Sandhill Crane Area
Posted by: 
TaoZero
N 27° 19.550 W 082° 26.754
17R E 356951 N 3023353
Located off Palmer Blvd, this 300+ acre site is owned by Sarasota County and is the County's primary flood mitigation zone.
Sandhill Cranes may be commonly spotted in pairs or in family groups throughout the year here.
Waymark Code: WMAN8E
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/02/2011
Views: 7
See A Celery Fields Sandhill Crane at
( (
visit link) )
This 300+ acre site is owned by Sarasota County and is the County’s primary flood mitigation zone. It is managed by the division of Storm Water and Sarasota County Parks & Recreation. The Sarasota County Department of Transportation is also involved in its management and maintenance.
Mainly consisting of open marshlands, deep ponds, shallow pools, and canals, the Celery Fields are edged by oaks, willows, and pines on the eastern and southern boundaries. The Fields are roughly divided into three segments: the North Cells receive water from the Fruitville Road entry canal and have the deepest ponds. From there, the water is channeled into the Central Cells which cover the area that you see when looking west from the gazebo. The water then flows under Palmer Boulevard into the South Cells, and then southward into Phillippi Creek. In early 2001, Sarasota Audubon began conducting bird surveys at the Fields. To date, 206 species have been recorded. Wintertime offers particularly good birding, hosting up to 8 species of sparrows, Marsh and Sedge Wrens, and several species of rails, including Sora and Virginia. The Fields also host breeding birds, including Black-necked Stilts, King Rail, Least Bittern, Limpkin, Eastern Towhee, Barn Owl and Eastern Meadowlark. Least Terns breed on nearby buildings and use the ponds as a primary food source. Rarities show up from time to time, including Upland and White-rumped Sandpipers, Short-eared Owl and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
Sarasota County, recognizing the importance of the Celery Fields as a food and habitat source to a wide variety of birds, is working with Sarasota Audubon to restore 80+ acres in the Southern Cells into a more traditional wetland.
Historically the area was a sawgrass marsh and evidence of early native settlement has been found. The site is also rich in paleontological artifacts. (This information is from the above link)
For more information on this area, especially if you are a bird watcher, go to
(http://www.sarasotaaudubon.org/celery%20fields.aspx#Directions)