A New Year

 Friday January First

Spent the day looking to start my new year's list with visits to a few local hot spots. 

Snowy Plover at Bunche Beach

Had  a good start at Bunche Beach, arriving at a low tide.  Best bird was perhaps seeing a Snowy Plover. We occasionally will find a Snowy Plover at Bunche, but the sandier beaches on Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel are better places to look for them.  Other sightings at Bunche included several Reddish Egrets, American White Pelicans, Piping Plovers, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Least Sandpipers and Spotted Sandpiper. Dipped on several expected species, which turned out to be the trend of the day. 

American White Pelican at Bunche Beach

Next made a quick check of Lakes Park. Looking for least bitterns here, but settled for a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a Cooper's Hawk and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 

Mottled Duck at Lakes Park

Moved on to the boardwalk at Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve. Which was very quite today.  The same for Rotary Park in Cape Coral. Next were the burrowing owls and Monk Parakeets at the nearby Pelican Boulevard Ballfields. The noisy parakeets can be easy to locate, but the owls were in hiding today. 

Loggerhead Shrike at Lakes Park

Cattle Egret at Harns Marsh

The Florida Scrub jays were absent today too.  Looked for them in Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres.  Ended the day at Harns Marsh. Lots of Pied-billed Grebes, a few Grey-headed Swamphens and the expected wading birds. So the day's tally wasn't very high. And that's OK

Least Sandpiper at Bunche Beach

Common Gallinule at Harns Marsh

Northern Mockingbird at Lakes Park

Little Blue Heron at Harns Marsh

Great Southern White 

At Harns Marsh

Saw Some Common Terns

Tuesday May 19th

Brown Pelican at the Big Carlos Pass Draw Bridge

Black Skimmer at Carlos Point

Headed out to the beach a couple of times this month, now that the government says its okay.  A couple of weeks ago headed over to Carlos Point on Fort Myers Beach to see about the seabird nesting colonies.

Had to of been at least two hundred Least Terns on hand. Too early for any hatchlings yet, but the adults were certainly acting territorial to anyone getting to close to the nesting area. Black Skimmers will start nesting here soon as well and about sixty were also resting on the beach.  Wilson's Plovers and Snowy Plovers nest here as well. Sometimes we'll have American Oystercatchers nest here, but I personally haven't seen any of them yet this year.  

Least Tern at Carlos Point colony

He's trying, but she doesn't seem impressed

Sanderling

Ruddy Turnstone

Common Tern seen at Carlos Point.  Note the Leg Irons. Can't make out the data though

Today I checked out Bunch Beach and Bowditch Point Preserve looking for interesting birds.  Arrived at Bunche at day break. Had a rising tide with strong winds pushing the water up the beach as well.  So, not too many birds. Had my first of the season Marbled Godwit, plus a few Willets and Dunlins in their breeding colors. Across the bay at Bowditch Point, I started with Magnificent Frigatebirds and Brown Pelicans soaring overhead. On the beach a large number of Sanderlings, Royal Terns, plus a few Sandwich Terns and a nice surprise 

Dunlin at Bunche Beach

Laughing Gull

in finding a trio of Common Terns resting on the beach.  A pair of nesting Wilson's Plovers were very obvious, as volunteers had marked off their location to try and keep folks from walking on them. 

Herring Gull at Bowditch Point

Down to the Beach

July 17, 2019

Carlos Point - Fort Myers Beach

American Oystercatcher

Today, on my visit to Carlos Point on Ft Myers Beach, I have finally cross paths with a trio of American Oystercatchers.  Hadn't seen any since last November. Since our Red Tide disaster last summer many species have become scarce, no doubt due to the lose of food sources or perhaps to a higher than normal mortality rate. But improved conditions some species are returning to our shores.

American Oystercatcher

Snowy Plover

Black Skimmers with juvenile 

Juvenile Black Skimmer

Arrived later than normal today.  I like to be done by 10 am during the summer to avoid the heat and lightening. So it was a bit hot and I could see that Black Skimmers and other shorebirds were trying to cool down by keeping their bills open to dissipate heat.

The Least Tern and Black Skimmers nesting colonies were still active, with hundreds of birds. They were a bit defensive still, so needed to take a wide berth to keep them more comfortable.  It appeared that few birds were still on a  nest, and lots of juvenile birds were around

Snowy Plover families were active as well. Only spotted a single Wilson's Plover, so not sure how well they had fair with nesting. Last month I had observed several young Wilson's Plovers, so perhaps they had already fledged  

Other species present included Ospreys, a Magnificent Frigeatbird, Brown Pelicans, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, a lone Common Tern, Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstones, a lone Marble Godwit and a number of Black-bellied Plovers.

        

Least Tern

                                                                                                   

Juvenile Black Skimmer

Marbled Godwit

Sanderling

Black Bellied Plover

Willet

Ruddy Turnstone

Brown Pelican

Gray Kingbird
A pair of Gray Kingbirds were found the other end 
of the island near Bowitch Point Park

What's Blooming at the Beach

Seashore Purslane

Inkberry berries

Dune Sunflower

Cuban Jute

Madagascar Periwinkle 

Franklin's Gull

Friday January 4th

Haven't had much success with finding any wintering gulls, so far. But we've had a Franklin's Gull  hanging out in the area. Was able to spot the bird at Bowditch Point Park on Ft Myers Beach . I was a bit iffy on the ID, haven't encountered one for several years.


Still on the look-out for any black-backed Gulls or other gulls and terns. Black Skimmers don't seem to be as numerous lately as well.  Not many Bonaparte's Gulls being seen winter. Been thinking that bonaparte's maybe seen on the lakes  around Lake Placid in Highlands County. Could be the recent Red Tide activity may have effected the bird life.

Franklin's Gull seen at Bodwitch Point

Spent the morning birding both ends of Ft Myers Beach.. First at Bowditch Point Park then to the south end at Carlos Point. Carlos Point did support the expected shorebirds and seabirds.  The Gulls and Terns were limited to Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, plus Royal and Sandwich Terns.  A small flock of Black Skimmers did fly past.  Did seen but one skimmer last month.

Scoped the waters for ducks, loons and grebes.  Some Common Loons were seen, but no other sea ducks or grebes.

A Young Herring Gull

Great Blue Heron

Brown Pelican

Willit

Common Loons

Wilson's Plover

Snowy Plover