Tuesday May 7th
Carlos Point is oriented at the southern end of Estero Island and has been active nesting site for the pelagic Least Terns, Black Skimmers, Wilsons Plovers, Snowy Plovers and the occasional American Oystercatchers. But now the Skimmers and Terns are back to nest perhaps on the same sandy beach were they were born. This is an important nesting location for all these birds and needs every protection possible here for their species to succeed. So much is against them. From unexpectedly harsh weather to predation and harassment from people, dogs, cats, raccoons, ghost crabs, gulls and night-herons. Many of these predators have made an easy meal on these baby birds and eggs. A few years ago someone managed to drive a truck onto the sand and destroyed several nests, eggs, and sitting mothers birds. I don't believe there was any justice for this event.
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| Black Skimmers have returned |
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| Ghost Crab |
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| A young Least Tern |
The skimmers and other seabirds had become somewhat scarce in this area ever since the Red Tide event of last year. So I was so nice to find that they have retuned.
Last years Red Tide had destroyed thousands maybe millions of fish, plus hundreds of sea turtles, manatees, dolphins and seabirds.
The loggerhead turtle nesting season is also at hand and evidence of nesting can be seen on our beaches already. Chatted with a Turtle Time volunteer on the hopes of a successful nesting seasons, but their are concerns that with loss of so many turtles that future nesting seasons maybe less active. So much effort has been made to help these species to be sustainable, but it all can be lost so easily.
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| Red Knot in breeding plumage |
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| Snowy Plover |
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| Marsh Rabbit |
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Sanderling in breeding plumage awaiting flight
to their nesting grounds in the High Arctic |
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Turtle Crawl -
tracks in the sand were the female loggerhead crawls
up the beach to lay her eggs.
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| Least Terns have returned to there Carlos Point nesting grounds |
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