EAA

Thursday July 19

Gull-billed Tern

Today I made the hour and a half drive from Ft Myers over to the Everglades Ag Area south of Belle Glade.  Seemed a bit early yet to be checking out the flooded sugar cane fields, but I noticed a few intriguing postings on eBird. 

Black Tern

Arrived in the area of Brown's Farm Road around 8:30 and started with the swallow colony at the intersection of 880 and Brown's Farm Road.  the swallows weren't all that accommodating but was able to pull out one, for sure Cave Swallow, from among all the similarly looking Cliff Swallows.

The flooded fields adjacent to the swallows were very active with a large concentration of Black-necked Stilts.  Dozens of Black Terns were foraging and resting here along with Gull-billed Terns, Least Terns, Caspian Terns, Short-billed Dowitchers and maybe a few Long-billed Dowitchers too. Other species present included Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Least Sandpipers, a Spotted Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plovers, plus Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.

Black Tern

Common Nighthawk

Drove several miles along Brown's Farm Road and did encounter a nice couple of fields that werejust starting to be flooded. Slightly different mix of birds here.  Because the water wasn't very deep yet, it was attractive to nearly a hundred  Glossy Ibis, a couple a dozen Mottled Ducks, a few Common Gallinules and lots more Black-necked Stilts.  Both Yellowlegs, Dowitchers, Least Sandpipers and Laughing Gulls were also present. 

Had to be more than a hundred Black-necked Stilts today

Had hoped to add Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Wood Storks, wintering American White Pelicans, Pectoral Sandpipers and Stilt Sandpipers, but dipped on these.  Its a bit early on these sandpipers but no totally out of the question. But we should see numbers of them soon along with American Avocets and Wilson's Phalaropes

Caspian Tern

Least Tern

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Additional sighting along Brown's Farm Road included a great many Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Both Grackles, Eastern Meadowlarks, Common Nighthawks, Green Herons, White Ibis, Purple Martins and Barn Swallows.

On the drive over and back noticed a few Swallow-tailed Kites soaring mostly near LaBelle, plus a Crested Caracara and several Sandhill Cranes.

Dowitcher

Least Sandpiper

Gull-billed Tern

Black Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Brown-headed Cowbird

Red-shouldered Hawk

Down to the Beach

Tuesday July 17th

Roseate Spoonbills at Carlos Point

Last week I headed to the beach to do some birding. The tide was too high at Bunche Beach, so I opted to do my birding on Ft Myers Beach. Namely at Carlos Point to check out the seabird nurseries.

I did make a stop first along John Morris Road at Bunche Beach to make my umpteenth try to spot the resident  Mangrove Cuckoos. I've dipped on dozens of tries but finally I heard and SAW the cuckoo. Woo Hoo!!

Black Skimmers are nesting at Carlos Point

Snowy Plover

The beach was hot and sunny. The numbers of nesting Least Terms have dropped and hundreds of Black Skimmers are now nesting here. Lots of Snowy Plovers with chicks. It was sad to observe a Laughing Gull take and consume a Least Tern chick. The baby terns are extremely vulnerable to predation while the adults are out foraging.

Some birds are arriving back from their arctic nesting grounds including Marbled Godwits, Short-billed Dowitchers and Semipalmated Plovers.

Snowy Plover Chick

Least Tern chicks left completely exposed to predation as their parents are foraging

Short-billed Dowitchers are returning from the North still in their breeding colors

Marbled Godwits are also returning from the Far North

Least Terns are still nesting at Carlos Point,
but their numbers are diminishing as their nesting season is wrapping up

Wilson's Plover are resident birds on this beach

Other sightings on the day included Magnificent Frigatebirds, Gray Kingbirds, House Sparrows, Ospreys, Brown Pelicans, Royal Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Willets, Snowy Egrets, Eurasian Collared Doves and more

Some June Pics

Sunday July 1st


Thought I would share some of my observations in June

Spotted this Swallow-tailed Kite at rest at Caloosahatchee Regional Park

Purple Martin hanging around the Franklin Locks

on the Caloosahatchee River in Alva

A young House Sparrow at the Franklin Locks

Red-cockaded Woodpecker at Babcock-Webb WMA

Ring Necked Snake seen at Babcock-Webb WMA

Great Horned Owl seen in Lehigh Acres

Florida Scrub Jay seen in Lehigh Acres

Wood Duck seen in Alva pasture

Purple Gallinule seen at Harns Marsh

Wild Turkey spotted along Church Road

Gray Kingbird seen on Ft Myers Beach

This family of ducks are probably hybrids between mottled and mallard ducks

Buckeye Butterfly

Probably a Needham's Skimmer

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Some Watusi cattle seen on a property near Alva

Sandhill Crane

Nanday Parakeets seen in Fort Myers

Sandhill Family nesting with a very recent hatching in Alva

Little Estero Lagoon

Wednesday June 19th

Common Buckeye Butterflies are common

among the mangroves

June is the time of year that birders may want to vacation up North, because this is our birding doldrums. Spring migration is over, and the start of the Fall migration is weeks away. But we still can find some interesting birds.

This young Herring Gull does seem to realize

that it should have migrated north by now

Gray Kingbirds arrive in the area in the spring to nest

and will return to the Central America coastline by the end of summer

Little Estero Lagoon, Bowditch Point Park and Carlos Point on Fort Myers Beach all offer opportunities for some good birding.  Currently Black Skimmers, Least Terns, Wilson's Plover, Snowy Plovers and Sea Turtles are all nesting on Fort Myers Beach. Add to this are the Gray Kingbirds sitting on the wires along Estero Boulevard and Magnificent Frigatebirds are floating on the breeze watching for a free meal.

Probably true Mottled Ducks, but many in the area are crossed with Mallards

The other day I spent about two hours walking the beach along the Little Estero Lagoon Preserve. It was hot, but the cloud cover provided some much-needed shading.

Suspect we have a concealed camera pointed at a nesting plover family 

Wilson's Plover.

Nesting Least Terns were very evident, and fledglings were also active in testing the powers of flight, Lots of Wilson's Plover were seen including some mall hatchlings.  A patrolling Great Blue Heron was concerning as baby birds are diffidently on their menu. I wouldn't have noticed one particular nesting Wilson's Plover, but her nest area has been cordoned off and a strange wood box has been positioned so that a concealed camera can keep tabs on the nesting activity.

This Great Blue Heron appeared to be patrolling the bird nurseries looking for a meal

This Least Tern was watching over is young offspring

Fledgling Least Tern taking in the view on the beach

One of several Sea Turtle nest cordoned off along the beach

Many Sea Turtle nests are also cordoned off to try and protect them.  Members of Turtle Time patrol the beaches daily looking for new nests and to check on the status of the known sites.


My ebird List
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46543874

Brown Pelican

Tricolored Heron

This maybe a Needham's Skimmer??