Myakka River State Park

 Friday December 30th

Spent the morning today visiting Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County. Water levels remain high and some damage from Hurricane Ian is still present.  Was hoping to observe a nice variety of waterfowl, but only came across Mottled Ducks, some Blue-winged Teal and a few Green-winged Teal.  Wild Turkeys, Greater Yellowlegs, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Black-necked Stilts and Eastern Phoebes were numerous. Other sightings included American Robins, Pied-billed Grebes, Anhingas and Cormorants.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Wild Turkey

Greater Yellowlegs

American Robin

Green-winged Teal

Northern Mockingbird

Palm Warbler
Myakka River State Park

After catching lunch at the food truck, left the park for a quick run over to nearby Celery Fields.  Here, I checked out the butterfly garden and feeder location. Lots of Nanday Parakeets, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Grackles. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler
The Celery Fields

Northern Cardinal
The Celery Field

Boat-tailed Grackle
The Celery Fields

So, as the year ends, I hadn't grown a very large year list.  With the covid stuff, gas prices and rising inflationary costs, and not forget the havoc with Hurricane Ian, I didn't do as much birding as I normally would have.  But currently I'm making plans to be more aggressive in the new year.

Bunche Beach

 December 12th

Over this past weekend, I made my first visit to Bunche Beach since before Hurricane Ian. It's been over two months since the storm made landfall here and the beach still needs some clean-up.  No doubt this venue is not the highest priority for the available recovery resources. Yet I'd like to see some signage be restored, especially on the rule of No Dogs on the Beach. Encountered three different beach walkers accompanied by their dogs. Because this preserve is an important sanctuary for endangered shorebirds, like red knots & piping, wilson's and snowy plovers, dogs are not permitted.

Low Tide at Bunche Beach Looking Toward the Sanibel Bridge

Somebody has lost their boathouse

Arriving at a very low tide found the exposed pretty empty of birds. Pretty much devoid of terns, skimmers or gulls. Suspect that the water quality remains an issue.

There a were some shorebirds at the west end of the beach. Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plovers, Dunlins, Piping Plovers and a Ruddy Turnstone.

Dunlin

Least Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Giant Atlantic Cockle exposed at low tide

Southern Seaside Goldenrod in bloom at the beach

A Banded Piping Plover

Fort Myers Beach

 Saturday December 3rd

It's been around nine weeks since Hurricane Ian devastated Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach. At this point the clean-up, repairs and rejuvenation on Fort Myers Beach has progressed well. Much of the mess has been cleared, but there is going to a long time needed for recovery. 

A curfew still exists, but non-residents, clean-up crews and contractors can access the island from 7am till 7pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Some businesses have opened and do appreciate patronage.

The FMB pier has been skeletonized and hosts tons of seabirds and the shrimp boat fleet remains beached. The public parks and beaches remain closed, probably till sometime next year. So, I did access the beach at the south end of the island at Carlos Point.  I was able to park across the pass at Lovers Key State Park, which is also closed. The scene of how the storm rearranged the beach was evident s I was walking across the draw bridge. Some of the beach has been carved out, creating a new, shallow inlet.

This end of the island is scheduled for a beach clean-up, soon.  And it is much needed. Saw much debris littering the sand like chairs, pails, a kayak, utility sinks, pieces of docks, mattress, and every manner of stuff

The birding and shelling were pretty good. Lots of shore birds but gulls and terns were scarce today. A peregrine falcon showed up, scattering the resting birds into flight. Some of the sightings included Willets, Marble Godwits, Sanderlings, Dunlins, Snowy Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Ruddy Turnstones, Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, a Herring Gull, Sandwich Terns, Royal Terns, Snowy Egrets and Red Knots.  Dipped on laughing gulls, skimmers, frigatebirds, American white pelicans and wilson's plover.

Willet

Dunlin

Red Knot

Black-bellied Plover

Mottled Duck

Red Knot and a Black-bellied Plover

Red Knot

Red Knot

Snowy Plover

Hurricane Ian

 November 9th

On September 28th Hurricane Ian ripped through Fort Myers and Lee County here in Florida. And know we are waiting on a hurricane Nicole.

Ian was extremely devastating to our coastline and so many people losing homes, businesses, their vehicles, their boats and their lives. The storm surge flooded many communities, and the hurricane force winds turned the barriers islands into piles of rubble. Myself and my family fared well all things considered.

The birding was diffidently affected. Many local birding sites were not accessible till now and the beaches will be difficult to visit for some time. I did drive up to Fort DeSoto Park near St Peterburg and few weeks ago and had some good birding there. Went to Fort DeSoto to try for the rare-to-Florida Bar-tailed Godwit. 

Birds at Fort DeSoto

Bar-tailed Godwit
a rare visitor to Florida

These American Oystercatchers were fussing
over who's going to enjoy this meal

Banded Tulip Shell

Greater Yellowlegs

Piping Plover

Least Sandpiper

Sandwich Tern

Snowy Plover

Willet

Common Tern