Gunnery Trail - Wild Turkey Strand

Sunday, November 18th

Wild Turkey Strand is a 3100 acre preserve that meanders from State Route 82 South to Alico Road in Lee County.  This preserve is important as an aquifer recharge area for our local water supply  needs and as wildlife corridor.

Signage at Gunnery Trail 

This preserve sets on what once  the World War 2 era, Buckingham Army Air Traing Base. Here, thousands  of airmen attended the Gunnery School in preparation for their assignments as gunners in American bombers.

Now this bit of property has reverted back to a more natural Florida.. Some remnants from the Buckingham Army Base can still be seen and the County has developed the Gunnery Trail to provide access to these sites  as well as for hikers and birders to enjoy the property.

The Gunnery trail is 1.8 miles long with 1.1 miles are developed and the remainder would be called primitive and can be quite wet as it is a seasonal wetland.

Access to the Gunnery Trail leads away from the parking area located at Rod &  Gun Road near to State Route 82 South of Lehigh Acres.

House Wrens are common winter visitors

Red shouldered Hawks are common here

Currently the wetlands and ponds here are  drying down. But for now, wading birds and waterfowl are commonly seen.  As are Purple Gallinules and Snail Kites have nested here. Currently observations of Mottled, Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and other waterfowl have been seen. However when the wetlands have dried up these birds will have left the area.

We know that endangered Florida Panthers are present at times in this preserve. I know of observations in the Gunnery Trail area and I have personnel observations from a sight near to the airport.  Coyotes, bobcats, white-tailed deer and wild hogs can be found

Everglades Canna

Yellow rumped Warblers are also a common winter visitor

October

Friday, November 2nd

American Avocets at Bunche Beach

Cooler weather has arrived and the Snowbirds are arriving as well to beautiful Southwest Florida. Both the avian and human snowbirds. 

Pine Warbler

October can be a very fun time here for birders. We have the migration of  neo-tropic birds passing through from points to the North heading to points far to the South, But we do see some familiar migrating birds who'll stay with us for most of the Winter. So we have the best of the waning summer species, the migrants passing through and the incoming wintering bird populations. A good time of year

It is enjoyable to chase after these migrating birds who may only be stopping off for a day or two. Some are fairly common to find like the Summer Tanagers and Yellow-throated Vireos. Some are far more uncommon to find in Florida in the fall migration like Canada Warblers and Golden-winged Warblers.  I was lucky to find a Golden-winged Warbler this year, but the Canada Warbler was an evasive  sighting for me though.. I did have a few holes in my list this year like the Gray-cheeked Thrush and Kentucky and Blue winged Warblers.  I've dipped on the Blue winged Warbler for a few years now.

A Golden winged Warbler

 seen at Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve

Some of birds we have seen passing through included Acadian Flycatchers, Least Flycatcher plus Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Ovenbirds, Tennessee, Hooded and other Warblers. Rose breasted Grosbeaks, Eastern Wood-pewees, Swainson's Thrushes, Bobolinks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos. Pectoral Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers and more. 

Our wintering arrivals will continue making there here in the coming weeks, But recently we have seen many Gray Catbirds, House Wrens, Eastern Phoebes, Wilson's Snipes, American Bitterns, Northern Harries, Belted Kingfishers, American Kestrels, American White Pelicans, Yellowlegs, Peregrine Falcons, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers,  Palm Warblers and Savannah Sparrows. 

American Red Starts were a common migrant this fall, but a hard bird to photograph

Yellow throated Warblers have become numerous

Still expecting the later arriving waterfowl. Blue wing Teal are early arrivals and I did see my first of the season Ring neck Ducks today. Other species of ducks will arrive soon, plus Common Loons and Horned Grebes. Can also add Painted buntings, Red-crowned Kinglets, Blue-headed Vireos, Black-throated Green Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Swamp and Grasshopper Sparrows and more.

It appears that it may be harder to find Painted and Indigo Buntings and American Goldfinches this season as the famous feeders we have all enjoyed at the Whites' residence in Alva are probably no more. As their property has been sold. 

Great Crested Flycatcher

Gray Catbird

Our wintering Shorebirds have already arrived from their breeding grounds. Short-billed Dowitchers, Willets, Marbled Godwits, Red Knots, Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers, Piping Plovers, Spotted Sandpipers, American Avocets. Plus the wintering gulls should be arriving in about a month. So enjoy the cooler weather and all these birds.

Red Knot. This fellow has lost its left foot.

Saw this scruffy Lark Sparrow out on Church Road

American White Pelican are returning

Bald Eagles are returning too

As are Double crested Cormorants

Stormy Weather

Thursday October 11th

Hurricane Michael has been quite a powerful storm and bad news for residents of the Florida Panhandle. Luckily we were spared from Michael.  Just a bit of rain and wind.  We certainly did not want a repeat from what Hurricane Erma did to us a year ago. But any tropical storms during migration can effect the movement of birds such as pushing pelagics toward shore or creating a fall out.

White Ibis

Today I opted to head to Bunche Beach to take advantage of a low tide and to see if any interesting had been blown in. My most unexpected sighting happened before I had reached the shore. While passing through Cape Coral I was able to add a Coopers Hawk sitting along a busy road. But later, while I was waiting for the light to change at a busy intersection on Colonial Parkway in Ft Myers, I spotted the very long tail of a bird resting on the wires. Was pleasantly shocked to see that it was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Managed to pull over to try get better looks and noticed that the flycatcher was in the company of a trio of Gray Kingbirds and an Eastern Kingbird. They didn't hang around long enough for photography. I assume that the winds from Hurricane Michael had altered the movements of this small flock of flycatchers. Cha Ching! I also added a pair of Nanday Parakeets a few blocks over on Tufts Ave.

American Avocets at Bunche Beach

Red Knot

Got to Bunche Beach at low tide and had a nice visit.  Saw no evidence of the effects of red tide. No dead sea life on the beach. Lots of birds though.

Best sightings were a large number of Red Knots and American Avocets. Wading birds were missing though. Only a few White Ibis and a Yellow Crowned Night Heron. Missed on any Reddish Egrets. Suspect the algae blooms may have affected them.

Red Knot

Nice to see a Caspian Tern and a Forster's Tern sitting with a few Laughing Gulls, Brown 

Short-billed Dowitcher

Pelicans, Royal and Sandwich Terns. Other shorebirds busy on the shore and rooting through the wrack line included Piping, Black-bellied, Wilson's and Semipalmated Plovers, Sanderlings, Willets, Ruddy Turnstones, Least and Western Sandpipers and Short-billed Dowitchers. Besides missing on the reddish egrets, I also missed on any spotted or snowy sandpipers.

Was a good day!!

Semi-palmate Plover

The Catbirds have Returned

Monday October 8th

Erect Dayflower

These warblers and other small birds can be very difficult  

for my photography skills. But wildflowers can be encouraged to pose

Finally, having a little fun with the Fall Migration as we move into October.

Numbers of migrants passing through on their way South have increased and many of our wintering visitors are showing.

 Heard my first of the season House Wren today and growing numbers of  Gray Catbirds have  arrived. Won't be long and our wintering Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers will everywhere. Along with Eastern Phoebes, American Kestrels, Blue headed Vireos and Savannah Sparrows.

The annual Sanibel Lighthouse Hawk Watch is scheduled for Sunday the 14th. Some years can be awesome, some have been a dud. I'm expecting good things this years with lots of Kestrels, Merlins, Peregrine Falcons and maybe some Broad-winged Hawks or Sharp-shinned Hawks.  Sadly, due to my work schedule I wont be able to attend.

American Redstarts, as well as, Black-and-White Warblers

 have been frequently seen migrants

Yellow-throated Warbler seen at Rotary Park

Some recent personal firsts for the season included Tennessee Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Bay Breasted and Chestnut sided Warblers, Eastern Wood-pewee, Summer Tanagers, Least Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo and Yellow billed Cuckoo.  Still lots of holes in my Fall Migration wish list like  a Blackburnian or a Canada Warbler.

Bugs

Sunday September 30th

Zebra Longwing Butterfly

With the birding activity being so slow I had diverted my attentions to smaller wildlife activities. Namely learning about the Dragonflies and Butterflies we see around here.  To start off with, I have been a real beginner here, so I did find a bit of learning curve.  A good place to start learning is at the Butterfly Gardens and House at Rotary Park in Cape Coral.

The rare and endangered Atala Butterfly breed at Rotary Park

Southern White Butterfly

Pipevine Swallow-tailed Butterfly

Palamedes Swallow-tailed Butterfly 

Soldier Butterfly

Giant Swallow-tailed Butterfly

Eastern Pondhawk

Little Blue Dragonlet

I think this is a Scarlet Skimmer

Blue Dasher

Queen Butterfly

Band-winged Dragonfly

Eastern Amber winged Dragonfly

Long-tailed Skipper

White Peacock Butterfly

Phaon Crescent Butterfly

Fall Migration

Saturday September 29th

Whimbrel seen on Ft Myers Beach

Spring Migration in our corner of Florida has been quite slow so far. The variety of species being observed is as expected, however, we are only experiencing very small samplings. No real big push has really passed through yet. My personal best for September was the Least Flycatcher at Hammock Swamp and the Acadian Flycatcher at Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve.  Today I had my first look at a Summer Tanager for the Fall. But all of the local venues have been quite spotty so far.

This Fox Squirrel was keeping an eye on things

My first-of-the-year Eastern Wood-Pewee

Acadian Flycatcher seen at Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserved

In August the expected shorebirds had arrived. Sandpipers, godwits, dowitchers, plovers and such   But know by the end of  September the neo-tropic birds have been very 

Red Knot seen on Ft Myers Beach

Piping Plover seen on Ft Myers Beach

slow. There had been concerned about lost opportunities with the Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve boardwalk being closed for the first half of the month. But it turns out that this venue has been unexpecting so far, anyway. 

The season will last through the middle of October and hopefully we will be able to enjoy more bird activity.