Down to the Beach

Tuesday July 17th

Roseate Spoonbills at Carlos Point

Last week I headed to the beach to do some birding. The tide was too high at Bunche Beach, so I opted to do my birding on Ft Myers Beach. Namely at Carlos Point to check out the seabird nurseries.

I did make a stop first along John Morris Road at Bunche Beach to make my umpteenth try to spot the resident  Mangrove Cuckoos. I've dipped on dozens of tries but finally I heard and SAW the cuckoo. Woo Hoo!!

Black Skimmers are nesting at Carlos Point

Snowy Plover

The beach was hot and sunny. The numbers of nesting Least Terms have dropped and hundreds of Black Skimmers are now nesting here. Lots of Snowy Plovers with chicks. It was sad to observe a Laughing Gull take and consume a Least Tern chick. The baby terns are extremely vulnerable to predation while the adults are out foraging.

Some birds are arriving back from their arctic nesting grounds including Marbled Godwits, Short-billed Dowitchers and Semipalmated Plovers.

Snowy Plover Chick

Least Tern chicks left completely exposed to predation as their parents are foraging

Short-billed Dowitchers are returning from the North still in their breeding colors

Marbled Godwits are also returning from the Far North

Least Terns are still nesting at Carlos Point,
but their numbers are diminishing as their nesting season is wrapping up

Wilson's Plover are resident birds on this beach

Other sightings on the day included Magnificent Frigatebirds, Gray Kingbirds, House Sparrows, Ospreys, Brown Pelicans, Royal Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Willets, Snowy Egrets, Eurasian Collared Doves and more