West Marsh Preserve

 Saturday May 30th

Today I went birding at the West Marsh Preserve in Lehigh Acres. Took the path around the impoundment, about 2 miles. The target today was to find a snail kite. The Everglades Snail Kite is a resident to the enviros here and at the adjacent Harn's Marsh Preserve, were their primary food source, the Apple Snail, thrives. Limpkins need the snails too. 

Snail Kite

https://ebird.org/checklist/S349384411

SOME HISTORY

Located on Romero Ave, in Lehigh Acres, the property was first obtained by the Lee County 2020 program, which buys environmentally sensitive properties for conservation, around 2008.  The land sits across the street from the Lee County Firing Range and lies between the Lee County Mosquito Control District and the Lehigh Acres Water Control District property.

Burrowing Owl

Female Snail Kite

More than eighty years ago, this entire property was part of Buckingham Fields, a United States Army training base where thousands of servicemen learned to serve as aerial gunners defending bombers during World War II. Over time, much of the 7,000-acre site was gradually developed. Today, the Lee County Mosquito Control District owns the original runway and uses it for aerial spraying with drones, helicopters, and planes. In the past, the district also used DC-3 aircraft for spraying. When we first moved to the area in the 1980s, we were startled by the noise of the DC-3s flying at treetop level over our house at dawn.

Black-necked Stilt

In the 1980s the Water Management District developed Harn's Marsh as a storm water retention site, which has become popular for walkers, fishing and birding.  

 

Snow Goose was a rarity seen in 2021,
found by Ron Bishop but only stayed a few days.

Prior to the redevelopment of the West Marsh Preserve into a water retention wetland managed as a joint partnership between Lee County and the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services District, it was a reliable location for Bachman's Sparrows. So, when the property was cleared and dredged for water retention there was great disappointment with the loss of this venue.

But the newly created wetlands have expanded our birding options with waterfowl, shorebirds, snail kites, wading birds, swallows and burrowing owls have now shown up.

My Life List for West Marsh

  

Barn Owl

 Wednesday May 27th

This Barn Owl was photographed as it perched on the highway railing in the early morning hours this past Sunday. I had driven to the Everglades Ag Area south Belle Glade, Florida with the idea of finding any swallows.

Cave Swallows are active in their colony site on East Canal Street, south of Belle Glade. My efforts to get a useful photograph were thwarted by the speed of their flight. They are presumable nesting under the closed bridge spanning the canal near the intersection with Brown's Farm Road. Several Barn Swallows were also spotted along Brown's Farm Road. 

The Barn Owl was seen across the road from the Cave Swallow Colony. 

eBird Checklist - 24 May 2026 - 6 Mile Bend Ponds - (No Public Access - View From Road) - 7 species

eBird Checklist - 24 May 2026 - Browns Farm Rd. - 19 species

eBird Checklist - 24 May 2026 - Gladeview Rd. - 15 species

eBird Checklist - 24 May 2026 - East Canal Street South, Belle Glade, Florida, US (26.648, -80.591) - 2 species

Barn Swallow

Common Mynas in Belle Glade

Eurasian Starling in Belle Glade

eBird Checklist - 24 May 2026 - Winn-Dixie Plaza - 8 species

Down to the Beach

 Thursday May 14th

Did some birding today at Bunche Beach and Bowditch Point Park.  These are some of the birds seen today.

Bunche Beach

Bird List eBird Checklist - 14 May 2026 - San Carlos Bay/Bunche Beach Preserve - 20 species

Reddish Egret with a Red-finned Needlefish

Dunlin. Most numerous shorebirds today

Bowditch Point Park

Bird List eBird Checklist - 14 May 2026 - Bowditch Point Park - 21 species

Semi-palmated Sandpiper

Semi-palmated Sandpipers

Ruddy Turnstone

Sanderlings and a Ruddy Turnstone

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird seen at the butterfly garden

Lazuli Bunting

Wednesday April 15th 

Delicate Violet Orchid seen today at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

eBird Checklist - 15 Apr 2026 - Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary - 20 species

Made a quick visit today to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to see the reported Lazuli Bunting. The rare-to -Florida Bunting had been reported using the bird feeders for about the past three weeks and no doubt would be gone soon. 

Arrived at the sanctuary 8am. Had about a 40-minute wait for the bunting's appearance and it was a stunning male. Was able to get a couple of pics, which was a part of the goal today. As it's not a lifer. Saw the Lazuli that was frequenting Vince McGrath's feeders in Iona back in 2012, but no photo then. Dipped several times two years ago when another Lazuli wintered in Alva. 

Lazuli Buntings are a rarity east of the Mississippi River. Every so often an individual will migrate east for the winter instead of south to Mexico. This could be a misorientation in their migration. 

Lots of Painted and Indigo Buntings today as well.

Buntings

 Saturday March 28th

The wintering Indigo Buntings are molting into their beautiful blue color and will be migrating north soon. So will our wintering Painted Buntings

January Birds

 Saturday January 31st

Painted Bunting at my house

Vermilion Flycatcher at Pahokee, Florida

Lesser Nighthawk at Lakes Park, Ft Myers

Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Palm Beach County 

Common Eider at Lovers Key State Park

Nanday Parakeets at my house

Brown-headed Cowbird at the Celery Fields, Sarasota

Eastern Phoebe 

Purple Martin at the Celery Fields, Sarasota

Common Eider

 Tuesday January 27th

Lovers Key eBird Report

A female Common Eider has been reported, sporadically, around Fort Myers Beach for several months and most recently at Lovers Key State Park. Ran out to Lovers Key and with Vince McGrath, was able to see the eider at the south end of the beach at Big Carlos Pass. 

A Florida rarity, Common Eider

Snowy Plover

Red Knot

Black bellied Plover