Sanibel West

A visit to the west end of the island today proved to be a rewarding and exciting experience....come along and see....

As we braved the gusty winds we marveled at the fact that the birds were able to stand still in the face of such power - heck, we had trouble walking and we are a lot bigger.

We directed our attention to the bird's features - this Caspian Tern for example and the difference that sets them apart from the Royal Tern....

the bill size/color/shape and I also noticed how the black cap reaches the edge of the bill on the Caspian - not so with the Royal.

As we looked back - we could see the blowing sand that we had felt on our skin - the salt air is very thick too, making our glasses/binos unclear to see through.

A bunch of Red Knots were hunkered down together - it's a group effort to shield one another.

The Snowy Plovers were not in large numbers but they too managed to find a clump of grass to shield them from the gusty winds.

When the wind increased even more, we decided to go to Blind Pass and perhaps catch sight of Northern Gannetts - instead we were greeted by the Sanibel Stoopers looking for shells....it looked like so much fun that we actually joined them for a while - had a blast doing it.

We then visited the pass and found this large group of Willet....

and mixed in were some Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones

and when we looked closely - we noticed some different plumage in the group....which turned out to be a couple Marbled Godwits

A few Dunlins were in the mix too...

and a few young Brown Pelicans.

Our last sighting was a Snowy Egret which was quite busy chasing bugs that were invisible from our human eyes - we enjoyed watching this bird as it crouched down low with quiet agility.....wishing we could do it too.

Baby it's cold outside!

Brrr...it is 40 degrees in S.W. Florida this morning with a wind chill making it feel like 33, so what's a girl to do but bundle up and go for a drive....it's tru the Wildlife Drive of Ding Darling we go....

Apparently I wasn't the only one feeling chilly this morning.....this Great Egret felt it too

and it wasn't long before it retreated under the mangroves and away from that gusty wind.

The Reddish Egret seemed to be the boldest one of them all - right out there in the open....hunger wins.

Several Night Herons were seeking shelters just like this Black-crowned was. After exiting the Wildlife Drive I opted to go to Captiva Island....

Same scenario here - the Willets sought shelter behind the breakers

They were most likely as cold as I was except that I decided to move to warm up.....and warm up I did as I walked the Captiva beach and exercised my "Sanibel Stoop" - a common term around here which refers to people's position while looking for seashells. On my way out with my prized possessions I noticed that the Willets were still in their little crook and crannies...."stay warm little fellows".

And, folks, these are now part of my new 2017 shell collection.

Shark eyes, Common Nutmeg, Lightning Whelk, Cone, Jewel Box, Scallop,

Banded Tulips,

Turbans,

Shark eye, Moon Shell and my prize pieces.....

Junonia and Lion's Paw - I will treasure these as they are extremely difficult to find in one piece - perhaps this year will be the lucky one.

 

Beach & Bird

This is the week before Easter and traditionally it is one of the busiest time for tourism in and around the island - making traffic unbearable at times and as such I spend more time closer to home and enjoy observing the local shorebirds.

And it also happens to be the beginning of Snowy Plover season.

And the Royal Terns are putting on their bright bill and darker crest.

A female Snowy Plover taking a break.

This is what I mean by the height of tourism - birds and humans co-existing.

The Bald Eagle found a shady spot along the beach too.

The Willets were blending quite well, I almost missed them.

One of the new enclosure for the Snowy Plover nesting - a Fish Crow having a good laugh as he says: "boundaries does not apply to me".

 

Then a visit to Bunche Beach with the hopes of locating the Curlew and the Whimbrel but no luck this time, the usual suspects were present - the White Morph of the Reddish Egret with the transmitter was present as well as 6 Dark Morph.

Black Skimmers and a young Great Blue Heron with Fort Myers Beach in the background.

Usual sighting on Bunche - Black Skimmers and Royal Terns.

This one has bands - I could only make out "88".

Sanderlings by the 100s today - most likely getting ready to make their northern journey back.

Well, folks, it's almost migration time - stay tune....it may get exciting.

Happy New Year to all!

Wow, can you believe it....another year has arrived...where does the time go?? I know personally that since I started birding that time seems to fly as I'm enthralled with each day as well as the promises of new adventures.

And...since I keep reporting my sighting to e-bird, it also means that the year list start anew....the race is on, here we go!

I hooked up with my friend Elaine and we started the day at the Shipley Trail - it was bright and early, humid and very warm. We spent some time observing this young Woodstork and also had the good fortune of seeing two Bald Eagle mating - I'd say that was a great way to start the New Year.

My E-Bird List for the Shipley Trail and My E-Bird List for the Bailey Tract. I saw a lot more birds than I took pictures this time around - in any event it was a great way to start the day.

 

 Then, or course, another day comes along and more birds to be seen - I returned to the Bailey Tract bright and early with double duties this time, other than keeping my eyes open for the birds I am also looking for Coyote scats. You see, we have a growing Coyote population on our island and the University of Georgia has enlisted the help of local volunteers to collect scat from different locations with the aim of studying the DNA and figuring out how many families we are dealing with. Those Coyotes have been feasting on Sea Turtle eggs during the summer and have eliminated our Least Tern nesting population. In any event - I found no scat this morning and few bird sightings - but oh - look at the promises of this brand new day!

On my way out of the Bailey Tract, this female Common Yellowthroat bid me farewell. My 29 species E-Bird List for the Bailey Tract. Then I'm off to the Wildlife Drive in Ding Darling.

Awww....you gotta love those pink Roseate Spoonbills and how they brighten up the day.

A young Raccoon along the drive was poking his nose in the dirt - probably looking for some small insects. This Raccoon did not look well and was moving rather slowly.

I arrived at the Tower - the tide had been coming in for at least 3 hours according to the tide chart - but there was still enough low areas for several shorebirds to rest/eat/preen. The Reddish Egret "Ding" always draws plenty of attention.

The White Pelicans always take my breath away with their size and majestic look.

As I'm watching I see in the corner of my eye something come for a landing - I look and I look again - sure enough it's a.....

Redhead! How about that sighting!

This is not a common duck at Ding Darling - this is a treat and it will go nicely on my new list.

The sun is bright and the view is just fabulous.

Try these on for size - White Pelican versus Brown Pelican.

The Redhead found the Blue-winged Teals and stayed close by.

A preened Pelican is a beautiful Pelican....

well technically their lives depend on it - those feathers are their lively hood - without them they can't be flying or dive for food so it's important to keep those feathers in tiptop shape.

More White Pelicans coming in....

"Oh look guys, Thelma and Louise have arrived".

One big happy family.

The triple notes that I had heard previously had made me think of the Greater Yellowlegs....and sure enough...

here they are - two of them among the Willets...

Look at the size difference between the Yellowleg and the Willet - amazing!

Well, folks, I'd say this was a great start into the New Year - more to come....so many places....so many birds and so little time....I'm already looking forward to tomorrow....stay tuned!       My E-Bird List for Ding Darling Wildlife Drive.