Bucket List Trip - The Channel Islands

 Thursday October 20th

A few weeks ago, I went out to California. Never been this far west before, so there were a lot of lifers for me to enjoy. This trip was centered around a pelagic trip out of Ventura on September 30th.

Scorpion Cove at Santa Cruz Island

When I booked the pelagic trip with Island Packers, I added a trip out to Santa Cruz Island for the 29th. A visit to Santa Cruz Island within the Channel Islands National Park has been on my bucket list for a very long time. The Island Scrub-Jay is only found in the Santa Cruz Island, as are the Santa Cruz Island Fox. The island also hosts dozens of endemic and rare plant species. The naturalist in me was keen to visit such a unique place. There are whales, seals and dolphins too.

Santa Cruz Fox Island

Wavy Turban shell

The Channel Islands are clearly visible from the mainland as it is only a 32 mile away. So the ferry ride across the Santa Barbara Channel was usually only an hour long. On both the trip out and on the return Humpback Whales were feeding and a few Common Dolphins. Was too concerned on missing getting photos of the cetaceans because tomorrows ten-hour pelagic trip would offer a wealth of opportunities. Unfortunately, my pelagic trip was cancelled due to bad weather.

 The day-trippers, like myself, had about six hours to explorer. Lots of visitors were campers and backpackers. Fox boxes were located at the visitor cent and each camp site, because the endemic island foxes are quite crafty in snatching any campers of visitors' food left unsecured. The ravens were just as bad. 

The endemic Island Scrub-Jay

I chose to do my birding and nature hiking around the Scorpion Campground and a hike up the Scorpion Canyon and to Cavern Point. 

 

White-crowned Sparrow

Island Loggerhead Shrike
an endemic subspecies to the island

House Finch sitting in some dry milk thistles.

Slender Iceplant

Tagged Common Ravens seen at the campgrounds.

Greene's Dudleya

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

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

Florida Brown Water Snakes

Saturday February 2nd

Florida Brown Water Snake

 Arrived about 7:30 this morning at Harns Marsh in Lehigh Acres.to look for interesting birds. Walked the four plus miles around the perimeter of the main cell, collecting counts for my monthly  birding report for the Lee County Bird Patrol, a volunteer group of birders working for Lee County Parks and Recs.

The water levels had risen significantly due to recent rains. Any changes in water levels does effect what you will see at the marsh. Started out this morning  with the call of a Green Heron. His bird has been doing a cackle that is very similar to a King Rail. The rail, sora, least bittern, hooded mergansers and purple gallinule were not seen or heard today but I did manage a long list.

 Ron Bishop, who I ran into toward the conclusion of the walk, put me onto an American Bittern. He also had spotted a nest of Florida Brown Snakes sunning on the stone works at the water control works south of the parking area. The species is new to me but Ron correctly identified the water snakes in the field

Nesting Sandhill Crane

Lots of Sandhill Cranes.  One flock of these birds were being quite fussy with each others.  The feathers were actually flying. At least two Sandhill nests were seen.  

Perhaps the higher water level, creating more open water in the marsh, was attractive to the pair of Snail Kites seen. Dark-phased Short-tailed Kites were soaring above Harns today as well.

Male Snail Kite

Ring-necked, Muscovy and Mottled Ducks were seen, plus Blue winged Teal, Common Gallinules, American Coots, Limpkins, Swamphens, Anhingas and a few White & Glossy Ibis. The usual Waders were here - Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Great Egrets, a couple of Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets and Tricolored Herons

Loggerhead Shrike

Glossy Ibis

Tricolored Heron

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Great Egret

Eastern Phoebe

Harns Marsh Preserve

Saturday, January 19th

Gray-headed Swamphens have become quite common.

Savannah Sparrow

Made several trips out to Harns Marsh this month. Thought I would comment on what is happening at the Marsh lately and share some pics.

There aren't really a lot of wading birds on hand lately.  A nice sampling.  the same with the wintering water fowl.  A few Ring-necked Ducks, Blue-winged Teal and Hooded Mergansers. The resident Mottled Ducks are not really that numerous as well.  Black-bellied Whistling Ducks have disappeared from the area all together.  Wood Ducks are occasionally seen.

Limpkins, Common Gallinule, American Coots, Sandhill Cranes, Anhingas, Pied-billed Grebes and Double-crested Cormorants are expected

Tri-colored Heron

A Little Blue Heron

Loggerhead Shrike

                                                                                  

Gray-headed Swamphens are easy to find and American Bitterns can be seen. Much harder sightings would be the Least Bitterns, Sora, King Rail and Purple Gallinules. Need to be on site at day break for a chance to hear or maybe even spot one. I've dipped on these  species this month so far. 

Still looking for any Wild Turkeys, Swamp Sparrows or a Grasshopper Sparrow.

A female Common Yellowthroat

Snail kites were a for-sure sighting here once, but not anymore. Seems Harns Marsh isn't suiting them lately. Quite probably,  what is happening here is that changes have been to how the water is held  for storm water control. These changes may have effected the snail kites ability to successfully hunt the apple snails that make up most of their diet. There is diffidently a lack of empty, apple snail shells, once commonly seen here, that are discarded by the feeding kites and Limpkins leave behind. Perhaps the snail population has crashed?

Ring-necked Duck

Pied-billed Grebe

Harns Marsh Preserve eBird Hotspot reports
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L830108

Palm Warbler

Raptor numbers are over-whelming lead by the large concentration of roosting Black and Turkey Vultures.  Bald Eagles, wintering Northern Harriers, resident Red-shouldered Hawks, the occasional Snail Kite, and soaring Red-tailed and Short-tailed Hawks. American Kestrels, in the winter, are seen.  Sometimes a Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Sharp-shinned hawk or Coopers will make an appearance

A Whirly Bird
The nearby Buckingham Airfield hosts Lee County Mosquito Control
 and other local agencies
This corner of Lee County was once a part of the Buckingham Army Airfield,
 a training base during WW2

A male Anhinga

Crested Caracara

American Kestrel

Wilson's Snipe

Hooded Merganser

Glossy Ibis

Sandhill Crane

Purple Gallinules have become hard to find lately. 

 My last observation was back in October

Least Sandpiper