Bunche Beach

 December 12th

Over this past weekend, I made my first visit to Bunche Beach since before Hurricane Ian. It's been over two months since the storm made landfall here and the beach still needs some clean-up.  No doubt this venue is not the highest priority for the available recovery resources. Yet I'd like to see some signage be restored, especially on the rule of No Dogs on the Beach. Encountered three different beach walkers accompanied by their dogs. Because this preserve is an important sanctuary for endangered shorebirds, like red knots & piping, wilson's and snowy plovers, dogs are not permitted.

Low Tide at Bunche Beach Looking Toward the Sanibel Bridge

Somebody has lost their boathouse

Arriving at a very low tide found the exposed pretty empty of birds. Pretty much devoid of terns, skimmers or gulls. Suspect that the water quality remains an issue.

There a were some shorebirds at the west end of the beach. Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plovers, Dunlins, Piping Plovers and a Ruddy Turnstone.

Dunlin

Least Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Giant Atlantic Cockle exposed at low tide

Southern Seaside Goldenrod in bloom at the beach

A Banded Piping Plover

Fort Myers Beach

 Saturday December 3rd

It's been around nine weeks since Hurricane Ian devastated Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach. At this point the clean-up, repairs and rejuvenation on Fort Myers Beach has progressed well. Much of the mess has been cleared, but there is going to a long time needed for recovery. 

A curfew still exists, but non-residents, clean-up crews and contractors can access the island from 7am till 7pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Some businesses have opened and do appreciate patronage.

The FMB pier has been skeletonized and hosts tons of seabirds and the shrimp boat fleet remains beached. The public parks and beaches remain closed, probably till sometime next year. So, I did access the beach at the south end of the island at Carlos Point.  I was able to park across the pass at Lovers Key State Park, which is also closed. The scene of how the storm rearranged the beach was evident s I was walking across the draw bridge. Some of the beach has been carved out, creating a new, shallow inlet.

This end of the island is scheduled for a beach clean-up, soon.  And it is much needed. Saw much debris littering the sand like chairs, pails, a kayak, utility sinks, pieces of docks, mattress, and every manner of stuff

The birding and shelling were pretty good. Lots of shore birds but gulls and terns were scarce today. A peregrine falcon showed up, scattering the resting birds into flight. Some of the sightings included Willets, Marble Godwits, Sanderlings, Dunlins, Snowy Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Ruddy Turnstones, Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, a Herring Gull, Sandwich Terns, Royal Terns, Snowy Egrets and Red Knots.  Dipped on laughing gulls, skimmers, frigatebirds, American white pelicans and wilson's plover.

Willet

Dunlin

Red Knot

Black-bellied Plover

Mottled Duck

Red Knot and a Black-bellied Plover

Red Knot

Red Knot

Snowy Plover

Walked Carlos Point

 Monday November 15th

Appears to be a problem for someone

Walked Carlos Point beach, At the south point of Estero Island. Large numbers of shorebirds were present, mostly nestling in the sand on this cool morning. 

A lone Marbled Godwit on the beach

Came across a resting flock of American Oystercatchers.  Counted 35 birds and looked for any wearing leg bands. Noted two - CA2 and HM - were birds I had photographed back on December 28, 2019, on the same beach.

Other birds included a large number of Semipalmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, Willets, Snowy Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Wilson's Plovers, Dunlins and a few Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, a couple of Forster's Terns and my FOS Ring-billed Gulls.

Several flotillas of American White Pelicans passed  overhead.  Well over a hundred pelicans were seen.

Snowy Plover

Snowy Plover

Snowy Plover

Dunlin

Least Sandpiper

Sanderling

Some December Pics

Thursday December 27th

Some interesting birds are around this month.  A smooth-billed Ani has been reported on Sanibel Island and Pine Siskins are being spotted as well.  But were diffidently seeing far fewer waterfowl and other wintering birds seen on the water.  Like loons and horned grebes.  Suspect the our recent problem with red tide may have had a negative effect.

Have prepped a gallery of some of my sightings in the past month.

Male Hooded Merganser photographed 

at first light on the Caloosahatchee River

Male Snail Kite observed along Sunshine Parkway in Lehigh Acres

Male Snail Kite observed along Sunshine Parkway in Lehigh Acres

Roseate Spoonbill taking flight at Harns Marsh

A Florida Banded Water Snake

Pine Warbler

A young Red-shouldered Hawk

Short-billed Dowitcher seen at Bunche Beach

Appears that this Cockleshell Clam is trying to stay

 hydrated during a low tide at Bunch Beach

Florida Scrub Jay seen in Lehigh Acres

White Checkered Skipper

Probably a Whirlabout Skipper

A Rattlebox Moth. 

Been seeing them at Harns Marsh

Florida Red-bellied Turtle basking at Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve

A Ring-billed Gull doing a bit of crabbing at Bunche Beach

Wilson's Plover at Bunche Beach

Semipalmated Plover at Bunche Beach

Piping Plover at Bunche Beach

Least Sandpiper at Bunche Beach

Carolina Wren at Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve

This Savannah Sparrow was hanging out at the observation parking area at the airport

Tufted Titmouse busy trying to get something to eat

Tri-colored Heron. They were formerly known as Louisiana Herons

Male Red-bellied Woodpecker

A very young Water Moccasin seen at Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve

This adult Water Moccasin was on the hunt at Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Dunlin at rest with a flock of Sanderlings on Ft Myers Beach

Foster's Tern seen at Carlos Point on Ft Myers Beach

House Sparrow

Fish Crow seen at Lovers Key

Monk Parakeet seen in Cape Coral, at the Baseball Fields on Pelican Boulevard 

Palm Warbler at Manatee Park 

Sandhill Cranes seen at Harns Marsh

Nanday Parakeet photographed near Manor Park in Ft Myers

Sanderling

American Goldfinch feeding on Elm Tree seeds at Six Mile Cypress Preserve

Yellow-rumped Warbler photographed at Alva Scrub Preserve near Lehigh Acres

Loggerhead Shrike at Estero Bay State Park

The Melaleuca is in bloom. Noted that the melaleuca, Brazilian pepper and Australian pine are making a come back on the Estero State Park at Estero Point