Long-billed Curlew at Bunche Beach

Thursday, July 21st

Early this morning I had a dental appointment, which was located close by to Bunche Beach. So off I went to look for any returning migrant shorebirds. The temperatures were still tolerable, as we are expecting 95 degrees later in the day, and the tide was falling.

Long-billed Curlew at Bunche beach

Walked to each end of the beach and was rewarded with numbers of Marbled Godwits, Willets, Short-billed Dowitchers and Sanderlings. It is too early yet to find any little peeps back from the Arctic. But the migration is underway. The Reddish Egrets were putting on a show and the Black Skimmers were found close to beach. Had a few Brown Pelicans, laughing Gulls and Royal Terns did not see any sandwich terns and a bit early yet to find black terns here. Did find black terns at Gandy Beach in St Petersburg three weeks ago. Had several Wilson’s Plover, most of which seemed to be juveniles.

Green Heron flying across beach



Green Heron

A few Black-bellied Plovers were on hand and had a couple of Yellow-crowned Night-herons including a very young juvenile. Saw my first Spotted Sandpiper in a couple of months and spotted a pair of Barn Swallows too. These are the first swallows I have seen locally for some time now. I had a couple of spots were I was finding purple martins or northern rough-winged swallows regularly through June, but they had moved on a few weeks ago. The best bird of the day was a Long-billed Curlew. About mid-July for the past few years I have been lucky to locate the curlew at this beach.



Reddish Egret dancing for its meal





A pair of Reddish Egrets



Willets

Semipalmated Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Black Skimmers in need of counciling

Sanderling

Marbled Godwit

Willet

Short-billed Dowitchers have returned from the breeding grounds

Yellow-crowned Night-heron