Some Recently Seen Birds

 Wednesday November 24th

Some of the birds spotted around Lee County this month.

Loggerhead Shrike
Seen at Harns Marsh - Lehigh Acres, Florida

Florida Scrub Jay
Lehigh Acres, Florida

Tufted Titmouse
Six-Mile Cyress Slough Preserve

Blue-headed Vireo
Six-Mile Cyress Slough Preserve

Black-and-White Warbler
Six-Mile Cyress Slough Preserve

Pine Warbler
Six-Mile Cyress Slough Preserve

Downy Woodpecker
Six-Mile Cyress Slough Preserve

Pine Warbler
Six-Mile Cyress Slough Preserve

Tufted Titmouse
Six-Mile Cyress Slough Preserve

Where Are the Birds?

 Friday, October 22nd

For whatever reason, the Fall Migration has been relatively weak in our corner of Florida this. There have been a few rarities spotted, like warbling vireo, Philadelphia vireo and Nashville warbler, but the number of birds has actually been low. Certainly no fallouts for us.

Not a bird, but there is lots of nature to observe while birding
Green Iguana at Sanibel Lighthouse

 So what's going on? I haven't seen anything yet for an explanation. Seems the winds were more in favor of the birds to fly past and not make a pit stop. Another thought going around is a lack of food. There are plenty of berries and seeds, but we may have a decrease in insects. Some believe that the ecosystem hasn't yet recovered from Hurricane Irma, 2017. Another thought is that cold weather has yet to push many of the neotropical birds to migrate, aka climate change. 

Did get a few photos recently 

Snail Kites at Harns Marsh.
Harns used to be very reliable for finding snail kites,
but they had become scarce here lately

Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Ding Darling NWR - Sanibel Island

Wood Duck at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Pileated Woodpecker at Rotary Park

Eastern Wood-Pewee at Rotary Park

Black-and-White Warbler at Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve

Northern Parula

Northern Parula

The Gray Catbirds have arrived

Some Birds in March

Friday March 30th

Thought I'd share some of my better birding pics for March


GALLARY

Yellow-throated Vireo seen at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Ovenbird seen at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Piping Plover sporting fresh breeding plumage.

Should be heading north in the next few weeks

March and early April tends to be the best time for sighting

Cedar Waxwings in this area

Limpkins have moved into the Six-Mile Cypress Slough,

were they are now actively breeding

Prairie Warblers are resident birds here,

their population will increase during migration

Tufted Titmice also are common residents at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Common Yellowthroats -  a winter residents at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

A few Scissor-tailed Flycatchers will winter in Florida,

but will be heading back toward Texas soon

A pair of Barred Owls are currently nesting close by the boardwalk at Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.  That section of the boardwalk is now closed to protect the birds from any stress.

Several pairs of Sandhill Cranes are currently nesting at Harns Marsh

Snail Kites were formerly an easy find at Harns Marsh, but recently the population has declined. Speculation is that changes to water levels at the marsh have made finding apple snails more difficult for them.  Probable have been relocating to areas with better habitat

Black-and-White Warblers are often seen throughout the area at this time of year

Blue-headed Vireos winter here,

but will soon be heading north to nest

Six-Mile Cypress Slough Reopens

Wednesday November 1st

It has be about fifty days since Hurricane Irma struck. Very slowly our public parks and preserves have been able to reopen. Today Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve has opened, partly.

Blue-headed Vireo

Blue - Gray Gnatcatcher

Half of the boardwalk remained closed awaiting its final clean-up.

Spent about an hour their today. So much of the canopy has been defoliated and dead snags and limbs had come down, leaving a lot more open space. Should make it a bit easier to observe the birds.

Saw my FOS Blue-headed Vireos and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Other birds today included Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, lots of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, Palm, Pine, Northern Parula and Prairie Warblers.

Apple Snail shells found at the Gunnery Trail.

They would have been left behind by either

Limpkins or Snail Kites, which feed on them

Earlier in the morning stopped at the Gunnery Trail at Turkey Strand Preserve. and had a FOS Sora calling, more Yellow-rumped, Pine, Palm and Common Yellowthroat Warblers, tons of Gray Catbirds and numerous waders. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mottled Ducks, Blue-winged Teal and Common Gallinules were seen as well.

Gallary

A female Black-throated Blue Warbler seen at Rotary Park in Cape Coral

A Black-and-White Warbler at Rotary Park

Also heard a report of an Ani seen by Meg in the Estero Buffer Preserve. Sounds intriguing.

Gray-headed Swamphen at Harns Marsh

Tricolored Heron at Harns Marsh

Red-shouldered Hawk at Harns Marsh

Red-tailed Hawk at Harns Marsh

A Polka-dotted Batfish seen in the shallows at Bunche Beach

Prairie Warbler at Lakes Park

Palm Warbler at Lakes Park

Northern Parula at Sugden Park

Black-and-White Warbler at Sugden Park

American Redstart at Sugden Park

A Black-throated Green Warbler at Sugden Park

A Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher at Sugden Park

A Common Yellowthroat at Sugden Park