Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part I

Little Estero Lagoon unquestionably remains one of my favorite wildlife venues in the southwest Florida area.


The 1st summer Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.

Images presented in this article were captured on the afternoon of 13 July 2012 and the morning of 14 July 2012. This magnificent beach venue is offering observation opportunity of the abundant and diverse wildlife that has overcome the destructive wrath of Tropical Storm Debby. Wading birds are of course the most obvious inhabitants, as predators and prey ply their trade for survival. The nesting of terns and plovers at Little Estero Lagoon has been commonplace in my more distant past observations with these species dwindling to very few numbers since the storm. The extraordinary nesting of a pair of American Oystercatcher has captivated my attention for documentation of this rare event. Both adults have shared the responsibility for the incubation of a solitary egg laid. Close observation of the iris in the eyes of the oystercatchers led to my ability to differentiate the adult male from the female. A female oystercatcher is thought to commonly have a distortion of the iris which is an interesting anatomical detail believed to occur in a limited number of other aves species.


The 1st summer Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Snowy Egret juvenile above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron juvenile above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron juvenile above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron juvenile above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Willet above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey with prey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher, very quick to sit on the egg when it began to rain, above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Wilson's Plover above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The scene above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The sunset above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The White Ibis above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The 1st summer Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher with Willet above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.

Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part II.
Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part III.
Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part IV.