Reddish Egerts at Bunche Beach

Saturday, March 11th

Reddish Egret - White Form

Stopped by at day break for a quite visit.  The tide was quit low and the beach was attracting a great many birding enthusiasts.  Lots of bins, scopes and cameras.

Reddish Egret

Note the tracking radio antenna attached to this birds back

Counted four Reddish Egrets today - two were the normal reddish phase and the others were the white phase included one toting a tracking radio.

Dunlin

Other shore birds present included lots of Sanderlings, Dunlin, Least and Western Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers and a few Piping Plovers.

Spotted Sandpiper

Not very many gulls or terns at the time. Mostly Laughing Gulls with a few Black Skimmers, Ring-billed Gulls and Royal Terns

Western Sandpiper

Sanderling

Additionally seen were a couple of Spotted Sandpipers and Yellow-crowned Night-herons

Black-bellied Plover

Semipalmated Plover

The Swallow-tailed Kites are Back

Sunday, March 5th

Currently my weekend starts at 6 AM on Sunday morning, which I kicked-off today with some birding in  Lehigh Acres.

Swallow-tailed Kite

As I was driving away from the plant, was able to spot my first Swallow-tailed Kite of the day, as it was foraging along side of the road. I always look forward to the return of the Kites after there long flight South America. They will be arriving in the American Southeast to begin their nesting season, and will be heading back to were wintering homes starting at the end of July.

Along the way to Lehigh, I made a small detour through some back roads at the airport to look for Wood Ducks ( found ten, but no pics), but came across this roosting Swallow-tailed Kite.  Saw an addition three kettling further down the road. That was five for the day.

Gray-headed Swamphen

By 8:45 I had reached my destination at Harns Marsh.  The water level has been falling and the wading bird numbers are on the rise. Large numbers of Great Egrets, Wood Storks, Tricolored Herons and more.  There were also a large number of birders on hand.  Most folks from out-of-state enjoying our Florida winter.

Still have a lot of waterfowl present. Not a great variety - Ring-necked Ducks, American Coots, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal and Mottled Ducks.

Only spotted a single female Snail Kite, but lots of Limpkins. We also found  a few Pied-billed Grebes, Anhingas, Cormorants, Grackles, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Common Gallinules, Grey-headed Swamphens, Wilson's Snipe, Sandhill Crane, Tree Swallows, Savannah Sparrows and Robins.

Roseate Spoonbill

Misses included Northern Harrier and Purple Gallinule.

From here, checked out the Florida Scrub Jay spot on 47th Street West, were an individual jay was quite accommodating.

Checked a couple of Red-headed Woodpecker spots in the area, but came up empty. Then up to Alva to see what was happening at the Whites' feeders. Found the their yard much busier with birders than birds. Now its time to head home.

Florida Scrub Jay in Lehigh Acres

Green-winged Duck

Purse Crab

Saturday March 4th

 Today I checked out Bunche Beach, arriving at day break, having just left work. Made a brief check at the Mangrove Cuckoo spot. Not seeing or hearing anything moved onto the beach. The tide was at a low stage and a nice mix of shore birds,waders, gulls and terns were present.

Purse Crab

Spotted a very large live Whelk and a very tiny crab I've never encountered before. A google search helped in identifying the crab as a Mottled Purse Crab. A very strange looking creature

The face of a Purse Crab

Whelk

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Tuesday February 28th

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Yesterday I got too late of a start to beat the terrible traffic on Ft Myers Beach.  So today, I was able to leave home on a more timely basis and was on Ft Myers Beach by 8 am.  My first stop was at Bowditch Point Park, located at the northern tip of the island. Found the location wanting of my target birds - black-backed gulls, oystercatchers or even a possible bonaparte's gull.

Osprey at Bowditch Point

So moved onto Carlos Point at the southern end of the island. Here I quickly spotted a few Snowy and Wilson's Plovers. Eventually I saw a young Lesser Black-backed Gull, which was joined by an adult. Nice.

American Oystercatcher

Lesser Black-backed Gull

A juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull

Palm Warbler at Carlos Point

A Visit to Lakes Regional Park

Monday February 27th

Got a late start today to do a little birding. Tried to venture onto Ft Myers Beach in search of any Black-backed Gulls. Hadn't seen any yet in the new year. But the large numbers of folks visiting from up North, here to enjoy our weather, it was impossible. Turned around and re-crossed the Matanzas Bridge were I noticed that the shrimping fleet was in. From here I ended up in Lakes Park.

Lakes Regional Park is a very nice park operated by Lee County with a wide variety activities available.  Besides birding opportunities,  we find picnic shelters, lodge ( friends of ours held their wedding reception here), gardens. an amphitheater, trails for walkers and cyclists, (and birders), fishing, a water park, swimming beach, volleyball courts, cycle and kayak rentals,  miniature train rides and museum, a summer camp, a weekly farmers market and scheduled events.

The Railroad Museum maintains this 1909 Steam Engine

Our family enjoyed this park from the time we first moved to Lee County in 1987. Prior to the devastation created here by Hurricane Charlie in 2004, the park was well shaded by towering Australian Pines. The redevelopment included the removal of much of the surviving  Australian Pines, as they are considered to be a noxious invasive plant. Native trees and shrubs have been planted and are now starting to show some maturity.

Anhinga with the catch of the day

As for the birds, at least ten species of  birds used the spoil islands as rookeries. White Ibis, anhingas, cormorants, cattle egrets, tricolored and more species will nest on the islands.  Ospreys nest throughout the park and many more species can be found.  About eight years ago my daughters and I spotted the Scarlet Ibis that was once roosting here.

Lee County Bird Patrol ( I am also a volunteer) leads monthly guided tours.

Common Gallinules

Great Blue Heron

Great White Pelican

Thursday February 2nd

Great White Pelican seen at Ding Darling in 2016

So cool to see that last years mysterious appearance of a Great White Pelican at Ding Darling NWR made a brief return this week. Those folks who arrived yesterday morning had an opportunity to experience her. But she did fly off around 11 am and did not return to the disappointment of the large crowd of motivated birders staking out the site today. 

But where has she been for the past year? No one reported any sightings, other than her appearances at Ding Darling.   The swelling of the skin around the the eyes is only seasonal, which means that the lack of this tell allows for the bird to more easily blend in with the American Great Pelicans.

And how did this specimen come to be here? Past investigations did not find any reports of an escapee.  Did it fly here? I doubt it.  Its a long way from its home range in Africa and Eurasia.  My theory is that it, like so many other exotic flora and fauna, arrived as a stow-away aboard some freighter or oil tanker.   

Compare the Great White Pelican to the American White Pelicans

Harns Marsh

Wednesday February 1st

River Otter with its lunch

Headed over to Harns Marsh in Lehigh Acres for my monthly Lee County Bird Patrol survey for this venue and was rewarded with a fine day.  Spotted a nice male Snail Kite along Sunshine Parkway, near to arriving at Harns. They have become a bit scarce here lately.

At Harms, I started with a flock of American Robins accompanied by Red-belled Woodpecker, Gray Catbird, Mourning Doves, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. An aggressive pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks appeared to be driving off a young RSH at the vulture roost.

Gray-headed Swamphens were active along the walk with a couple of Purple Gallinules as well. While observing a River Otter munching on a sunfish, one off the purple gallinules came out to investigate what the otter was up too and quickly ran back to cover. Also present today were a large number of Common Gallinules, Pie-billed Grebes, American Coots, Grackles and Limpkins. Not very many Red-winged Blackbirds today.

River Otter

Due to lowering water levels the number of waders is increasing with Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Tricolored Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, Little Blue Herons, White Ibis and Glossy Ibis. The numbers of Blue-winged Teal seemed to also be increasing along with about sixty Ring-billed Ducks and a hand full of Mottled Ducks. Missed om any black-bellied whistling ducks, but was able to finally sight the lone male Ruddy Duck others have been reporting.

American Robin

Gray-headed Swamphen

Blue-winged Teal

Purple Gallinule

Ruddy Duck