Fort Myers Beach

Sunday August 14th

Recently stopped by Bowditch Point Park on Fort Myers Beach. Not many pelicans, gulls or terns were present.  Had heard from Dave McQuade about a recent pelagic trip out into the Gulf where they had found absolutely zero pelagic birds, aside from frigatebirds. May mean that their food source has become scarce. 

Semipalmated Plover

Did find lots of Sanderlings and a few Semipalmated Plovers, Western Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Spotted Sandpipers. 

Reddish Egret

Ruddy Turnstone

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Western Sandpipers

Spotted this lone Short-billed Dowitcher

Counted four Spotted Sandpipers who had probably just arrived from up north

Lots of sanderlings and turnstones

Laughing Gull

USCG Crocodile 

Carlos Point

Tuesday September 2nd

Reddish Egret

While Hurricane Harvey was tearing up Texas, we had our own rain soaking event. Much of the low lying areas in Cape Coral and Island Park have been flooded for days. The flooding has shut down access to Six-mile Cypress Slough, which is are local hot spot to encounter fall migrants. Other local sights to watch is include Rotary Park in cape Coral and Kiwanis Park in Port Charlotte

One effect of recent storm action

Was able to access the beach though and I chose to visit Carlos Point on Ft Myers Beach which did offer some good birding.  Didn't see any of the Least Terns and Black Skimmers that had been using Carlos Point as a nesting colony.  But did encounter lots of American Oystercatchers, a Whimbrel, Marbled Godwits, Willets, Black Bellied Plovers, Wilson's Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Sanderlings, Snowy Plovers  and Western Sandpipers

Gallery

Fosters Tern

Black Bellied Plover

American Oystercatcher

Whimbrel

A Spider Crab washed up on the beach.

Note the fly checking it out

Snowy Plover

Royal Tern

Sanderlings

Marbled Godwit

Whimbrel and a Sanderling

Spring Time at the Beach

Saturday March 25th

Sunrise at Bunche Beach

A sunrise visit to Bunche Beach today to see what's new. Noticing that the shore birds are beginning to molt into their spring-time colors. Mostly we see these winter visitors in there most mundane off-season coloration. They seem to be just getting started. But it won't be long till they reach there breeding molt and head for the arctic or sub-arctic nesting sites.

Black-bellied Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Black-bellied Plover migration map

Dunlin nest in the Canadian Arctic

Dunlin Migration

Willet

Spotted Sandpiper

Sanderlings still in their winter feathers

Sanderlings migration map

Red Knot

Red Knot Migration

Little Blue Heron

Northern Cardinal

Caspian Tern

Sea Watch

Sunday June 24th
Tropical Storm Debbie

 Herring Gull in transition to Second-cycle molt in comparison to a Laughing Gull
Photo is courtesy of Bob Pelkey

Reports have been coming in

from the Atlantic side of Florida off pelagic species being observed on-shore due to prevailing winds. Well, even though we see far fewer pelagic species, the potential for finding pelagic species on-shore on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida are increased due the presence of Tropical Storm Debbie sitting off-shore. We have experienced lots of rain, heavy winds, flooding and beach erosion due to T. S. Debbie and a few scattered reports of pelagic have been coming in. Primarily north of us. Reported were jaegers, a brown noddy and several sooty terns.

So on Sunday I headed out in the rain for Bunche Beach. Arriving about 9:30 the rains had subsided for now, but the winds and waves were still quite high. Not much beach was visible and only a few shore birds were present including a Willet, a Black-bellied Plover, a couple of Ruddy Turnstones, a pair of Least Terns, a very wet Red-shouldered Hawk and a Laughing Gull. Then waves of Magnificent Frigatebirds appeared from the north and very slowly floating on the winds along the shore, heading southerly. Had several soaring, almost hovering on the winds just three feet above my head. Alas my camera is broken so I missed on some great photo opportunities. I had counted thirty-three plus Frigatebirds and after an hour and a half I left to met up with Bob Pelkey on Sanible Island.

Before Going to Sanible I stopped at Bowditch Point Park on Ft Myers Beach, were I found a trio of Red Knots, Black Skimmers, Wilson's Plovers, Semipalmated Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Willets, Pelicans, Least Terns, Laughing Gulls, Sandwich Terns, Royal Terns, Sanderlings and a Gray Kingbird laying low from the winds.

We made stops at Sanible Lighthouse and Bowman's Beach were all we could really see were heavy surfs and few birds. At Blind Pass the best birds were a Sandwich Tern, a trio of Chimney Swifts and a family of Red-bellied Woodpeckers. We dipped on any real pelagics. One interesting observation were some para-sailing adventurers at Blind Pass, who, I my mind, were risking serious harm in such powerful surf and winds, Several times we noticed the para-sailors totally lifted off the surf by five to ten feet, very close to a rock jetty.

On the Sanibel Causeway we encountered more Frigatebirds, more laughing Gulls and an out-of-place Herring Gull.

Tuesday June 26th

Sea Watch Part 2

I had not planned on doing any birding today, but late on this Tuesday afternoon I had dropped my daughter off in Bonita Springs, but did bird nearby Ft Myers Beach. Radio news reports had described severe damage on Ft Myers Beach due to T. S. Debbie including Little Estero Island were the Least Tern colony was nesting. So as an after thought I did drive over and found that much of the nesting colony site at the south end of the beach was flooded. No doubt the storm conditions would have been detrimental to any eggs or young of the least terns, snowy plovers or wilson's plovers still nesting here. Did see many more Magnificent Frigatebirds including a female who was harassing the gulls and terns laying-low on the sands. Other birds seen included Least Terns, Royal Terns, Laughing Gulls, Black Skimmers, an American Oystercatcher, Wilson's Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones.

Next I rechecked Bowditch Point Park at the other end of the Ft Myers Beach. Even with the winds still blowing hard there was a seaside wedding taking place on the beach. Other sightings here were a lone Snowy Plover, several Wilson's Plovers, several Laughing Gulls, Black Skimmers, Royal Terns, Least Terns, Sandwich Terns, a lone Common Tern, a lone Forster's Tern, and a very out-of-place Ring-billed Gull.

On these two days I didn't find any pelagic species, but did have some good birds just the same.

Red Knots at Bunche Beach

Thursday, March 22nd

The better of today was taken up with a yard sale. We have to relocate sometime soon and need to get rid of a lot of stuff. Amazing how much a family can accumulate over time. But after a late afternoon rest period I headed out for a quick visit to Bunche Beach,



Banded Piping Plover in breeding colors



With a falling tide there had to be thousands of birds on hand feeding in preparation for some very long flights to the Alaska and Canadian North. Noticed that some of the birds are already molting into their breeding colors like Piping and Semipalmated Plovers, about half of the Sanderlings and some of the Red Knots and Black-bellied Plovers are starting to change. Did notice that the Dunlins and Short-billed Dowitchers were sporting their winter feathers still.

Wilson's Plover are year-round in Florida

 Looked for the long-billed curlew, but it wasn't around at the time. But finally spotting an American Oystercatcher and a hand-full of Red Knots after not seeing them here for several months.  Won't be too long and the least terns will be back to replace our winter birds as they migrate.

Also have Marbled Godwits, Willets, Western Sandpipers and Forster's Terns on hand.

Piping Plover

Sanderling

Piping Plover at Bunche Beach

Tuesday, January 24th

Spent some time at Bunche Beach with my daughter.  We found the beach active with many snowbirds enjoying the weather. Was kind of surprising that we did manage to get a pretty good list with so many people around.

Piping Plover

A couple of the species I was interested in locating were wilson's and snowy Plovers. Did not get them this time, but had about five Piping Plovers. Also had about sixty Willets, two of which were in a knock-down-dragged-out fight.  Strange behavior.

Sanderlings

Also had some luck in spotting one each - Common Loon, Horned Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser - swimming in the surf and the Long-billed Curlew came in for a visit.  Other birds for the day included a Great Blue Heron, Herring Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Marbled Godwits, Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings and Black Skimmers.

Great Blue Heron

Bunche Beach - Sanderlings and Semipalmated Plovers

Eastern Willet

June 19th 2010 is the Ribbon-Cutting at Bunche Beach for the new facilities.

I went over to check out the beach after work this morning and found that the crews were still prepping for tomorrows events. The road access to the beach was closed for some of the work.  So had to park at the new facilities and walk maybe a half-mile to the beach. The tide was high and the birds were not plentifully, but still found a variety of species.

My list - Mottled Duck, Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Semipalmated Plover, Willet, Sanderling, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Least Tern, Common Ground-Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Fish Crow, Prairie Warbler, Northern Cardinal

Semipalmated Plover in Breeding Plumage

Sanderlings and Semipalmated Plovers