Bunche Beach Booty

When I saw my work schedule this week with two rare days off in a row, I immediately checked tide tables when I had the chance.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

A trip to Bunche Beach Preserve, let alone a pair of them this week, I was certain were long overdue.

Low tides around sunrise were too much of a temptation to consider traveling elsewhere with the chance to observe the best of shorebird action in the area.

The Western Sandpiper with Great Blue Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

The low tides at Ding Darling NWR would be good closer to noon and considered the very early morning light better for bird photography this week at Bunche Beach Preserve.

Upon exiting the car on the first day at Bunche Beach, there were biting gnats which a fellow observer of the preserve questioned me about.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

My recommendation beyond perseverance was deet and a long sleeved shirt which was my choice unnecessarily on day two.

There was a breeze from the east on both days with it much stronger on the second day when it would allow for photography of a nearly still Osprey flying over the west channel.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

The vegetation along the shoreline often offers a wind break that may have the air completely still with whitecaps visible in the bay.

I chose to head toward the west during both treks at the preserve which allows easy access across the channel that has become popular with watercraft of different sorts since the opening of the small boat launch dedicated earlier in the summer.

The fisherman above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

I met a fellow wildlife observer named Bird whom told me I would laugh after asking her name.

She told me of her sighting of 20 Roseate Spoonbill on the far side of the west channel that would be disturbed and take flight due to disturbance by the fisherman that passed us.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

Both walks from the parking area were very leisurely and offered opportunity to settle down and observe the prolific wildlife.

I didn't see the American Avocet that Tom Obrock had reported earlier in the week nor the Bald Eagle which is a species I'd consider infrequently seen at Bunche Beach Preserve.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

Virtually every other species of bird one might expect to see at this time of year and more was encountered.

The highlight of day one was the sighting of a new species of bird which I was very fortunate to photograph as it flew in a small group to the east.

The Western Sandpiper with Least Sandpiper above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

I believe the species to be Northern Shoveler after looking closely at the birds in the images taken and comparing them in my Sibley guide.

It was at this time that I pondered whether a camera with higher magnification or megapixel capacity would better serve a heavy crop to hone in on what was observed.

The Northern Shoveler above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

The smaller shorebirds birds remained my focus on day one and were interesting to watch and attempt to photograph in flight for the most part unsuccessfully.

It is these birds that I have had the greatest challenge in identifying in the infancy of my bird observations.

The Northern Shoveler above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

It's extremely important to be particularly attentive to the characteristics of the birds you're observing to readily identify them.

The size of the bird remains very important as does the shape of the beak and color of the legs in particular which helps to identify what you've observed.

The Semipalmated Plover above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

Be sure to remember these characteristics if you are not able to take a picture and are unsure of the species so you can later be confident in what you've seen.

It was tremendous fun to capture the birds through images which offer a documentation of what's happening at one of my favorite wildlife venues.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

The birds are sometimes difficult for me to positively identify until I see them again on the computer monitor as the seasonal variation in a smaller bird's appearance with juveniles often in the mix occur this time of year.

Day two at Bunche Beach Preserve offered another very enjoyable morning that would end up tallying about 11 hours of observation time and 2222 images captured during my visits.

The Least Sandpiper with Western Sandpiper above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

I'm still not taking advantage of continuous shooting which would potentially offer an exceptionally good shot of a bird in flight or other action.

This is not a feature I would consider highly when looking at a new camera purchase.

The Piping Plover above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

Photographing wildlife in JPEG still remains my preference with no regrets.

If I had shot my images in RAW format, I would be put in the situation of having to delete images taken to conserve computer memory which I don't like to do.

The Sanderling above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

You won't see many images here that are out of focus unless the effort is made to present something for documentation alone.

The greatest challenge I've been attempting to master is the control of light in an image with the camera's exposure bias setting.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

Although I try to always have the light source behind me, if it's not or when capturing images under a variety of other circumstances outdoors, manipulation of the camera's settings before the shot is sometimes required and recommended.

A lot of trial and error through the adjustment of exposure bias between -2 and +2 has offered improved image quality under extreme situations.

The Piping Plover above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

I've got my share of thousands of significantly over and under exposed images.

I'm intrigued by photographers that don't manipulate the exposure bias, but significantly adjust their camera's white balance which often produces stunning results.

The Little Blue Heron juvenile above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

As I discovered some time ago, a simple camera setting change from aperture to shutter would help create a blur of a helicopter's blades (or bird's motion) which I failed to utilize as a helicopter operated by the South Florida Water Management District passed overhead.

I can't wait to study and potentially benefit from Artie Morris' Guide to Digital Basics ordered this week.

The Willet above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

As I've mentioned in this blog before, I often will settle down in one spot and wait for the wildlife to come to me.

Such was the case at Bunche Beach this week where I made a handful of locations along the beach and in San Carlos Bay my observation points.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

On day two, one memorable spot was just east of the west channel about 175 yards from shore.

It was here that I had numerous shore birds walk by me closer than the camera's lens could focus.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

It's quite exhilarating to have that happen with even the larger wading birds doing the same.

I'm curious to know if this happens elsewhere around the country in the wild.

The Little Blue Heron juvenile with White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

A very rare sighting for me on day two was that of the Magnificent Frigatebird which was especially thrilling as the plumage of the bird was different than I've seen before.

The photographs of this bird had to be taken at a very high exposure bias to prevent the bird from appearing as silhouette.

The Magnificent Frigatebird juvenile above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

The best setting was something of a guess based on prior experience shooting under such circumstances.

While observing a large flock of Black Skimmers and predominantly Sandwich Terns still somewhat distant from me, I would observe them take flight a number of times remaining unsure as to what spooked them if anything at all.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

During this time I was pleased to see very active local birder, Hawkeye (Vince McGrath), who was making his way through the bay and along the shoreline documenting his sightings.

I regrettably did not speak with him and was disappointed not to see Tom Obrock nor Wes Dirks who frequent the preserve as well.

The Little Blue Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

I very much regret not attending Vince's 2010 Hawk Watch from Sanibel Lighthouse which occurred at an inopportune time for me.

As Vince was in the area, I had a thought which might be helpful in future observations.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

It's possible that an unusual or rare species might be in the presence of a few hundred or many many more relatively common birds.

What I've found intriguing is that when a large flock of birds take flight, such was the case with the skimmers, a handful of birds remain undisturbed.

Vince McGrath above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

This might be the event that helps to see the proverbial needle in the haystack.

With the skimmers leaving the birds behind that they did, I didn't see anything beyond the more commonplace, but noted how few and far between the Royal Terns were which I've seen in much greater numbers in Winter months at Lovers Key State Park.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

I took a lot of photographs of the skimmers in flight which may ultimately reveal something unusual.

It was a treat to see a Royal Tern proudly fly by with its quarry with thought of a lone American Oystercatcher in the midst of the large mass of birds the day before.

The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

I failed to observe how the Royal Tern captured its meal which would be a similar focus of study at a different spot I settled down at closer to the shoreline.

It was a little unnerving to have hundreds of Fiddler Crabs crawling around me, but they offered food for a Willet, a Black-bellied Plover, and a Wilson's Plover that I observed.

The Royal Tern above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

In this same area the day before, I was able to observe the feeding behavior of a juvenile Little Blue Heron that was seen to be aggressive toward White Ibis in its company.

The heron would settle for the ibis' scraps as the White Ibis at one point acquired a large crab with possibly the less experienced of its kind following in tow looking for an easy meal.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

Another highlight of observations was an Osprey that would carry a small branch from the west channel's shore about 50 feet in the air and drop it for an unknown reason.

This represents signs of Osprey mating behavior with the next generation to appear in about 12-15 weeks.

The Turkey Vulture above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

An Osprey offered me an opportunity to see it feed on the ground (surrounded by water) which I considered very unusual, while it appeared the bird may have simply needed to get a better grip on its prey before flying to a branch on shore.

One can't help but visit Bunche Beach Preserve and feel immensely rewarded no matter the time of day or year.

The Osprey above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

Be sure to have a degree of patience at times and be prepared for a first encountered sighting!

I'm looking forward to a future visit when I will be settling down at a spot discovered at Bunche Beach Preserve with the likelihood of warbler action in the appropriate months.

The Wilson's Plover above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

If anyone would like to know the place, just ask.

Be prepared to get your feet wet with flash highly recommended.

The Western Sandpiper above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2010.

First Sighting

While approaching my fourth year in observing and photographing birds, I realize what a monumental task that remains before me having set a goal to document all the birds that either live in or migrate through the state of Florida.

The Eastern Phoebe above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

As an amateur participant in the popular pastime of birding, is is quite exhilarating to encounter a species not seen before.

Such was the case this past week exploring Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

I had arrived at Wood Duck Pond (where I've yet to see a Wood Duck) and patiently waited with a view over the shallow water with a good view of a low lying branch which I always thought would favor a bird to perch upon.

Sure enough, a first sighting of Eastern Phoebe very accommodatingly landed on the branch which allowed for a single photograph of the bird before it disappeared from view.

The Green Heron above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

I also devoted a lot of time at Otter Pond observing a small family of Green Heron with one of the birds giving me the impression that it wanted to regurgitate a meal, though it never did.

It was at this spot that I had eye candy views of Belted Kingfisher which were as close as five feet to the observation deck.

The Eastern Phoebe above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

With little other action happening at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve on the morning of my visit, it was great to meet the director of the world's largest sea cave, Rick Reece, and his dad, Dick Reece.

While Rick confirmed my first sighting as Eastern Phoebe on his iphone, I couldn't help but notice the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Volunteer baseball cap Dick was wearing.

The feral pig above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

Dick was a great storyteller and it was unfortunate that he and his son were pressed for time and needed to move on.

I wasn't aware of the destructive and dangerous nature of wild pigs in the United States until investigating the National Geographic story that may be read here.

Eve Of Ding Darling Days 2010

Two visits to J.N. "ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge this week offered distinct observation opportunities made on the eve of Ding Darling Days 2010.

The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

I weighed early morning light of more importance than low tides that occurred near midday in planning my visits.

The picture perfect weather on the morning of the first visit led to an initial sighting of a solitary Great Blue Heron in the company of a pair of Wood Storks while grebes flew along the shoreline into the mangroves before I could get out of the car.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

Double-crested Cormorants were abundant and offered entertaining views of their feeding behavior.

I couldn't help but be captivated by the extraordinary activity and great numbers of fish jumping from the water.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

A solitary Roseate Spoonbill made a flyby while a Bald Eagle and an Osprey flew together across the sky.

Laughing gulls were the most abundant species seen on the first day.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

It was interesting to observe the gulls feed for themselves while dining on shrimp.

Once a gull found its quarry, it was of course expected to be and was harassed by others of its kind.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

A Little Blue Heron was observed to capture shrimp as well as the bird flew from its mangrove perch several times very gracefully.

The fish and shrimp had a sense of presence of a bird flying near the water's surface and would make defensive maneuvers effectively.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

A pair of Belted Kingfisher consumed the lion's share of my observations on the first day as they remained relatively close to me for some time.

A pair of kingfishers were at one point in a dispute of territory with one bird driven from the area.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

From either side of Wildlife Drive, the feeding behavior of the kingfisher was observed as the birds would hover about 35 feet above the water's surface for over five seconds before a dive to find its prey.

The kingfishers were simply too fast for me to get an appealing photograph which I've been practicing to get since my initial observations of terns that have similar behavior at nearby beaches.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

From a much greater distance I was able to observe a Belted Kingfisher that was perched on a low lying branch while it made numerous dives into the water.

I concluded the kingfisher was merely making an attempt to cleanse itself as it never came up with food although preened itself on each return to the branch.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

The early morning weather forecast heard on the radio was ominous calling for rain south of the Caloosahatchee River on day two.

Although the sky was overcast for much of the morning offering a much different lighting opportunity for photography, precipitation was fortunately never a threat.

The Bald Eagle with Osprey above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

It was on this day that I found a more rewarding experience that would unfold through my five hour single trip through the wildlife refuge.

On both visits however, the swarming and biting sand gnats were almost unbearable as a breeze was barely noticeable from the east with repellent almost more of a nuisance than the insects themselves.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

The view toward the west at water control structure 2 (WC2) on the second day offered a surprisingly larger number of wading birds with the water level higher at sunrise.

The Wood Storks I had seen the day before were not initially present, but flew in shortly after my arrival.

The Osprey above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

It was about this time that the weeds on the side of the roadway were being mowed along the entire length of Wildlife Drive.

The dust kicked up and slowly working its way across the water toward the birds I was photographing was less of a concern than stones thrown that might do some damage.

The Great Egret with Reddish Egret above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

At one point along the drive, it was evident the groundskeeper had found a Mourning Dove carcass which had its feathers scattered over a large area where the prey had met its doom.

As I made my way through the refuge, a stop at WC4 near the north access to Indigo Trail offered a sighting of a juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron on a sign post.

The Great Egret above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

A fellow wildlife photographer had approached me to ask if the bird seen was a Limpkin which I was sure there was no chance of at all based on my observations of the species in the past although the Limpkin has been sighted as a rarity at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge.

In this same area I would observe a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker for the first time.

The scene above above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

While savoring my new sighting, fellow visitors to the refuge stopped to see what had interested me.

My initial reason for stopping at this point along the drive was the sighting of a Red-shouldered Hawk which was followed by Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Palm Warbler, Gray Catbird, and then the sought after Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

The Pileated Woodpecker, cardinal, and Gray Catbirds were observed to eat berries in the trees.

As Ovenbirds advanced ahead of me along Wildlife Drive, I chose to make my first stop at Shell Mound Trail.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

I encountered a number of "Rovers," or volunteers at the refuge that engage visitors of Ding Darling very well.

The first of whom approached me to tell me that the identification of birds is left to "these guys" as she held the eastern edition of Sibley's Guide to Birds.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

Shell Mound regrettably can't be seen clearly due to the overgrown mangroves and other trees on and around it.

I met Rovers Ann and Bill Wollslager whom between them have over 7500 volunteer hours at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge while on the 1/3 mile Shell Mound Trail.

The Palm Warbler above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

I was settled down for IBB, or itty bitty bird action, which I first heard coined by Paul E. Allen at Eagle Lakes Regional Park in nearby Naples.

Gumbo Limbo trees that are very evident in this area of the refuge are most appreciated for their form.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

Ann had told me of Ed Combs' approach towards us along the boardwalk speaking very highly of his skills.

Ed had made his expertise of wildlife observation known without question telling me of birds present deeper in the woods that I had not seen nor heard.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

While speaking with him briefly, he identified a White-eyed Vireo above us that I would have great difficulty in identifying with my limited experience and inability to photograph the subject directly overhead.

Ed had informed me that my sighting of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was the first documented at the refuge for the fall 2010 season and also told me that he had acquired his interest in birding at the age of five.

The Gray Catbird above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

I was amazed that he was able to identify the sapsucker as a 1st year female from my display on the camera.

In attempting to confirm the names of all the great Rovers I had met on my second visit of the week, it was a surprise coincidence to have Karen, working the visitor center, claim Ed as her husband.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in October 2010.

Ding Darling Days 2010 will unquestionably be enjoyed by all of its participants with visitors to the refuge doing the same in the future.