Fort DeSoto with the Caloosa Bird Club

I had been waiting for this trip to take place and as birding goes - I was not disappointed even though the outcome was different than anticipated....take a look, but first grab your sunglasses and sunscreen.

One of our first greater - a Loggerhead Shrike.

At this junction our group had split up in the hopes of finding a reported Groove Billed Ani....

and Bingo! we found it.....I'm in a sorry state that I couldn't picture it properly because he surely deserves a standing ovation.

We were quite delighted - a lifer for many, myself included.

Now the shore is calling....come along

A Northern Gannet was quite a sight...

giving us a free admission to his show

while he swooped and dove into the salty spray.

We then traveled to one end of the park and watched at least 60 Marbled Godwits,

a Whimbrel,

Common Tern, Forster's Tern and

Sandwich Terns

Then we moved to another part and bypassed this beautiful setting

Black Skimmers and Laughing Gulls in breeding plumage.

An Oystercatcher.

More Terns, Gulls, Peeps and Plovers - oh my!

Check out the Red Knots with their reddish belly.

A Common Loon sitting on the beach!

An Oystercatcher sitting on a nest.

The Sunshine Skyway bridge.

On the East Beach of Fort DeSoto we found this Great Horned Owl.

Not too far away we found its nest with ....

two Owlets - how cute is that!

After birding for 5 hours we gathered up and had some lunch while we tallied our birds. Some of the folks were heading to the Murlberry Trees area - sadly we had to bypass because I had to attend a meeting for my Sea Turtle program at dinner time .... soon I will share some of those events as they unfold. Stay tuned. My E-Bird List for Fort DeSoto.