SW FLA UPDATE - 11/28

[Michael Pancier]

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]

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.



cheers
wembley

[Michael Pancier]

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]

here are the skimmers as seen from Bunche Beach

[Fabs Forns]

Thanks, Mike, glad you had a great time!

[Bob Pelkey]

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

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.