Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Magnolia Warbler at Sanibel Lighthouse

Tuesday, May 17th

Small Gopher Tortoise at Sanibel Lighthouse


Vince McGrath posted on Birdbrains about finding several interesting migrants at Sanibel Lighthouse. I could not get there till the following afternoon and did not know what to expect. I was only able to locate a single warbler, a beautiful male Magnolia Warbler. He was located several times in the area of the beach parking lot near to the owl tree. Other sightings included several Red-eyed Vireos, a trio of Eastern Kingbirds, and my first sighting of year of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. A Bank Swallow was seen as I was leaving the island. Lots of colorful butterflies and the a small gopher tortoise too.

Black-belled Plover
On the way home made a quick stop at Bunche Beach.  I had joined up with the Lee County Bird Patrol walk here last Sunday evening and had noted a big drop-off in numbers and it was the same today.  Most have left for their breeding grounds up in northern Canada and Alaska. Mostly seen were a few Black-bellied Plovers, a Wilson's Plover, several Semipalmated Plovers, a few Willets, Dunlins, Ruddy Turnstones and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Several Least Terns were seen and a lone Royal Tern, a few Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans.Totaly missing were short-billed dowitchers, piping plovers, american oystercatchers and marbled godwits.


Sanderling

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Ruddy Turnstone


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