Little Estero Island - Critical Wildlife Area

Moving on with my June Challenge - I got up early and drove to the southern part of Fort Myers Beach to visit the Critical Wildlife Area and observe the active nests.

This is looking like a promising day - don't you think?

A Roseate Spoonbill with a Reddish Egret.

Reddish Egret with Short-billed Dowitchers.

Marching on.....

and you turn yourself around

In the foreground Semi-palmated Plovers, mid way are the Dowitchers and in the background the Black Skimmers are seen nesting in the protected area.

A Black Skimmer pow-wow

Here's a mate offering a fresh fish.

A juvenile Least Tern

A Least Tern with a chick

A Least Tern fishing to feed its chick

Chick with parent, patiently waiting for fish

In the back pond, I found the White Morph of the Reddish Egret - the behavior doesn't lie.

There's nothing like a good fluff

Fort Myers Beach also has its own turtle protection program - though I was surprised to see such a large enclosure....

I do like their sign though - very educational.

Black Skimmer in flight - it just takes your breath away to see it skim across the water

Here, I am, thinking to myself....there's nothing like getting up early in the morning and experience such peaceful moments.

A Least Tern chick with its own fish - freshly delivered by the parent.

A few Terns started to arrive as I set out to leave

And this, folks, is where I've been - another great birding day.

 

My E-Bird List for today  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18882239

Birding across Lee Co.

It is down to the wire with just one week to go on the June Challenge. This challenge takes place every year and it acts as an incentive to get out and bird on the slowest month of the year. I had set myself up with a goal of finding 100 species - and today I reached 79 .... I have a feeling that it's going to be a challenge to find the next 21.

Anyway, today I started with Harn's Marsh - a lovely place to be, especially first thing in the morning.

The Limpkins could be seen and heard - they are fun to listen to.

Harn's Marsh is lush and green - a result of the recent rains that we've had lately.

What have we got here? White Pelicans?? They must have missed the memo somehow, either that or they were too young for the trip north.

The plumage is an indicator of its age.

The lovely Woodstorks.

There's even a coot in the background - who knew?? - those Coots which are so abundant during the fall/winter/spring months, can hardly be found in June.

The Red-winged Blackbird - so striking yet so difficult for me to capture with its bright red showing off.

Vultures - Black and Turkey - one big happy family.

Anhinga showing off his wings behind the Black Vulture .... "Look what I can do!"

Glossy Ibis

The Sandhill Cranes stayed far, far away ..... I love these guys.

More Limpkins before we took off for our next location.

We drove to Corkscrew Road and found a trail off the beaten path - this Crawfish acted as if he owned the place.....then again....maybe he does.

He showed us how big his claws were, then disappeared in the muck.

Then I found it .... The Brown-headed Nuthatch.

The funny thing is that this little guy sounds like a squeaky toy such as a rubber ducky .... too cute.

Quite the acrobats they are.

Several hours had elapsed since sunrise and the heat is intensifying....time to call it a day.