A Bird Blitz

Friday December 1st

Start of a new month and I was going to make a day of it. A birding blitz to visit as many venues as I can to see as many species as possible.

Eastern Phoebe at Gunners Trail

After checking the tide charts, I elected to start the day at Bunche Beach at sunrise. Walked to both ends, partly in the company of Wes . That's about two miles of coverage. Not terribly birdy. Missed a few expected species. Some sightings included Caspian Tern, American White Pelican, Reddish Egret, Piping Plover, Marbled Godwit, Fosters Terns and Wood Storks.

Red-shouldered Hawk at Gunners Trail

Next stop was the Gunners' Trail at Wild Turkey Strand in Lehigh Acres. Again the venue wasn't as birdy as expected. Encountered Blue-winged Teal, Mottled Ducks, Snail Kite, Red-shouldered Hawks, Tree Swallows, Common Gallinules, House Wrens, Catbirds, Eastern Phoebes, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Dipped on purple gallinules, swamp sparrows  and black-belled whistling ducks.

Bee Hive seen along the Gunners Trail

Traveled further east to the orange groves on Church Road. Dipped on the expected caracara and white-winged doves,  Did find Wild Turkey, more Wood Storks, and American Kestrel.

Gray -headed Swamphen at Harns Marsh

At Harns Marsh, in Lehigh Acres, the low bird activity continues. Only ducks seen were a pair of Blue-winged Teal. Gray-headed Swamphens were easily seen. Only a single pair of Sandhill Cranes. Did get a Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk being mobbed by a crow. And only heard a single Limpkin. Weird . Dipped on purple gallinule, snail kite, ring-necked ducks and sparrows.

Sandhill Crane at Harns Marsh

Continuing on to other locations in Lehigh Acres - known for scrub jays and red-headed woodpeckers, but came up empty. Then to the White's Feeders in Alva. Only a Red-bellied Woodpecker. On my previous visits here in November I have seen  a ruby -throated hummingbird and an ovenbird. Strange too has been an absence of any white-winged doves so far this season. The Greater White-breasted Goose was still seen on North River Road.

American Coot at Harns Marsh

Did finally see a Red-headed Woodpecker at Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve. And then the Bald Eagles at the famous Pritchett Eagle Nest in North Ft Myers. At the Festive Park site in north Cape Coral I dipped on the Florida scrub jays. Did add American Kestrel, Burrowing Owl and Loggerhead Shrike.

Wrapped up the day at the Pelican Boulevard Baseball Fields in Cape Coral. Besides the Burrowing Owls, I added a single Monk Parakeet and an Osprey.

Spent eight hours, walked about six mile and drove way too miles more. Had initially targeted a hundred bird day, but came up way short. Finished with only seventy.

Day List  -  Greater White-fronted Goose, Muscovy Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Mottled Duck, Wild Turkey, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Stork, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Snail Kite, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Gray-headed Swamphen, Common Gallinule,  American Coot, Limpkin,  Sandhill Crane, Black-bellied Plover, Piping Plover, Marbled Godwit, Sanderling, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Willet, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, Mourning Dove, Burrowing Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Monk Parakeet, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, House Wren, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Common Yellowthroat, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Common Grackle and Boat-tailed Grackle