Harns Marsh

Friday, June 14th

Swallow-tailed Kites

Birded the south end of Harns Marsh this morning with idea of possibly finding wood duck. Recent rains have raised the water levels, filling the canals. Tilapia, cichlids and gar fish could be seen near the surface. Lots of butterflies and dragonflies including Gulf fritillary, White Peacock, Scarlet Skimmers, Blue Darners and Four-spotted Dragonflies

Swallow-tailed Kite

What caught my attention were number of Swallow-tailed Kites roosting tree top across the big lake. Counted ten, but could have been more. I'm assuming that they are already staging in preparing of their migration across the Gulf of Mexico in about a month.

Didn't locate any wood ducks or snail kites, Mostly had Black Vultures, singing Northern Parulas and Carolina Wrens. Plus Red-shouldered Hawks, Common Gallinules, a few wading birds and a sleepy Yellow-crowned Night-heron.

Little Blue Heron

Red-shouldered Hawk

Common Gallinule

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Scarlet Skimmer

Yellow-crowned Night-heron

Great Blue Skimmer

Imperial Marsh

Monday June 10th

Imperial Marsh Preserve

Imperial Marsh Preserve is a Lee County 20/20 Property located on Corkscrew Road, five miles north from Alico Road.  Hadn't plan on making a stop here today, but thought I'd stop as I was passing by to look for Snail Kites. 

Snail Kite

Didn't need to leave the parking area. A female Snail Kite was spotted right off at a small pond just north from the parking area.  She was sitting in a low bush scanning the water. A flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks  were resting silently at the same small pond. A Swallow-tailed Kite was soaring over head and a Red-shouldered Hawk was calling from close by. It was a nice stop.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Came Back to the Beach

June 7th

Ghost Crab a Carlos Point

This distressed Black Skimmer had been entangled

in string. After being freed it recovered and flew off

Headed back Carlos Point on Fort Myers Beach to see how the nesting seabirds colony was progressing. On my last visit, three weeks ago, hundreds of Black Skimmers and Least Terns had assembled. Numbers of Sandwich Terns, Royal Terns, a few juvie Common Terns  and Whimbrels were also seen. One skimmer had managed to get entangled it the string used to established the demarcation line used to keep humans from tramping through the nest sites. Did manage to free the bird.

Least Tern

Least Tern Chick

Least Tern Chick

Today, the Least Terns have scores of chicks wondering the beach, with the parents defending there broods well beyond the established nest sites. But no baby Black Skimmers yet. Wilson's and Snowy Plovers nest on these beaches too, and several Wilson's chicks were on hand under the watchful eye of their parents. Didn't notice any snowy chicks today.

Black-bellied Plover

Common Tern

A Wilson's Plover chick

Concentrations of Royal, Sandwich and Common Terns and few Laughing Gulls were also seen today. These gulls and Fish Crows, as well as, any beach walkers, were mobbed ceaselessly by the Least Tern parents. Both will prey on chicks. Last year, I had witnessed a gull killing and eating a baby skimmer. Other dangers to these colonies include night-herons, raccoons, dogs, cats, indifferent humans and adverse weather.

Being June, not many shore birds were around as most have left to migrate to there breeding grounds in Canada.  There were a few Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers and Black-bellied Plovers. Added Magnificent Frigatebirds, Reddish Egrets and a pair of Caspian Terns.

Black-bellied Plover

Common Terns

Reddish Egret

Wilson's Plovers

Wilson's Plover

Wilson's Plover Chick

Inkberry in bloom at the beach

Inkberry in bloom at the beach

Babcock-Webb WMA

Saturday June 1st

Last night I order an Annual Management Area Permit on-line, because today I planned on birding Babcock-Webb WMA. This will save on the costs of visiting Babcock. 

Brown--headed Nuthatch

Great Crested Flycatcher

Arrived at sunrise and I first headed up Tucker's Grade to check out the wetlands for rails or purple gallinules. Did hear a Common Yellowthroat, before turning around to stop at the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker colony on Oilwell Grade. Easily found one of the woodpeckers working the trees in the area. No doubt this mate was staying in the nest hole with any eggs or chicks. Other sightings here included Common Nighthawks, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Meadowlarks, Pine Warblers, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and a calling Sandhill Crane.  Moving on, traveled north on Oilwell Road, then east on Seaboard Grade, then back onto Tuckers Grade.  Made a few stops looking for interesting birds. The number of wading birds had thinned out as the wetlands were drying-up, but some of the birds experienced today included Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebirds, singing Bachman's Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Northern Bobwhites, Limpkin, Cormorants, Anhingas, White Ibis, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Great Crested Flycatchers, White-eyed Vireos and Red-headed Woodpecker.

A Florida Banded Water Snake and a Gator

Came across a few other sightings including a Stripped Mud Turtle crossing the road, several alligators and a couple of Florida Banded Water Snakes

But in part, as I was practicing on my photography. I am a terrible photographer. And as birding its very slow this time of year, I've tackled on other subjects in nature. Bugs and flowers.

Halloween Pendent

This bug goes by bella moth, 

ornate moth or rattlebox moth

Now as for what Wildflowers were in bloom today, I found the Blue Porterweed, Alligator Flag, Horned Bladderwort, Spanish Needles, Pickerelweed, Meadowbeauty, Marsh Fleabane, Arrowroot, Starrush Whitetop, Blackroot, Yellow eyed Grass, White Lilypad  - PLUS

False Dragonhead

Alligatorlily

Bachelors Buttons

Black-eyed Susan

Coastal Plain St John's Wort

Maybe a species of Blazing Star

Maybe a species of Blazing Star

American Blueheart

Winged Loosestrife

Florida Yellow Flax

American Beautyberry

Beautyberry Blossoms

Low Pinebarren Milkwort

Twin Flower

Morning Glory

Wild Petunia

Spanish Daisy

Leavenworth Tickweed 

Florida's State Wildflower

Largeflower Rosegentian

Rosegentian

Blue Porterweed

Nuttel's Thistle