Red Tide

 Sunday, March 5th

American Oystercatcher

Yesterday we noticed reports on a large gathering of Herring Gulls at Carlos Point on Fort Myers Beach. Hundreds were seen with large numbers of American Oystercatchers, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls as well. we don't normally see so many Herring Gulls in Lee County. 

A Lesser Black-backed Gull, plus Laughing Gulls, Royal Tern and an Oystercatcher

eBird Checklist - 5 Mar 2023 - Carlos Pointe - 22 species. 

So today I drove down to Fort Myers Beach, which is still in a major recovery mode, to explore Carlos Pointe. Besides the numbers of gulls present, were so many dead fish. Victims of Red Tide. This current blow-up of red tide is not doubt to nutrient load caused by the effects of Hurricane Ian. It appears that the toxic load is so bad that even the marine worms are trying to escape.

Hundreds of these worms are seen wriggling on the surface of the sand.
 They've got the birds attention.

Wilson's Plover

Snowy Plovers

Herring Gulls

Lots of interesting species among the dead fish including a goliath grouper, other groupers and snappers, drums, snook, sea mullets, red fish, ladyfish, marine catfish, eels, worm fish, sheepshead, spadefish, cowfish, hog chokers, grunts, a blackchin tilapia, sardines and thread herrings and more

Hogchoker

Atlantic Thread Herring

White Grunt

Spotted Spoon-nosed Eel

Stripped Burrfish

Scaled Sardine

Blackchin Tilapia

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

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

April Birds and Such

 Saturday April 30th

Spring migration has been very weak this season.  Not much activity. Seems either the migrates took advantage of the winds to speed on past us or stayed further west as they crossed the Gulf of Mexico, coming ashore around East Texas / Louisiana. So, I've posted a few miscellaneous sightings of interesting fauna see this month.

Blue Jay

Possum Family

Mayan Cichlid

Tufted Titmouse

Gray-headed Swamphen

Northern Waterthrush

Rosette Spoonbill

Swallow-tailed Kite

Southern Black Racer

Island Glass Lizard

Baby Gator

Gray-headed Swamphen

Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

Mangrove Skipper

Northern Parula

Northern Parula

Palm Warbler

Eastern Kingbird

Northern Mockingbird

Bobolink

Female Black-and-White Warbler

Short-tailed Hawk

Gray Kingbird

Female Cape May Warbler

Black-necked Stilt

Snowy Plover

Northern Cardinal

Glossy Ibis

Little Blue Heron

Fish Crow

Tricolored Heron on the Nest

Juvenile Tricolored Heron

Juvenile Tricolored Heron