Babes on the Beach

Tuesday May 24th

Note the egg peaking out from under this nesting Least Tern

Least Tern

Today I returned to the Least Tern nesting area on Ft Myers Beach to see how they have been progressing. Hundreds of the terns remain actively nesting and many have already fledged. Hundreds Black Skimmers have now joined the terns and appear to be nesting as well. 

Least Tern

Snowy Plover

Sighted at least nine Snowy Plovers, but didn't see any juveniles. One poor guy was suffering from foot rot. 

Did see a family of Wilson's Plovers with three very young chicks. 

Best sighting was spotting a young American Oystercatcher chick with its parents. Seems to me that past nesting attempts here by oystercatchers suffered from predation, so it was a pleasure to see the baby bird today.

Nesting Black Skimmer

Wilson's Plover with Chicks

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American Oystercatcher Chick

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Mottled Duck

Male Black Scoter over summering in Florida

Ruddy Turnstone

Brown Pelicans

Closest I've ever been to a Hammerhead Shark

Fort Myers Beach

Reddish Egret

Monday April 25th

American Oystercatcher

Yesterday I did some birding on Bunche Beach, so this morning I checked out Fort Myers Beach. I had a few target birds and wasn't disappointed. Started by parking at the Lovers Key State Park entrance,  on the south side of Big carlos Pass,were I'm greeted by an out of place American Crow. Parking is basically unavailable to access the beach at this end of Estero Island (Fort Myers Beach). While walking across the draw bridge spanning Big Carlos Pass the first of many Least Terns and a late Common Loon. 

The south end of Estero Island is called Carlos Point and here several struggling, beach nesting species of birds find government sponsored accommodations and are protected from human interference. Hundreds of Least Terns are starting to arrive and are pairing off for nesting. American Oystercatchers, Wilson's Plovers and Snowy Plovers are also nesting. Later hundreds more Black Skimmers will take over the nesting grounds as the Least Terns chicks are fledged. Efforts are succeeding in enticing the Terns away from Carlos Point, which is mostly private property to sanctuary at Lovers Key State Park. Meg Rousher, a local birder and a summer staffer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service stated that at least three hundred of the Terns are using Lovers Key this season. She also advised that the Black and Surf Scoters were still on the beach. Speculation is that the birds have been suffering from recent health issues. Meg also reporting sighting a white-rumped sandpiper earlier in the morning. So I set off looking for it.

Romance among the Least Terns

Least Tern at Carlos Point

It was a good walk.  Sighted numbers of Snowy and Wilson's Plovers, Reddish Egrets, a pair of American Oystercatchers, the Scoters and a flyby of a pair of Gull-billed Terns.

Black Scoters

Male Black Scoter

Male Black Scoter

Surf Scoter with a Black Scoter

A Peregrine Falcon was spotted atop the tallest condo building surveying all that lay about him. Never did see the white-rumped sandpiper.

Snowy Plover

Wilson's Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Least Sandpipers

Reddish Egret

Marsh Rabbit on the beach

Black Scoters

Monday, January 18, 2015

Today I spent the morning birding on Ft Myers Beach. I was hoping to locate some Black Scoters as well as a reported Surf Scoter being seen along the beach.

First stop was at Bowditch Point Park, located at the north end of the island. Not much was happening here, but a few gulls and cormorants. Did see a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

This Gopher Tortoise resides near the parking lot at Bowditch Point Park

Next was a very productive stop at Carlos Point at the south end of the island. Yesterday's violent storm had washed the beach with a large quantity of sea life including sea urchins, sea stars, horseshoe crabs,jellyfish, sponges, sand dollars and a lot of shells.  All of this was a banquet for the shorebirds, including Willets, American Oystercatchers, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plovers, Snowy Plovers and more. Also found a Great Black-backed Gull and a small number of Ringed-billed and Laughing Gulls, plus some Royal Terns.  A flock of Black Skimmers passed by of shore and inshore I did see a trio of Black Scoters. I didn't spot the surf scoter and also dipped on common loon, horned grebe, and frigatebirds.

Great Black-backed Gull

American Oystercatcher

This Oystercatcher is sporting three leg bands while dining on sea urchin
This bird, designated as DG(XX), was banded as a chick in June, 2010 in Cape Hatteras, N. C.
 Each year it has been wintering at Little Estero Lagoon, Ft Myers Beach, but returns each spring to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
 In 2015 it successfully fledged a chick, with oystercatcher DG(AL) at Cape Lookout National Seashore. Data provided by the American Oystercatcher Band Database 

Snowy Plover with lunch

Ruddy Turnstone

Snowy Egret

Male Black Scoter

Sea Urchin and Welk

Sea Stars

Sponge

A Fighting Conch shell

Link - Shell Indentification