Peregrine Falcon at Little Estero Lagoon

Tuesday March 27th

Met up with Bob Pelkey at Little Estero Lagoon on Ft Myers Beach with the idea of finding a snowy plover or any northern gannets. I was aware that gannets were seen off of Captiva Island a couple of days ago. But there presence then may have been due to a weather front pushing them close to shore at that time.

Wilson's Plover were common today

A least sandpiper

The most common sight today was actually the large crowd of snowbirds enjoying a beach. We did find a couple of dozen Wilson's Plover, plus a few Semipalmated Plovers and a couple of Piping Plover.  A few Dunlins were seen and one was starting to show the dark belly. The many Black-bellied Plovers were also starting to start changing plumage. We also found a couple Double-crested Cormorants sporting the name-sake crests.

Had hoped to find any early least terns, the gannets, frigatebirds and the snow plovers, but struck-out on all of them.  Only a few Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans , a lone Ring-billed Gull, a lone Royal Tern and a juvenile Herring Gull were seen. Otherwise the sky was empty. It was still good birding and Bob captured a lot of  good photo opportunities including the Peregrine Falcon at rest high up the side of one the condos bordering the preserve. It may have been standing over a recent victim as well. It was too far for me to get a decent picture, but Bob should have a few good shots on his blog later this week.

Other birds seen today included Least Sandpipers, a Black-Crowned Night-Heron, a Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons, White Ibis, House Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Tricolored Herons, Willets, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings and Palm Warblers

Boat-tailed Grackle