Feature: Fort De Soto Park - Part II

Never make assumptions.

The Long-billed Curlew above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

I'm compelled to include that advice as I think of the words of wisdom given by Felix in the vintage TV show, "The Odd Couple," and my assumption made during my trip to visit Fort De Soto Park.

I had checked into the Hampton Inn on Highway 19 in St. Petersburg which is conveniently located near the park.

The Long-billed Curlew above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

A predawn arrival at Fort De Soto on day two of my three day visit was my plan and therefore was not going to trust the clock on the nightstand to wake me with its alarm.

Since there might be a power failure, I called what I thought was the front desk to request a 5:00am wake up call, but got an automated system instead and made the request.

The Long-billed Curlew above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

The next morning led to no wake up call, but the alarm clock fortunately went off.

Unfortunately the clock was set 75 minutes behind real time which I hadn't noticed earlier having evidently not been adjusted for the change in daylight savings time.

The photographer above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

At this point I could see approaching daylight through the window while able to keep my cool.

Upon arrival at Fort De Soto Park on day two, I first stopped at the Primitive Camping Area.

The Long-billed Curlew with Laughing Gull above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

There were a couple of cars there already, so I was thinking for sure I was late for the birding action.

As I walked under the majestic oaks of the northeastern corner of Madelaine Key I was surprised to see kids lounging about.

The Long-billed Curlew above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

With the camping activity there, I was allowed to pass through as I noted my authorization to visit the camp at the administrative building the day before.

There were no birds seen or heard other than along Pinellas Bayway South and over Tampa Bay which had me hurry to my next destination.

The Long-billed Curlew with Black Skimmer above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Reports of 2011 Spring migratory bird activity at Fort De Soto Park were investigated the week before my arrival at the park and it continued to look pretty grim for sightings as was especially evidenced by my previous day's visit.

Heading further into the park from the Primitive Camp I stopped at the Bay Pier which has ample parking for those that have an interest in taking the ferry to Egmont Key State Park which also has the distinction of being a National Wildlife Refuge.

The well traveled wildlife observer above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

The Bay Pier parking area is also close to the grove of Mulberry trees (a walk along the beach to the east) which ripen in April and have historically been a magnet for migrating birds.

It's noted in the park's website that nearly all of the regularly occurring migratory species have been seen at this location over the years.

The Long-billed Curlew above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

There was no such activity on this day near the renowned "must stop" location.

However, I coincidentally met Joy, from Temple Terrace, near the park ranger's residence whom was one of the ladies I had observed the day before photographing American Oystercatcher at North Beach.

The Long-billed Curlew with Black Skimmer above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Joy told me that she had rented a house in the area for a month to observe the migrant passerine action at Fort De Soto Park which she's found the least productive in the last few years.

As we discussed the possibility that the birds had passed us by this 2011 season, another observer and photographer of the park's wildlife named Paul Cooper visiting from Merritt Island engaged us after his trip further down the beach.

The Willet above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Paul's report was equally as disappointing while a trip to the lagoons at North Beach ensued to observe the shore and wading birds that are otherwise prolific at Fort De Soto Park.

On my way to the lagoons, I stopped very briefly at the beach southeast of the Open Field to observe Red-winged Blackbird, a solitary Great Egret, and a lot of mosquitoes that were not deterred by very breezy conditions.

The Long-billed Curlew above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

It was more than two hours after sunrise by the time I reached the lagoon adjacent to the food concession building.

A welcome visit it was as a Long-billed Curlew was posing for the wildlife photographers already on the scene.

The woodwork above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

There were Black Skimmers among the curlew resulting in my having to change my position a couple of times to allow the best view of the much less common species.

The feeding behavior of the curlew was of my greatest interest with additional shots taken of the species attempting to get an unusual shot of the bird.

The Red-breasted Merganser above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

It was about an hour into observation of the uncommonly seen bird when I got a message from the camera that its memory card was full.

This was not expected as I hadn't had this problem in years and spent the next fifteen minutes attempting to switch the camera over to the CF card.

The Red-breasted Merganser above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

I immediately considered calling Tim Rucci for advice as I have in the past for resolution to technical concerns.

As I knew he was feeling under the weather, I chose to use the cellphone to find a solution to my problem with futility before discovering that I didn't have the CF card in the camera.

The Prairie Warbler above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Off to Best Buy I went acquiring another SD card as they didn't have the CF card I would have preferred.

I returned to Fort De Soto Park in the late afternoon and drove through the St. Christopher Key Campground with sightings of gulls, Common Ground Doves, blackbirds, Northern Cardinals, and an unidentified duck flyover.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

My sole owl sighting was an ornament on a building under construction at the campground's entrance.

I then traveled to the East Beach Turnaround to find a loafing Red-breasted Merganser that wasn't seen the day before.

The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

From there I headed to North Beach Grove which offered my first sighting of a Prairie Warbler.

It was otherwise very quite within the grove while only seeing egrets in the bay.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

With the sun approaching closer to the horizon, I again made my way to the north lagoon at North Beach visited the day before anticipating excellent low tide conditions.

A pair of photographers were immediately seen hunkered down observing a Reddish Egret in prime breeding color, so I was sure to make my way into the lagoon behind them so as not to cause any disturbance.

The wildlife photographer above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

I found my way into a tidal cut in the lagoon that allowed me a low viewing angle of the wildlife which I prefer.

A pair of American Oystercatcher made their way onto the scene minutes after I had commented to the fellow photographers that I had observed the species the day before.

The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

I was told that the oystercatcher is a regular at this place although it's definitely not a guaranteed to be seen species through my observations at different venues adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida.

A juvenile White Ibis was very accommodating in offering its feeding behavior just before Paul Cooper arrived.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Shortly thereafter we walked through the lagoon to the protected nesting site which appeared to me to have been improved ten fold from the day before.

Wilson's Plover was again seen with the help of another wildlife observer.

The wildlife observer above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

It was here that Marina Scarr introduced herself and her friend.

I knew of Marina's work presented at BirdPhotographers.net.

The White Ibis juvenile above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

As the sun set, Paul and I continued to photograph the shorebirds in the waning light of the day.

I had sent my Prairie Warbler image to Vince Lucas for confirmation of the species as I wanted an expert opinion to be sure of my conclusion of what I thought I'd seen.

The Wilson's Plover above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

A near perfect day it was with anticipation of meeting up with Fort Myers birding expert Tom Obrock on day three.

Feature: Fort De Soto Park Part I
Feature: Fort De Soto Park Part III

Feature: Fort De Soto Park - Part I

I first visited Fort De Soto Park in the mid 1980's when living in Tampa at the time.

The Willet above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

I didn't have the slightest interest in wildlife observation then, but I recall the Laughing Gull as a species seen.

Fort De Soto Park is comprised of five interconnected islands south of Tierra Verde, Florida.

The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

It is ripe with a multitude of activities that can be engaged in including sun bathing, swimming, shelling, boating, paddling, camping, bicycling, fishing, also offering self guided tours of the historical fort (closed for rehabilitation on this trip).

Fort De Soto was inhabited by Tocobaga Indians at the time of Spanish exploration of the area in the early 1500's.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

My three day trip to the park granted by my immediate supervisor, Mark Tvaroha, would initially offer the Laughing Gull as the most abundant species seen in the park.

Mark is always entertaining to talk to with the wealth of experience he's had "in the woods."

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

He most recently spoke of his inability to get lost in them even while once attempting to do so.

While I had planned to arrive at Fort De Soto at dawn, I chose to get a good night's rest instead of the two hours I would have otherwise had.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

My first stop was the East Beach Turnaround where I was able to observe sandpipers, plovers, egrets, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, a few Brown Pelican, and terns including a pair of Least Tern seen for the first time this season while hearing them on April 11 in Fort Myers.

This is the first season I feel comfortable identifying the sandpipers in particular which were very difficult for me to distinguish in the infancy of my observation of birds a few years ago.

The fisherman above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

As I've observed many times before, a bird with a fresh catch will often flaunt its quarry in the presence of other species which has consequences that are often extremely interesting to watch.

A gull that had flown in with a fish may have been the same one that was offering the catch as a gesture for the right to mate less than ten minutes later.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Fellow visitors with their dogs put a damper on the ability to observe wildlife further at the East Beach turnaround.

I made a stop at the administrative building and spoke briefly with Mr. Dan to get permission to enter the Primitive Camping Area the next morning.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Mr. Dan told me of the changes to the park due to tidal activity and storms over the years.

He also pointed out the stuffed Roseate Spoonbill that regrettably met its end by getting hit by a car.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

I continued on to North Beach and luckily found a parking space adjacent to the northernmost lagoon.

The Cypress trees there offered no evidence of the anticipated migrant bird species, but I did immediately notice a pair of Mourning Doves seemingly taking refuge from the heavy foot traffic within the park.

The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Red-winged Blackbirds were extremely prolific throughout the park in my initial observations as well.

As I waded my way through the lagoon, I observed four Mallard Ducks flying to the south showing the last evidence of breeding colors in the adult male.

The Red-winged Blackbird above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

The gulls were in great numbers here as well with many of them engaging in their reproductive rituals.

They would be very aggressive toward the half dozen feeding White Ibis as sunset approached.

The Mallard above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

I was compelled to explore this area thoroughly as I had not visited it before.

My approach was to stay close to the mangrove lined edge of the lagoon in hopes of seeing or at least hearing new species of bird not observed before.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

A Magnificent Frigatebird was seen at its predictably high altitude.

At the northwest end of the lagoon I saw man-made evidence of the breeding season with a nest protected by stakes and tape.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

This protected area seemed to at the time benefit Wilson's Plover with a pair of them seen adjacent to it.

The plovers were seen very briefly before I started wading back through the lagoon.

The scene above above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

A few photographers were seen in the distance to the east observing a pair of American Oystercatcher.

Black Skimmers appeared much later at the lagoon and made their trademark flyby while skimming the water as they headed in the direction of the gulf.

The Wilson's Plover above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Most other commonly seen wading and shore birds were observed at least briefly in and around the lagoon.

Although it wasn't planned, it was my great fortune to have a late day low tide that allowed me to observe the wildlife from within the north lagoon as birds were attracted to the ideal feeding conditions.

The scene above above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

As I was photographing the birds as low to the water's surface as was comfortable while remaining mobile, the crabs often found me and nipped at my legs causing occasional distractions.

There were numerous passers by whom often wielded cameras that would document their wildlife sightings.

The scene above above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

While the light of the day seemed to be rapidly diminishing, I made my way to my next vantage point which was just north of the Gulf Pier.

I was immediately captivated by a photographer in really good late day light though looking into it.

The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

My study of her and her subject lasted for a half dozen images with a favorite created among them in all the photographs that I've ever taken.

In the next seconds I would take an image of a couple when the man approached me to mention his disdain and that I should have asked his permission to photograph him.

The scene above above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

He would introduce himself as Lee Hawkins and questioned me if I knew the name Ansel Adams while his wife Deb was capturing a video of the sunset.

The charitable endeavors of the Hawkins' were discussed briefly though certainly a major accomplishment for them.

The scene above above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Lee and Deb told me of one of their friends photographing scenery and wildlife in Alaska at the time of the 9-11 terrorist event and I immediately thought of my friend Tim Rucci whom was there at the time as well.

The full moon rising was quite impressive to observe after the sunset minutes before.

The sunset above was photographed at Fort De Soto Park in April 2011.

Feature: Fort De Soto Park Part II
Feature: Fort De Soto Park Part III

Wood Duck At Six Mile Cypress Preserve

It's approaching the peak for migratory birds making their way back to the place they will spend the summer, breed and rear their young.

The Anhinga above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

I had considered making a trip this week to a far away place (one of many) on the Great Florida Birding Trail known to offer a spectacle of this event.

There are a few wildlife venues that are known to be magnets for fallouts of migratory species.

The Carolina Wren above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

I have squandered opportunities to observe these migrants returning from the tropics in years past and have decided to make them a primary focus this year.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve was chosen for its proximity to home and simply that it's one of the best wildlife destinations in the immediate Fort Myers area that I know of.

The spider web above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

I arrived at the preserve after the drive wondering why the snow birds have wanted to leave the area so prematurely with unfavorable weather still lingering up north.

The traffic on the local highways has been thinning quite substantially though Boston driving tactics are still seen daily and are to be very wary of.

The spider above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

There was no bird activity near the parking area of the preserve nor in the Cypress trees at the entrance to the boardwalk that I found unfortunate.

I chose to walk the boardwalk the "wrong way" and visited the photo blind at Pop Ash Pond first to find a solitary Anhinga drying itself after an early morning dip.

The Florida softshell turtle above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

At Otter Pond a few turtles were seen before I headed to my favorite observation spot at Six Mile Cypress which is Marker 19 near Wood Duck Pond.

A bird strafed a squirrel which I speculate might have been a Merlin that was a highlight of my time at Marker 19.

The Carolina Wren above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

I heard the Red-belied Woodpecker for an hour before it finally came into view high in the treetops.

The Carolina Wren was the most visible bird species on my visit to the park and offered better opportunities to photograph the species than I've had before.

The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

With the lack of the expected photo ops at Marker 19, I moved on and was at the amphitheater on my way out of the preserve when I was asked by a fellow visitor if I had seen the Wood Ducks.

I was almost incredulous as it's a species I had never observed before which I had considered making an hours long drive to see in the past.

The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

Needless to say, I was back into the preserve at the point that I was given directions to where the ducks had been seen, but no ducks.

It was at that point that I met Arne Haryn to learn that he had earlier seen the ducks as well.

The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

He led me to the point he had seen them a few hundred feet south along the boardwalk where he again found the ducks practically under it.

It was a thrill for me to observe the Wood Ducks for about an hour as they worked their way around the ancient Cypress tree stumps in the preserve at Otter Pond.

The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

The ducks were an apparent mated pair though no juveniles were present.

Another visitor noted his observation of a Water Moccasin seen closer to Wood Duck Pond.

Arne Haryn (at right) above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

Arne was very especially interested in that and led the way to the snake that was found in the area as described.

It was interesting to hear Arne tell of his visits to the slough decades ago before the boardwalk was constructed.

The Wood Duck above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

He told me that he was a scout for a wildlife photographer friend of his at that time.

An offspring of the snake was seen very well camouflaged with the adult after further observation by yet another visitor to the preserve.

The Water Moccasin above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

I wielded the camera hand held in an effort to capture the adult snake in an image unsuccessfully before Arne offered me use of his shoulder which was neat to get the angle needed, but couldn't find the snake because of my inability to keep the gear steady enough.

A "Hail Mary" was made as I climbed the rails of the boardwalk to get an even better view to find that the grace of modern technology in image stabilization allowed an in focus shot of the serpent.

The Carolina Wren above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

Back at Wood Duck Pond a third Wood Duck observed flew across the pond toward Marker 19 where I was sure I've seen the Wood Duck before while this species is not normally tolerant of spectators.

Exiting the preserve, Arne pointed out the egrets that were nesting across Gator Lake.

The dragonfly above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

Arne specializes in his observations of the micro world allowing people to look through his spotting scope honed in on a wildlife subject he has an interest in while noting that he often looks for a shadow on a leaf.

A follow up visit to Six Mile Cypress Preserve this week was made in an attempt to observe the Wood Duck again.

The Little Blue Heron juvenile above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.

No luck there, but did see the Black-and-white Warbler that I had missed on my previous visit.

The Least Tern's arrival from South America was observed audibly on April 11th near my residence for the first time this year.

The Black-and-white Warbler above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in April 2011.