Red Tide

 Sunday, March 5th

American Oystercatcher

Yesterday we noticed reports on a large gathering of Herring Gulls at Carlos Point on Fort Myers Beach. Hundreds were seen with large numbers of American Oystercatchers, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls as well. we don't normally see so many Herring Gulls in Lee County. 

A Lesser Black-backed Gull, plus Laughing Gulls, Royal Tern and an Oystercatcher

eBird Checklist - 5 Mar 2023 - Carlos Pointe - 22 species. 

So today I drove down to Fort Myers Beach, which is still in a major recovery mode, to explore Carlos Pointe. Besides the numbers of gulls present, were so many dead fish. Victims of Red Tide. This current blow-up of red tide is not doubt to nutrient load caused by the effects of Hurricane Ian. It appears that the toxic load is so bad that even the marine worms are trying to escape.

Hundreds of these worms are seen wriggling on the surface of the sand.
 They've got the birds attention.

Wilson's Plover

Snowy Plovers

Herring Gulls

Lots of interesting species among the dead fish including a goliath grouper, other groupers and snappers, drums, snook, sea mullets, red fish, ladyfish, marine catfish, eels, worm fish, sheepshead, spadefish, cowfish, hog chokers, grunts, a blackchin tilapia, sardines and thread herrings and more

Hogchoker

Atlantic Thread Herring

White Grunt

Spotted Spoon-nosed Eel

Stripped Burrfish

Scaled Sardine

Blackchin Tilapia