# Suncoast Birding

> Sarasota & Manatee birding hotspot guides, with a go-or-skip check for today. Sourced guides to 9 birding hotspots in Sarasota and Manatee counties, Florida, each with birds by season, parking, hours, fees, accessibility, and FAQ. Facts checked 2026-10-29 against official park, county, Audubon, and Florida Birding Trail pages.

## Hotspot guides
- [Celery Fields](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/celery-fields/): Sarasota County's top birding spot: marsh boardwalks, wintering ducks, rails and raptors, and a free Audubon nature center.
- [Myakka River State Park](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/myakka-river-state-park/): One of Florida's oldest and largest state parks: lake and river wetlands, a canopy walkway, and 255+ species.
- [Oscar Scherer State Park](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/oscar-scherer-state-park/): The best local bet for the Florida Scrub-Jay, Florida's only endemic bird, plus wintering eagles.
- [Robinson Preserve](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/robinson-preserve/): 680+ acres of restored coastal wetland with an observation tower, a treetop canopy walk, and spoonbills year-round.
- [Emerson Point Preserve](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/emerson-point-preserve/): A bayside peninsula with a 60-foot tower, a bird blind, mangrove trails, and a 1,000-year-old temple mound.
- [Red Bug Slough Preserve](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/red-bug-slough-preserve/): A shady in-town preserve known for warbler fallouts, Wood Ducks, and a quiet lake.
- [Venice Area Audubon Rookery](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/venice-rookery/): World-famous for close-range heron and egret photos, with a nightly roost flight at sunset.
- [Lido Key Beaches (North Lido, Lido Beach, South Lido)](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/lido-key-beaches/): Shorebirds on the Gulf beach plus woods and mangroves at both ends of the key, all in one outing.
- [Siesta Key Beach](https://suncoastbirding.com/spots/siesta-key-beach/): A famous white-sand beach with 235+ bird species, best before the crowds.

## About
- [About, sources, and how go-or-skip works](https://suncoastbirding.com/about/)

## Optional
- [Full text of all guides](https://suncoastbirding.com/llms-full.txt)