Alva area, 5 April 2027 (Google Map)
Alva is a place supposedly named for a flower by its founder, Captain Peter Nelson (1840-1919). Local legend is that Nelson, a steamship captain from Denmark, sailed up the formerly winding Caloosahatchee River in the early 1880s, where he saw an abundant white flower along its banks that reminded him of the "Alva flower" of his homeland. He ended up purchasing land and platting out a community that he named for the flower. The Alva Garden Club believes that the flower he saw was the short-leaved gentian (Sabatia brevifolia Raf.), based on the memory of one of its members, Flora English Watkins (1892-1983), who apparently learned the identity of the flower by Captain Nelson or his associates. Today, Alva is an unincorporated community and Census Designated Place (CDP) that comprises 18.4 square miles and had an estimated population of 2,750 residents in the 2020 census. Alva is bordered to the west by Olga, a second riverside community that Nelson founded. He named it for a Russian princess who was popularized by the press in the 1880s.
This week we are caravanning and making at least six stops in different parts of Alva. We will meet to begin our journey at the Franklin Locks on the south side of the river, which is accessed off of Palm Beach Blvd (FL-80). It is hoped that we will consolidate into a much smaller number of vehicles as parking is limited in some of the areas that we will visit. Our stops are arranged by number below.
1. Franklin Locks – 16021 Old Olga Rd– Our Initial Meeting Place. This is the SOUTH unit of the Franklin Locks & Dam. Coming from I-75 (Exit , go ca. 7 miles E on Palm Beach Blvd (FL-80) and turn left on Old Olga Rd. Entry drive to locks is 0.4 mi on right. Near the end of the entry drive, go left at the sharp right curve to meet at the parking lot surrounded by trees. See the Franklin Lock eBird website for birding information.
2. Alva Feeders – 21281 Pearl St –Head right (W) on FL-80 for 0.4 mi to make the first U-turn east. Continue 5.2 mi to light at Broadway St and turn left (N). Cross bridge and immediately turn left. The feeders are located in the second house on the right, at Dan & Viveca Skean's. Please park in the front yard off the street (parallel to it) or along the edge of our neighbors' yard across the street. Note the Jamaica Capertree and plaque along the driveway, which were donated by CBC. In the tradition of Lois and Leon White, typically both avian and edible treats are available on site. Who knows? – It's always possible that we might even see a wayward Lazuli Bunting from out west. We did in 2024 and 2026.
3. Daniels Preserve at Spanish Creek – 18500 Persimmon Ridge Rd – Continue W on Pearl St, curve up to North River Rd (FL-78, hereafter NRR), and turn right to 3-way stop sign at Alva School. Continue straight on NRR. Go 0.7 mi until NRR takes a sharp right curve where you should stay left and continue straight on the smaller Persimmon Rd. Continue for 0.8 mi to preserve on right. Please park on the right shoulder of the road or in the tiny grass lot. Next, we'll backtrack to the 3-way stop sign at Alva School. See the Daniels Preserve at Spanish Creek eBird website for birding information.
4. Parkinson Road – Return to Alva School stop sign and go straight on NRR. Continue ca. 0.5 mi and turn right on Parkinson. We'll backtrack to NRR after looking for Red-headed Woodpeckers and Loggerhead Shrikes. Rarely, a Bald Eagle (even a Peregrine Falcon) has been seen here.
5. Alva Cemetery –Return to NRR and turn right. Go ca. 0.9 mile and turn right on Cemetery Rd. Follow to Cemetery entrance on right. Note young grapefruit dressed in bridal veil on the right and the open area on the left that formerly was citrus. In 2025, we saw a Lark Sparrow at the cemetery. Sometimes we get good looks at Sherman's Fox Squirrels, a very large squirrel species with white-tipped ears and nose.
6. Caloosahatchee Regional Park – Return to NRR. Turn right on NRR and go 2.1 mi to Caloosahatchee Regional Park (the second entrance on the left). Here we plan to eventually meet at its picnic area for lunch and bird list tabulations. Look for gopher tortoises along shoulders of entry drive. Parking is $1.00 per hr or $5.00 per day, unless you have a Lee County Parks Parking Pass (see Introduction to Field Trips). See the Caloosahatchee Regional Park eBird website for birding information.
Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, 12 April 2027 (Google Map)
The Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Web Wildlife Management Area (29200 Tuckers Grade, Punta Gorda), is an almost 81,000-acre property in Charlotte and Lee Counties. The Daily-Use Permit is $3.00/person or $6.00/vehicle, payable by envelope at the entrance station. .A small restroom and several picnic areas with tables are relatively near the Tuckers Grade entrance.
Babcock/Web WMA is about 17 miles NW of the Palm Beach Blvd/I-75 Intersection. Take I-75 N to Exit 158, Tuckers Grade (CR 762). Turn right onto CR 762 where you soon will find the entrance station. We will be caravanning along a two-track road. Typically, at the entrance station, we consolidate into a smaller number of cars and leave some parked there. This is an excellent trip for those of us who can no longer walk long distances, as it is "drive and get out" birding through mostly slash pine flatwoods. We'll undoubtedly use our new walkie-talkies to communicate sightings down the caravan.
See the Babcock-Webb WMA eBird website for birding information. We usually see Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, a federally listed "Threatened" species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Pines that contain its nests are often marked with a band on their trunks. Sometimes the birds put on a good show for photography. This year, our trip is a little later in the season. We hope to have a higher probability of hearing and seeing Bachman's Sparrows. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Website, Bachman's Sparrow is "one of the most rapidly declining bird species in North America" and has been proposed for ESA listing since 1994. Once we complete our birding at Babcock/Webb WMA, we will consume our BYOL lunches at a picnic area near the main entrance, where we will tabulate our bird list and choose a 'trip bird.'
Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas County, 19 April 2027 (Google Map)
Fort De Soto Park is a Pinellas County Park located about 115 miles by road NW of Exit 141 (Palm Beach Blvd) on I-75. It is about a two-hour drive under optimal traffic conditions. The park was established in 1962 and comprises about 1,100 acres that include a Spanish-American War era fort that was active from 1898-1910. The park has five different barrier islands with beautiful beaches and is known to birders especially for its shorebirds, tired avian migrants, and occasional vagrants. In 2025, members of the CBC got good looks at Golden-winged, Blue-winged, and Worm-eating Warblers. In 2024, we were treated to a Piratic Flycatcher from South America that really put on a show. As of October, 2026, parking is $6.00/day (payable with a cell phone at a Kiosk), but new rates go into effect on 12/1/26. The park has modern restroom facilities at various locations. See the Fort De Soto Park eBird website for birding information.
Directions: We are meeting at Bay Fishing Pier Parking (Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas Bayway S, St. Petersburg). The fastest route involves a Sunshine SkyWay Bridge toll of $1.75 plus $2.50 administrative fee for toll-by-plate ($1.16 total for SunPass or accepted equivalent) each way. Take I-75 N to Exit 228 (right two lanes) for I-275 N toward St. Petersburg for 1.1 miles. Continue onto I-275 N for 16.3 miles. Use the left lane to take Exit 17 for FL-682 W/US-19 N toward Pinellas Bayway/St Pete Beach for 0.3 miles. Follow FL-682 for 9.8 miles to the destination (turn right at the final 'T').