December 12th
Over this past weekend, I made my first visit to Bunche Beach since before Hurricane Ian. It's been over two months since the storm made landfall here and the beach still needs some clean-up. No doubt this venue is not the highest priority for the available recovery resources. Yet I'd like to see some signage be restored, especially on the rule of No Dogs on the Beach. Encountered three different beach walkers accompanied by their dogs. Because this preserve is an important sanctuary for endangered shorebirds, like red knots & piping, wilson's and snowy plovers, dogs are not permitted.
 |
| Low Tide at Bunche Beach Looking Toward the Sanibel Bridge |
 |
| Somebody has lost their boathouse |
Arriving at a very low tide found the exposed pretty empty of birds. Pretty much devoid of terns, skimmers or gulls. Suspect that the water quality remains an issue.
There a were some shorebirds at the west end of the beach. Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plovers, Dunlins, Piping Plovers and a Ruddy Turnstone.
 |
| Dunlin |
 |
| Least Sandpiper |
 |
| Western Sandpiper |
 |
| Giant Atlantic Cockle exposed at low tide |
 |
| Southern Seaside Goldenrod in bloom at the beach |
 |
| A Banded Piping Plover |
No comments:
Post a Comment