 | Description | The Circle B Bar Reserve is one of my favorite places to photograph. It’s located in Lakeland off Winter Lake Road, close to the USF Lakeland campus. The preserve was a cattle ranch that was restored in the early 2000s to its native wetland habitat. A series of berms give people an opportunity to hike through the wetlands and view wildlife. The area is particularly good for birds. Alligators and otters are popular with tourists. |
| Photography Advice | Bring a long lens and be prepared to walk! Park in the lot closest to the Nature Center. You’ll easily walk several miles as you explore the trails. Consider taking a water bottle, especially in the summertime. |
| When to Go | All year round, but best birding is from November to April |
| Species Photographed (48) | American Coot, American Goldfinch, American Kestrel, American White Pelican, Bald Eagle, Baltimore Oriole, Barred Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Black-Crowned Night-Heron, Black-Necked Stilt, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Boat-Tailed Grackle, Bufflehead, Common Gallinule, Common Yellowthroat, Double-Crested Cormorant, Eastern Phoebe, Gadwall, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Northern Bobwhite, Northern Harrier, Osprey, Painted Bunting, Palm Warbler, Pied-Billed Grebe, Prairie Warbler, Purple Gallinule, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Red-Winged Blackbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Redhead, Ring-Necked Duck, Roseate Spoonbill, Sandhill Crane, Savannah Sparrow, Sedge Wren, Snail Kite, Snowy Egret, Sora, Swamp Sparrow, White Ibis, White-Eyed Vireo, Wood Stork, Yellow-Rumped Warbler |
| Website | http://polknature.com/explore/circle-b-bar-reserve |
| eBird | https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1106225 |
| Google Map | Click here to view Google Map |
| Trail Map | Trail Map |
October 12, 2012 - It was a beautiful off-Friday morning today at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I arrived before dawn and walked out to the Wading Bird Way trail for sunrise. I wasn’t really hoping for any bird in particular – it just felt so good to be there! As I walked out, I thought about the recent […]
October 5, 2012 - I found this Wood Stork last weekend on a pale foggy morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve. He seemed curious about me, and he kept watching my camera. These guys are like the old men of the swamp. Look at that face!
October 3, 2012 - I was listening to the eagles the other morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve when I heard strange scuffling sounds. I looked up and saw this pair of Wood Storks fighting with each other at the top of a nearby tree. I guess one of them invaded the other’s personal bubble…my cats can identify […]
October 2, 2012 - At this time of year, the Wood Storks and Double-Crested Cormorants tend to roost in the tall trees in the middle of the marsh at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I often think of these as the “Christmas Trees,” except they are decorated with birds instead of ornaments. When you’re at CBBR on a sunny […]
September 29, 2012 - I finally made it back out to the Circle B Bar Reserve yesterday morning! It felt so good to get back out there. The Marsh Rabbit Run trail is now open, and I hiked it in the cool morning breeze. It wasn’t a super-birdy day, although I did find a couple of Common Yellowthroats and […]
September 22, 2012 - I was up early and ready to head out to look for migrants this morning…and then I heard the raindrops on the roof. My radar on my phone showed green all over the state, and a 50% rain forecast by 9am. Never mind on the birding trip… (and then it cleared up mid-morning! not fair!) […]
September 3, 2012 - This cloudscape image was taken at Circle B about a week ago, as the clouds of Tropical Storm Isaac passed through. As it turned out, that’s pretty much all we got from Isaac – clouds and some rain. Although my dad did get a day off from school for it – lucky duck!
August 31, 2012 - This is a Barred Owl from my visit to Circle B last weekend. He was sitting high in the trees near the bend where the Alligator Alley trail turns towards the marsh. It’s one of the favorite hang-outs of the owls. I actually walked right past him, but some friendly people on the trails pointed […]
August 25, 2012 - Although the center of Tropical Storm Isaac is several days away, the wind was already picking up this morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve. It felt great! I went out to Lake Hancock for the (lack of) sunrise, then stayed on the dock photographing birds in flight for almost an hour. The breezes were […]
August 13, 2012 - I came across this passion flower out on the Eagle Roost trail at Circle B a few weeks ago. The bee decided to fly in while I was shooting. How nice!
July 27, 2012 - I was going back through some of my old images and came across this Wood Stork, taken in January at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I love how some of his wing feathers are catching the light and look iridescent.
July 22, 2012 - With a slight breeze in the forecast, I spent the morning out on the Wading Bird Way trail at the Circle B Bar Reserve. It’s been ages since I went, and it felt great to be there! The water levels are much higher than my last visit, when the Wading Bird Way lake was basically […]
June 3, 2012 - After a photograph-packed weekend last weekend, this weekend was “catch up around the house.” So today’s image is a Dixie Iris that I photographed at the Circle B Bar Reserve back in early March. It was so pretty, blooming along the Alligator Alley trail, that I just had to stop and get it. Even if […]
June 1, 2012 - I spent last Sunday morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve. Boy it feels good to get back out there! I was happy to find lots and lots of Roseate Spoonbills still hanging around off the Wading Bird Way trail. I counted over 100! These beautiful birds are some of my favorite ones to photograph. […]
May 22, 2012 - One more post from Sunday’s trip to the Circle B Bar Reserve… There’s a new family of Sandhill Cranes out on Wading Bird Way. The adults had the colts out on a “vegetation island” while I was there. From the pictures posted on Flickr, it looks like they later brought the babies up onto the […]
May 21, 2012 - As I drove to work with the rising sun in my eyes this morning, all I could think was that I’d rather be at the Circle B Bar Reserve! :) It’s unusual when I have such a good morning that I have to extend my description to multiple blog posts. This one is looking like […]
May 20, 2012 - It’s been ages since I’ve been to Circle B. It’s sad…I used to go there every weekend, at least! So it felt great to spend the morning on Wading Bird Way. The water levels are really really low. Half of the “lake” is now a mud flat. But the good thing is that the low […]
April 1, 2012 - …and now you don’t! I guess April Fool’s is a good day for a photographer to confess to some Photoshopping. :) I was photographing the Sandhill Crane colts at the Circle B Bar Reserve last weekend. I set my camera to the fastest frame speed, which I don’t often do, because I don’t need to […]
March 29, 2012 - The weather forecasters had it all wrong last weekend. They said it would be partially cloudy on Saturday, rainy on Sunday. Try it the other way around, guys. So I went to Circle B on Saturday hoping for partial cloudcover, and I got thick fog until around 10:00. But that was ok, because at 10:00, […]
March 17, 2012 - Yesterday I took advantage of my off-Friday morning to visit the Circle B Bar Reserve, where a pair of Sandhill Cranes has been incubating a nest for the last four weeks or so. I knew the colts were due to be born any time, and I hoped to photograph them interacting on their nest with […]
March 8, 2012 - Last Saturday at the Circle B Bar Reserve, I heard a familiar drumming sound as I passed a dead tree. In previous years, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers have made their nests inside this particular tree, and I’ve enjoyed watching the cavity hole as food is brought in for the babies. So I stopped to watch the old […]
March 4, 2012 - To continue the “Lord of the Rings” titles, this post is about “The Two Turtles” (and some birds, hehe). Rich was a very happy camper when I got home from the Circle B Bar Reserve with several pictures of turtles. He said I had to post at least one – after all, this site is […]
March 3, 2012 - As promised, here are more pictures from my morning at Circle B yesterday. Although I failed to find the Great Horned Owlettes, I did find several other nests. I love springtime at Circle B! The light was horrible (or rather, non-existent!) when I first arrived. I noticed the Osprey on Heron Hideout gathering nesting material. […]
March 2, 2012 - I braved the foggy weather this morning to go to Circle B for the first time in two months. It felt so good to get out there again! Most of the ducks have left, but the resident birds are starting to nest. I love this time of year. The weather wasn’t great for photography—the fog […]
January 9, 2012 - Here’s an appropriate post for my first day back to work – “on the run!” This was an American Coot from the Circle B Bar Reserve from last Wednesday. I love to try to catch them as they run across the water. I got several good frames from this one, so I stitched them together […]
January 7, 2012 - Wednesday was a frigid morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve. The forecast had predicted a low of 29 at 7am, but my car’s thermometer was more optimistic, measuring 34. There was very little wind, and I was quite comfortable all bundled up in my old college coat. I made my way out to the […]
January 2, 2012 - Last Friday, my dad and I headed to the Circle B Bar Reserve for the first time in several weeks. We decided to hike the Alligator Alley trail, where I had seen several Painted Buntings on my previous visit. But we were rather disappointed. We saw the usual herons and egrets, and a couple of […]
December 26, 2011 - With regret, I will be cancelling the remainder of the Circle B Photo Walks for the season. My work has been consuming every waking moment, and I find that I can no longer dedicate the time to our photo walks. I hope to resume them next year. If you were considering attending one, you might […]
December 14, 2011 - My dad and I held the December photo walk at Circle B Bar Reserve this weekend. We were joined by Dick and Emi, a wonderfully enthusiastic couple, as well as my husband and in-laws who were visiting from Texas. We walked the Heron Hideout trail, Marsh Rabbit Run trail up to the Wading Bird Way […]
December 3, 2011 - It turned out to be a beautiful morning to be at the Circle B Bar Reserve. The forecast predicted some clouds, so I decided to hike the Alligator Alley trail, which I haven’t done in a while. Sunrise over Lake Hancock was pretty, as always (and the forecasters were wrong – the clouds didn’t come […]
November 27, 2011 - I almost decided not to go to the Circle B Bar Reserve this morning. The forecast predicted a mostly cloudy morning, and the cloud cover over our house at 6am was thick. But I didn’t want to miss my last vacation opportunity to go to Circle B, so I went anyway. My dad likes to […]
November 26, 2011 - Dyeyo and I spent a nice morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve a few days ago. I can’t believe our Thanksgiving Week is almost over. It feels like it’s lasted only one day! The marsh continues to be covered in pretty yellow flowers, called Burr Marigolds. I had only taken the Beast, so Dyeyo […]
November 21, 2011 - I spent a very pleasant morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve yesterday morning. I arrived about half an hour before sunrise and made my way out to the Wading Bird Way trail. It’s one of my favorite sunrise locations on the reserve. I like to watch the sun peek out from over the trees […]
November 20, 2011 - The two questions that I hear most often about Circle B are 1) When do the white pelicans arrive? and 2) When do the yellow flowers bloom? Well, I’m pleased to report that the answers to both questions are NOW! :) Several people have reported pelican fly-overs in the past week, and the marsh is […]
November 19, 2011 - These Blue-Winged Teals were some of the many that flew over Circle B’s Wading Bird Way trail last Sunday at dawn.
November 18, 2011 - Last weekend at Circle B, a lone Redhead Duck hung out in a pack of American Coots.
November 15, 2011 - I got my first shot of a Northern Harrier at Circle B this weekend. It’s not particularly well exposed, but it’s my proof – I saw him!
November 14, 2011 - Yesterday (Sunday) was a great morning for flight shots at the Circle B Bar Reserve. The sunrise was pretty, then the birds were flying from the lake on Wading Bird Way across the trail towards Lake Hancock. I saw Blue-Winged Teals, Green-Winged Teals, Gadwalls, American Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, and Mottled Ducks. The American Coots are […]
November 13, 2011 - I had a great morning at Circle B. The sunrise over the trees was spectacular, and the duck fly-overs gave me lots of flight shot practice. I’ll post more tomorrow, but here’s a teaser image…
November 12, 2011 - It was cool and a little breezy this morning, and it felt so good to get up early and go see some “golden light!” The Beast and I made our first trip to Circle B in several weeks. Some ducks have settled in, but not as many as I seem to remember from last year. […]
November 7, 2011 - Our Circle B Photo Walk schedule has been updated. The November walk was cancelled due to Thanksgiving. The December walk was moved to December 10. The songbird migrants have returned to Circle B for the winter, and the ducks are starting to arrive! My dad and I invite you to join us for a walk […]
November 5, 2011 - A Queen butterfly posed for me last weekend at the Circle B Bar Reserve.
November 4, 2011 - This Common Yellowthroat posed for me recently at Circle B. I like to call these guys “Zorro” because of their black masks. They are some of my favorite winter visitors.
October 30, 2011 - After a long weekend of rain, the morning started out cloudy at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I set up The Beast on the Heron Hideout trail and positioned myself in the flight path of the Bald Eagles who were flying in circles over the marsh, retrieving nesting material and taking it back to their […]
October 26, 2011 - I got in trouble with my turtle-loving husband when I didn’t post the picture of the turtle that I took at Circle B on Saturday. So here’s the turtle. Isn’t he cute? He looks like he’s going sliding on the water.
October 24, 2011 - I spent Sunday morning with The Beast at the Circle B Bar Reserve. It was hard to decide whether to head out to the marsh to catch the Bald Eagles flying with nesting material, or head to the lake to see the bobcat. The cloudless skies and great morning light made me decide on the […]
October 23, 2011 - Yesterday (Saturday) was the October photo hike at the Circle B Bar Reserve. My dad and I led three enthusiastic birders around the trails at the reserve. Last year our walks were big and we had a wide variety of birding/photography skill levels. This year our walks have been very small, and today’s group of […]
October 21, 2011 - I photographed this White-Eyed Vireo this weekend on the Alligator Alley trail of the Circle B Bar Reserve. I used fill flash to illuminate him deep within a tree. I recently started training myself to use a new technique for focusing on these little birds who love to flit in and out of small trees. […]
October 20, 2011 - I photographed this juvenile Red-Winged Blackbird at the Circle B Bar Reserve this weekend. It was a cloudy morning, so I was glad to have my flash with me. I really like how his brown tones contrast with the green vegetation and purple flowers around him.