Wednesday, March 22, 2023

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

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Birding From Home

 Saturday March 11th



A Short-tailed Hawk showed up in my yard,
 were it made a meal of a dove.


At my home, in Fort Myers there is a huge ficus tree. iNaturalist identifies it as a Chinese Banyan and
it's been dropping ripening fruit for the past couple of weeks. This can be quite messy, but this year all this fruit has attracted a lot birds. Large flocks of Cedar Waxwings, plus American Robins and Gray Catbirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers, a one day only visiting Summer Tanager was seen, dozens and dozens of yellow-rumped Warblers were actively eating the fruit, as were Starlings and Fish Crows



Other birds attracted to the feeders are Brown-headed Cowbirds, Northern Cardinals, Common Grackles, Muscovy Ducks, Morning, White-wing, Eurasian and Common Ground Doves, Blue Jays, Painted Buntings and a Indigo Bunting.



Additional we had Northern Parulas, Palm Warblers, a Yellow-throated Warbler, Great Crested Flycatcher a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk and a Crested Caracara roosting in a neighbor's tree.


Yellow-rumped Warbler

Even had a Short-tailed Hawk grab a dove in my yard. Not a bad couple of weeks.  The fruit is about spent, so most of these species will start departing to other interesting places and will be heading north soon on the Spring Migration


Short-tailed Hawk

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Cedar Waxwing

Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker



Gray Catbird

American Robin

Mourning Dove

Yellow-rumped Warbler

American Robin

Blue Jay

Muscovy Duck

Common Grackle

Yellow-rumped Warbler

European Starling with a fig

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Brown-headed Cowbird

Palm Warbler


Sarasota

 Sunday March 12th

Headed up on Sarasota County today, visiting Myakka River State Park and The Celery Fields

Lots of Gators at Myakka River State Park


Myakka River State Park

Long-billed Dowitcher

Black-necked Stilt

Blue-winged Teal

Snowy Egret

Lesser Yellowlegs

Palm Warbler

Sandhill Crane

Wild Turkey

American White Pelican


The Celery Fields

eBird Checklist - 12 Mar 2023 - Palmer Lake and Surrounding Area - 4 species


This Coopers Hawk was resting in the shade by the bird feeders

Brown-headed Cowbird

Painted Bunting

Gray-headed Swamphen were numerous here today

Purple Martin

Savannah Sparrow

Common Gallinule

Glossy Ibis