Carlos Point

Monday, July 13th

Returned to Carlos Point on Fort Myers Beach to check out the seabird nesting colonies. Lots of birds present today. Lots of Least Terns still active here and the Black Skimmers seemed to have had a

successful nesting season. Yet numbers of unattended skimmer eggs could be seem.  Spoke with a young lady monitoring the sight for Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, who shared that the eggs had  been washed out their nests by resent rain storms. 

Lots of Willets and a few Marbled Godwits, plus a young Herring Gull. Added Royal and Sandwich Terns, Laughing Gulls and Ruddy Turnstones. Snowy, Wilsons, Semipalmated and Black-bellied Plovers.  Too early for Piping Plovers arriving from nesting up north. Just a few Sanderlings.  Had oystercatchers or whimbrels as my targets for the day. Will have to try again later.

Some other interesting observations included a green iguana that dashed off as came into the green zone at the foot of the Big Carlos Pass Bridge. Needed to park on the opposite side of the bridge and walk across as there is no parking available otherwise. But besides the lizard, I photographed a kind of moth in the same area, I hadn't ever seen before.  Learned that its called a White-tipped Black. 

The Turtle Time people has also mark off four sea turtle nests in the area I visited. I don't think they were present on my prior visit last month.  Probably Loggerhead Turtles. Would love to experience a hatching some day.

Often encounter Bottlenose Dolphins at any beach in the Florida, including today. But was also surprised by a couple of Manatees grazing in the Big Carlos Pass. Always nice to see the Sea Cows.