Having the creek on three sides also makes Fairview seem more suburban than urban, and residents with homes overlooking the creek say they can spot egrets and blue herons.

Early morning and dusk are the best times to spot moose, elk, sandhill cranes, ospreys, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, Canada geese, blue herons and white pelicans.

While the Caribbean was out of bounds to us because of rip tides and sharks, dawn boat trips through the lagoon provided exhilarating opportunities to spot otters, caiman, iguanas, herons, and monkeys.

The 450-acre preserve with several swimming holes and waterfalls is great for spotting indigenous herons, black-necked stilts and common snipes.

Observers can spot blue herons, egrets, ducks, and migrating shorebirds that can be found in the marshes.

It is an excellent location for spotting horn-bills, woodpeckers, minivets and herons.

Ramblers Holidays (01707 331133; www.ramblersholidays.co.uk) Combines walking and birdwatching on a new holiday in Lesbos to spot herons, little bitterns, flamingo, storks and ibis.

You can hire canoes or set out with a guide to spot herons, egrets, pelicans and waterfowl, while swimming and crawling below are barracudas, tarpon, snapper, crabs and lobsters.

Perdido Key's two state parks and an expanse of National Seashore are ripe for spotting gray foxes and blue herons in the wild.

They typically consist of a leisurely cruise along the nearby creeks, where you can spot pelicans, herons and kingfishers while watching women in wooden pirogues picking oysters from the roots of mangroves.