Q: I have friends coming to visit from England to South Florida the week of March 12th. They are birdwatchers and would like me to take them to a nice area for this. Please help -- Thank you, Frank Molinari

A: You and your friends just might get to see some young at that time. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says March is also when birds from Central and South America make their way back north by way of Florida.

You must go to the Everglades. There, you are likely to see herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, hawks, kites, wood storks, gallinules, ospreys and even bald eagles. The Everglades is a big place, of course, so there are many places you can stop off. Try:

• Everglades National Park headquarters in Flamingo. This is the "park proper," where you'll likely see the most visitors.
  
  
• Shark Valley Visitor Center partway between Miami and Naples on Tamiami Trail. There is a 16-mile-long paved loop trail here that takes you to an observation tower at the halfway mark. You can rent a bike here, or take the tram ride.
  
  
• Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. This is real swamp. The water birds love it.

On the western coast, you can impress your friends at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Imokalee. Run by the Audubon Society, this is a real gem of nature surrounded by farmland. A boardwalk leads you through the swamp, where you are likely to see many birds (including owls).

And as long as you're going there, head over to the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. You can drive or walk the Wildlife Drive stop wherever you like to view the birds (including anhingas and cormorants). And the island is really charming.

On the eastern side, try Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge near Boynton Beach. The main area might not seem like much to look at for the dearth of trees and the grid-like layout of walking paths. However, that gives you an unobstructed viewing area. You can see many birds here, including warblers. And like Corkscrew, there's a swamp boardwalk behind the visitor center.

In Broward, the Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood will give your friends a chance to see more wetland birds (including smaller shorebirds like sandpipers).

If you're feeling adventurous, try Dry Tortugas National Park in the Keys. This place is 70 miles west of Key West, and accessible only by boat or plane. (It's best for a day trip.) However, I hear the birding is spectacular in the spring, with migrating northern songbirds and seabirds stopping off on the way back home.

Have fun, and tell your friends cheerio for me!

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