Andrew West | Fort Myers News-Press
The south end of Fort Myers Beach is a nesting site for many of Southwest Florida’s protected shorebirds. Those include black skimmers, least terns, snowy plovers, Wilson’s plovers and more.
News-Press photographer Andrew West spent a recent evening there documenting some of the sights.
Some skimmers were seen loafing on the sands while others hunted the shallow waters in search of a meal. Least terns bathed and a lone reddish egret danced, pranced and ran in a zig zagging pattern drumming up a meal. In Big Carlos pass, several dolphins broke the surface of the calm waters, working in pairs in search of fish.
A staked off area alerts visitors to be aware of the nesting birds. The terns will make a racket and dive bomb any potential threat, which includes people. When hatched, snowy plovers and least terns are small cotton balls with feet. The camouflaged puff balls scatter along the landscape. The snowy plover chicks feed almost immediately after hatching, while parents bring in small bait fish for the least terns and black skimmers.
Beach nesting season is April 1 to Aug. 31.
Check out the video and photo gallery on naplesnews.com.
Are you looking for a home in the Naples-Bonita Springs, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Mark H. Bickel | Naples Daily News
Now that summer is upon us and the end of another busy tourist and snowbird season is in the rear view mirror, the memories of the months of horrible traffic we had to endure from Marco Island to Cape Coral usually start to fade right about now.
We come home from the grocery store or work and tend to say: “It’s really not that bad out there!”
But the clock to the start of next season is already ticking.
Which brings us to the Collier County MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) Board Meeting that took place June 13. If nothing else, the meeting was a reminder that significant efforts are underway to create long-term fixes for the traffic stress Southwest Florida is experiencing.
But the meeting was important in many other ways in terms of getting a better understanding and more details about the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) historic project that will widen I-75 − to as many as 10 lanes in some places − from the Golden Gate Parkway interchange in Collier County to the Corkscrew Road interchange in Lee County.
Get the details on naplesnews.com.
Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
The highly anticipated Four Seasons Resort in Naples is taking reservations.
Years in the making, the resort, part of a larger mixed-use luxury development, known as the Naples Beach Club, will debut in October.
Four Seasons announced the opening of reservations via a press release June 17.
While the release did not include an official opening date, the resort’s website shows the first-available booking date as Oct. 20, with limited options, or restrictions. After that date, rooms are marked as unavailable until Nov. 24 (with limited availability, until December).
The Four Seasons is replacing the former Naples Beach Hotel, off Gulf Shore Boulevard North. The Watkins family owned and operated the hotel for 75 years, through three generations, before selling the property for redevelopment in 2021.
Read more on naplesnews.com.
Are you seeking a luxury home in the Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
Federal agencies still haven’t signed off on a rebuild of the much-beloved Naples Pier.
At a workshop June 16, Naples City Council discussed potential changes to the design, but expressed reluctance to make any big ones, as it could drag out permitting.
During the workshop, Tim Hall, with Turrell, Hall & Associates, a consultant on the project, told council any significant changes could add months to the Army Corps of Engineers’ review and approval process.
“We’re hoping to get a permit from them probably in the September timeframe and it could add another six months on top of that,” he warned.
Council discussed changes to the land side of the pier only, including the addition of a restroom solely for use by the Naples Police Department, so officers could better secure and protect their safety equipment, including guns, while on duty.
Read more on naplesnews.com.
Are you looking for a home in the Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
A decades-old citrus grove could be replaced by hundreds of homes in eastern Collier County.
At a board meeting May 27, county commissioners agreed to send a required amendment to the county’s growth management plan to the Florida Department of Commerce for its input.
The plan amendment, requested by a developer, who is seeking a rezoning, would create a new residential subdistrict on what’s now agriculturally-zoned land — at 341 Sabal Palm Road.
After hearing opposition from neighbors, county commissioners emphasized they weren’t taking any final action, just allowing the proposal to move forward in a multi-step zoning and hearing process that still has a long way to go.
“Allowing this to go to the state and come back with more information gives us a starting point,” said commissioner Rick LoCastro.
He added: “It’s going to make us more educated on the property. We’ve approved nothing today for construction, nothing.”
He shared some of his own concerns about the proposal, which involves land in his district. One of his biggest worries is about the traffic it would generate.
The development would replace the South Naples Citrus Grove.
Read more on naplesnews.com.
USA TODAY Network | May 10, 2025
Newly released data from Realtor.com for February shows that potential buyers and sellers in Collier County saw higher home sale prices than the previous month’s median of $641,000.
The median home sold for $675,000, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows. That means February, the most recent month for which figures are available, was up 5.3% from January.
Compared to February 2024, the median home sales price was up 7.1% compared to $630,000.
Realtor.com sources sales data from real estate deeds, resulting in a few months’ delay in the data. The statistics don’t include homes currently listed for sale and aren’t directly comparable to listings data.
Get a breakdown on median sale prices on naplesnews.com.
Are you looking for a home in the Bonita Springs – Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
