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View Full Version : SW FLA UPDATE - 11/28



Michael Pancier
11-28-2009, 06:58 PM
Ok Folks...just got back from two days from SW FLA.

Bunche Beach - action in the am and pm. Early am yesterday, tons of shorebirds, terns (sandwich and royal) gulls, 1 reddish egret, and literally thousands of skimmers visible off shore on the sandbars flying in swarms. Late pm, some spoons and 1 avocet among the peeps and other shorebirds. This really seems to be the happening location right now.

Estero Lagoon - yesterday pm, lots of peeps; a few oystercatchers (I missed them), lots of ibis, egrets, pelicans; the reddish egret; marbled godwit; this am; a pair of American avocets in winter plumage; the reddish egret; tons of peeps and pelicans; and the regular crowd of ibis, herons (tri and little blue) and white birds.

Ding Darling - this am -- lots of spoon activity at the 1st pond; mainly flybys into the trees; saw one in the pond; a few reddish egrets; lots of peeps (sandpipers; willets; lesser yellowlegs; etc.) at least 50 white pelicans; osprey all over the place; 1 yellow crowned night heron; and lots of spoon fly bys just north of the tower at the 2nd large pond. I also saw there lots of brown pelicans; 2 reddish egrets; and peeps/shorebirds; just north of there at the small boardwalk on the right, 3-5 spoons in the trees. They were there as late as 10am.

Sanibel Pier -- lots of osprey fishing; regular crowd of gulls; terns (sandwich and least terns); pelicans; snowies; some shorebirds mid afternoon.

Alligator Alley in Big Cypress had tons of birds; white birds; GBH; storks; hawks and osprey.

Perhaps we will have a productive year for a change ...

Gavin Spooner
11-28-2009, 08:51 PM
Ok Folks...just got back from two days from SW FLA.

Bunche Beach - action in the am and pm. Early am yesterday, tons of shorebirds, terns (sandwich and royal) gulls, 1 reddish egret, and literally thousands of skimmers visible off shore on the sandbars flying in swarms. Late pm, some spoons and 1 avocet among the peeps and other shorebirds. This really seems to be the happening location right now.

Estero Lagoon - yesterday pm, lots of peeps; a few oystercatchers (I missed them), lots of ibis, egrets, pelicans; the reddish egret; marbled godwit; this am; a pair of American avocets in winter plumage; the reddish egret; tons of peeps and pelicans; and the regular crowd of ibis, herons (tri and little blue) and white birds.

Ding Darling - this am -- lots of spoon activity at the 1st pond; mainly flybys into the trees; saw one in the pond; a few reddish egrets; lots of peeps (sandpipers; willets; lesser yellowlegs; etc.) at least 50 white pelicans; osprey all over the place; 1 yellow crowned night heron; and lots of spoon fly bys just north of the tower at the 2nd large pond. I also saw there lots of brown pelicans; 2 reddish egrets; and peeps/shorebirds; just north of there at the small boardwalk on the right, 3-5 spoons in the trees. They were there as late as 10am.

Sanibel Pier -- lots of osprey fishing; regular crowd of gulls; terns (sandwich and least terns); pelicans; snowies; some shorebirds mid afternoon.

Alligator Alley in Big Cypress had tons of birds; white birds; GBH; storks; hawks and osprey.

Perhaps we will have a productive year for a change ...

Michael:

Good meeting you at LEL yesterday. Wish I'd seen the Avocets. looks like you had a productive and hectic couple of days. thanks for the info.

Here's one of the Oystercatchers that you missed.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j_UKapWIQ2w/SxCT-_ESSAI/AAAAAAAAF9k/KQ3PXdy4I8Q/s800/DSC_3580.jpg

cheers
wembley

Michael Pancier
11-28-2009, 09:27 PM
I got lucky with the avocets. They hung around 10 minutes in the big lagoon area before they took off. Great seeing you yesterday.

Michael Pancier
11-28-2009, 09:34 PM
here are the skimmers as seen from Bunche Beach

Fabs Forns
11-28-2009, 10:47 PM
Thanks, Mike, glad you had a great time!

Bob Pelkey
01-07-2010, 08:44 PM
You covered a lot of territory in two days, Michael. Bunche Beach happens to be one of my local and favorite venues to visit for birding. I have created a gallery of images taken within it which can be seen here . . .
http://www.pbase.com/jkrnm5/san_carlos_bay_bunche_beach_preserve (http://www.pbase.com/jkrnm5/san_carlos_bay_bunche_beach_preserve)

I considered a visit to the preserve today, but it was too cold especially considering that I have to go in the water when visiting the beach.

http://www.pbase.com/image/120892645/original.jpg