A Fight to Save the Celery Fields
The Celery Fields in Sarasota, FL is an internationally recognized birding area and is home to the Sarasota Audubon Society. The location of the site, the large number of diverse bird species, and its public ownership by Sarasota County make the Celery Fields an ideal location for wildlife watching and passive recreational use. The 400+ acre site is also the County’s primary storm water collection zone, allowing it to serve a dual purpose of public safety and recreation. Yet, the Celery Fields is under attack from developers.
Last year, a proposal was made to rezone 50 acres of farmland adjacent to the Celery Fields so that a 171 high-density community of single family homes could be built by DR Horton. In November, the Sarasota Planning Commission voted the plan down 4-3 in a nonbinding vote. The issue now goes before the Sarasota County Commission who will take it up February 12, 2025 at 9 am.
What can you do?
Email the 5 members of Sarasota’s Board of County Commissioners. Their vote on February 12 is whether the project will move forward. If it does, not only will the noise and light pollution will destroy what has become an internationally recognized ornithological location of wild and threatened birds, but it will dangerously increase flooding of the already susceptible neighboring communities. Lastly, this area cannot withstand more traffic on its two-lane roads than it already does. These are the County Commissioners:
Teresa Mast, District 1, tmast@scgov.net
Mark Smith, District 2, mhsmith@scgov.net
Tom Knight, District 3, tknight@scgov.net
Joe Neunder, District 4, Vice Chair, jneunder@scgov.net
Ron Cutsinger, District 5, rcutsinger@scgov.net
My email to the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners:
Sarasota County Commissioners,
I am writing today to add my voice in opposition to rezone petition 23-30. I am a bird photographer based in Tampa and often visit the Celery Fields to photograph the wide variety of bird species there. I just visited the park on Sunday and it was such a joy to photograph Painted Buntings, Nanday Parakeets, Boat-tailed Grackle, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Harrier, and so many more bird species that attract photographers and birders like myself. The Celery Fields is a unique park and a gem in Sarasota County. To allow DR Horton to build yet another high-density housing development - adjacent to the Celery Fields - would be an absolute crime against the wildlife who call the park home, residents who enjoy the park for recreation, and tourists like myself (both local and international) who come to Sarasota just for the park.
I stand with Sarasota Audubon whose position is: A high-density residential development does not belong here on Raymond Rd adjacent to the Celery Fields birding destination. It will negate and undermine all the millions of dollars and planning invested by Sarasota County and its Stormwater Division, not to mention tourism dollars.
Very Respectfully,
Jonathan Hoiles
Sunday, I spent some of my hard-earned tourism dollars in Sarasota in support of the Celery Fields. I started at the nature center where Sarasota Audubon maintains bird feeders in the garden. There was a mob of Nanday Parakeets, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Boat-tailed Grackles, and Common Grackles on all the feeders. I was hoping to photograph Painted Buntings but I think all these other birds were keeping them at bay. Still, all the birds were particularly beautiful.
Nanday Parakeets. A non-native species endemic to South America. This pair showed mated pair social behavior such as preening each other and clasping of bills. Nikon Z8 with monopod mounted Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/8.0, 1/1250 sec, ISO 2500.
Boat-tailed Grackle. It was overcast all morning and the diffused light made the iridescent blue-green-purple feathers really sparkle. Although this bird can be a nuisance to many, I find it to be one of the most beautiful birds in Florida. Nikon Z8 with monopod mounted Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 2200.
About mid-morning I walked over to the pier off Palmer Rd. The water is typically higher in this retention pond and consequently fewer birds are close to the pier. I did see quite a few birds in the distant marsh, including a Crested Cara Cara flying in the direction of the big hill (Mt. Celery), but didn’t take any pictures here.
I moved on to the pier off Raymond Rd. The water level in this area is lower so there are always more birds here. A variety of ducks, Common Gallinule, Gray-headed Swamphens, Purple Gallinule, Glossy Ibis, Great Blue Heron, Boat-tailed Grackle, and even a Least Bittern were in this area. I focused on the two female Northern Harriers flying overhead.
Northern Harrier. Nikon Z8 with monopod mounted Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 11,400. I sacrificed ISO by keeping a shutter speed at 1/4000 sec. I pre-processed the image through DXO PureRaw 4 which cleaned up the image quite nicely while retaining sufficient detail in the bird.
Northern Harrier. Nikon Z8 with monopod mounted Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 2800
Northern Harrier. Nikon Z8 with monopod mounted Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 2200.
On my way off the pier a couple of Cattle Egret were walking along the wooden fence. It was getting really dark due to an incoming storm, and in fact it started raining as I snapped off this photo. I got back in the car and went into town and ate at a local restaurant.
Cattle Egret. Nikon Z8 with monopod mounted Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1250.
When the rain let up I returned to Celery Fields to see if the Painted Buntings would make a show in the native plant garden behind the nature center. The blackbirds and Nandays left the feeders during the storm, so I was hoping this would provide the opportunity of the Painted Buntings to get to the millet feeders unmolested. Within 5 minutes two males were at the feeders.
Painted Bunting. Still wet from the rain and with a little Millet from the feeder sticking to its bill. Nikon Z8 with monopod mounted Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 2500.
Painted Bunting. The same bird as above, about 15 minutes later after it dried out. Nikon Z8 with monopod mounted Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 1600.
I was thrilled with my trip to the Celery Fields, and I hope the County Commissioners understand what a gem they have in their area. I hope that before they vote on February 12 that they go out and walk to the top of Mount Celery and talk with the many local residents who use the park for exercise. I hope they visit the nature center and take a stroll through the gorgeous native plant garden. I hope they walk out on the piers, see the huge variety of birds, and speak with the birders and photographers who come from all over Florida and beyond to visit the Celery Fields. It’s a unique treasure that must be protected and must not be endangered by yet another DR Horton high-density housing development. There are plenty of those all over the U.S., but there is only one park called the Celery Fields. Love it and protect it.
Happy birding!
