Hurricane Ian

 November 9th

On September 28th Hurricane Ian ripped through Fort Myers and Lee County here in Florida. And know we are waiting on a hurricane Nicole.

Ian was extremely devastating to our coastline and so many people losing homes, businesses, their vehicles, their boats and their lives. The storm surge flooded many communities, and the hurricane force winds turned the barriers islands into piles of rubble. Myself and my family fared well all things considered.

The birding was diffidently affected. Many local birding sites were not accessible till now and the beaches will be difficult to visit for some time. I did drive up to Fort DeSoto Park near St Peterburg and few weeks ago and had some good birding there. Went to Fort DeSoto to try for the rare-to-Florida Bar-tailed Godwit. 

Birds at Fort DeSoto

Bar-tailed Godwit
a rare visitor to Florida

These American Oystercatchers were fussing
over who's going to enjoy this meal

Banded Tulip Shell

Greater Yellowlegs

Piping Plover

Least Sandpiper

Sandwich Tern

Snowy Plover

Willet

Common Tern

Down to the Beach

 Wednesday November 11th

Haven't done very much birding lately, being stuck at home. Mostly just keeping an eye on the yard.  But with Tropical Storm Eta, or sometimes as a Hurricane Eta, lingering in the Gulf of Mexico there maybe an opportunity to encounter some pelagic birds being blown toward shore. 

An Aberrant Laughing Gull

Ended up checking on the action on the Sanibel Causeway Islands. While still under a Tropical Storm Warming, a Tornado watch and a Storm Surge watch, expected to find sea birds sheltering on the bay side of the islands, because the high winds and a high surf were crashing the gulf side.  

Lots' of Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, some Common Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, Willets, Sanderlings, Brown Pelicans, Cormorants, plus Semipalmated Sandpipers, a Black Skimmer, a FOS Dunlin, Black bellied Plover  and a Snowy Plover. The only pelagic was a single Magnificent Frigatebird.

Snowy Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Willet

Royal Terns

Common Tern

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

Came Back to the Beach

June 7th

Ghost Crab a Carlos Point

This distressed Black Skimmer had been entangled

in string. After being freed it recovered and flew off

Headed back Carlos Point on Fort Myers Beach to see how the nesting seabirds colony was progressing. On my last visit, three weeks ago, hundreds of Black Skimmers and Least Terns had assembled. Numbers of Sandwich Terns, Royal Terns, a few juvie Common Terns  and Whimbrels were also seen. One skimmer had managed to get entangled it the string used to established the demarcation line used to keep humans from tramping through the nest sites. Did manage to free the bird.

Least Tern

Least Tern Chick

Least Tern Chick

Today, the Least Terns have scores of chicks wondering the beach, with the parents defending there broods well beyond the established nest sites. But no baby Black Skimmers yet. Wilson's and Snowy Plovers nest on these beaches too, and several Wilson's chicks were on hand under the watchful eye of their parents. Didn't notice any snowy chicks today.

Black-bellied Plover

Common Tern

A Wilson's Plover chick

Concentrations of Royal, Sandwich and Common Terns and few Laughing Gulls were also seen today. These gulls and Fish Crows, as well as, any beach walkers, were mobbed ceaselessly by the Least Tern parents. Both will prey on chicks. Last year, I had witnessed a gull killing and eating a baby skimmer. Other dangers to these colonies include night-herons, raccoons, dogs, cats, indifferent humans and adverse weather.

Being June, not many shore birds were around as most have left to migrate to there breeding grounds in Canada.  There were a few Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers and Black-bellied Plovers. Added Magnificent Frigatebirds, Reddish Egrets and a pair of Caspian Terns.

Black-bellied Plover

Common Terns

Reddish Egret

Wilson's Plovers

Wilson's Plover

Wilson's Plover Chick

Inkberry in bloom at the beach

Inkberry in bloom at the beach

A Day In Sarasota County

Thursday December 7th

Spent the day up in Sarasota County today with stops at the Celery Fields, Siesta Key and Myakka River State Park.

A pair of Nanday Parakeets were feeding
at the feeders at the Celery Fields

Arrived on a very foggy morning, at day break at the Celery Fields. It wasn't very birdy. Not many ducks, but An American Bittern did make a long flight across the marsh. My best birds here were a pair of Bronzed Cowbirds in the company of Grackles, Starlings and Brown-headed Cowbirds near the butterfly gardens.

Bronzed Cowbird at the Celery Fields

Bronzed Cowbird. Note the Red Eyes

Ring-billed Gull

At the beach at Siesta Key, a great many gulls and terns were seen resting on the shore. Nothing unusual, but the expected Herring, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, Black Skimmers, Royal, Sandwich, Forster's and Common Terns

Herring Gulls

Sandwich Tern

Common Tern

Herring Gull

A Tricolored Heron at Myakka River

A Horned Grebe on Myakka River

At Myakka River State State, I was expecting to see a diverse number of water fowl species.

But not today. A few Lesser Scaup, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and Mottled Ducks were counted.  Best bird of the day here was was my FOS Horned Grebe.  Some other species seen included Tree Swallows, Yellowlegs, a single Black-necked Stilt, Caspian Terns and a pair of courting Bald Eagles. If you like alligators there were dozens on hand.

Lots of Black Vultures at Myakka

White Ibis at Myakka

Lesser Yellowlegs at Myakka