that was soon seen off by the resident pair of Osprey.

A great place for a holiday whether you're a birder or not, always something to see. Eagles, Hawks, Vultures, Herons and other water birds always seen in decent numbers whilst travelling around.