Air Travel At Bunche Beach

Inclement weather virtually all day during what I thought was my only opportunity to photograph some new wildlife material for the blog this first week of Fall scuttled hopes that I'd have something fresh to write about.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

With thanks to my supervisor, Mark Tvaroha, allowing me to leave work an hour early on a succeeding day led to my arrival at the beach two hours before sunset.

Mark has been telling me of his successful video capture of the micro world with his recently acquired video camera.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I'm still unsure the value of video capability of DSLR cameras considering if video were my interest over photography, I'd be using a video camera.

Thunderstorm activity in the area made its way through in the late morning and early afternoon this day.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I primarily chose Bunche Beach Preserve as my destination with the tide receding a few hours from its high earlier.

I also hadn't been to Bunche in the evening in a long while.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Upon my approach to the Preserve while traveling Summerlin Road, the clouds to the west were incredibly captivating.

The clouds reminded me of images I've seen of majestic snow covered mountains at relatively close range.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I was so entranced that I had to force my attention back on the road.

The tide would turn higher at about the time of my departure from the Preserve which was a minor disappointment.

The primarily Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

A change of tide from its low is best seen in San Carlos Bay a couple of hours before sunset.

Wading birds will take best advantage of this situation with their prey brought back onto the flats after those fish unlucky enough to have been caught in the pools were consumed.

The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

The Reddish Egret in particular puts on an especially entertaining show as it feeds.

Black Skimmers were congregated in a few different groups in the bay and became most active at sunset when they were most impressive in a number I'd guess well over 500 individual birds.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Prior to that observation I had in sight and sound of me virtually all the species seen in my previous report minus Wood Storks.

Immature skimmers were very abundant while one showed that it had yet to perfect the skill of flight as it crash landed and caused a pile up.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

An additional species seen this visit was a Belted Kingfisher that was extremely vocal unlike I have heard before with the bird apparently not taking a breath for several minutes.

It was actually quite annoying to hear while there was no apparent threat to the bird.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I had never heard this species vocal before when perched, but very often so while in flight.

A particular surprise this week was an Osprey that landed in the water closer to me than I ever dared approach previously under similar circumstances as I thought the bird might take flight.

The Royal Tern above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I devoted a lot of time observing it with hopes that it would put on a good bathing show which it failed to do.

At the time of my arrival to the Preserve there was a fairly good wind from the west which is always favorable to photograph birds in flight.

The Osprey above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I devoted the majority of my time attempting to capture everything that would fly by me.

I had many more failures than successes as the lens often doesn't focus on the subjects quickly enough if I have a delay in observing what's coming at me.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

This problem may in part be attributable using a 1.4x extender that reduces the number of automatic focus capable points in the camera.

Particularly challenging for this effort were the peeps which are able to move not so much faster than their relatives of significantly larger size in many cases, but are comparatively miniscule in size.

The Sandwich Tern above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

It was a treat to see the American Oystercatcher make a flyby again with prey.

A Royal Tern made its characteristic flyby with prey in its beak as it called seemingly to flaunt it.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

The species that flew by me in greatest numbers was Willet which is incredibly attractive with its flashy appearance.

The fifteen or so Marbled Godwit seen are always particularly beautiful in flight as well.

The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

There was a mere solitary Roseate Spoonbill in the immediate area feeding in the water while seven more were seen to fly overhead from the west.

An overheard comment made by one of the fishermen within earshot was that the birds were helping them capture fish in their cast nets.

The scene above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

With a need to leave the Preserve earlier than I would have liked, the skimmers were enjoyable to watch from the parking area against one of the most remarkable evening skies I have seen in a long while.

With the air very still at this point, the biting insects were noticeable, but not voracious as experienced in the past.

The sunset above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

A cool down of ten degrees is taking place this first week of October.

Late Summer At Little Estero Lagoon

A change in the weather pattern which disrupted regular afternoon thunderstorms several weeks ago led to drier conditions which I fear to not bode well for the area this winter.

The Willet above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

A tropical storm or two before the end of the hurricane season would be beneficial to the wildlife.

With good fortune thunderstorms returned this last week of summer offering some relief.

The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

While making a late afternoon visit to Little Estero Lagoon, I was caught in a storm that rolled in slower than most.

The rain became persistent as lightning was distant over the Gulf of Mexico.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

Before the loss of better conditions I was able to observe some interesting birds working the shoreline.

I chose to stay close to the southern edge of the lagoon as there was a lot of activity.

The Semipalmated Plover above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

There were a half dozen Willets that had a dominant individual that frequently drove others of its kind from its hunting area.

The always present White Ibis patrolled the surf with abandon.

The Willet above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

Upwards of a dozen Ruddy Turnstone made their way through the area I was observing, the most of this species I had yet to see at one time.

A pair of Sanderling worked the vegetation that is succumbing to the tidal waves over time.

The Sanderling above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

Within the lagoon were observed about 15 Great Egrets and several Roseate Spoonbill which kept their distance.

A Tricolored Heron and Reddish Egret posed well, but I chose to focus my attention toward the gulf.

The Brown Pelican with Laughing Gull above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

A lone Royal Tern flew by among many Sandwich Terns with Brown Pelican in greater numbers than I've seen in a long while.

Numerous Laughing Gull were predictably in the wake of the pelicans at their every move.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

Several Osprey flew by though none had prey nor were observed diving for it.

There were about 40 Black Skimmer that flew from the south in all with one flock about half that number in size.

The Forster's Tern above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

A lone Belted Kingfisher made its unmistakable call as it flew overhead extremely quickly.

My footprint with its relatively short observation time didn't lead to an unusual sighting.

The Sandwich Tern above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

After the rain began, it was relentless with the lightning approaching too close for comfort as I chose to call it a day much earlier than I would have liked.

I was nonetheless offered the treat of observing local wildlife in its normal routine that was occasionally action packed.

The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in September 2011.

The additions to the perch I made in the lagoon last month were regrettably washed out to sea with the tides.

Bunche Beach Fall Migration Bonanza

Those of you that have been following this blog for a while know that Bunche Beach is one of my favorite wildlife venues.

The moonset above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

The Preserve allows for some of the best shore and wading birding opportunities in the area.

I have come to favor the west channel which can be crossed at a higher tide more readily than that at the east while carrying photo gear as long as you're extremely careful.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I've crossed the west channel many times with it on occasion having a forceful water flow at both a receding and incoming tide.

The east channel is much deeper which allows boats to navigate into the estuary.

The Wood Stork with Mottled Duck above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

A trek toward the west at a low tide allows a more expansive view of exposed mud flats which particularly attract a bonanza of shorebirds, wading birds, birds of prey and waterfowl.

I often strike out on the latter, save Mottled Duck, after reading Tom Obrock's wildlife blog sometimes weeks behind his reporting.

The Black-belied Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

My trip to Bunche Beach Preserve this week was one of the most rewarding considering the time of year.

I arrived early and was at the west channel before first glimpse of the sunrise.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

A full moon was quickly approaching the horizon to set over Sanibel Island

After my last post highlighting the Preserve, I heard from Gayle Sheets where she advised me that daily walks are made along the beach to determine if any sea turtles had laid eggs overnight from May through October.

The Wilson's Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Fellow visitors to the Preserve had arrived especially early and were again observed with yellow flags in hand that led me to believe they were part of the corps that makes this diligent effort.

I've yet to see evidence of turtle activity on the beach thus far.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

If I were to come across a nest at Bunche, I would very much hope it would be relocated.

There are lights from buildings along Bowditch Point that might lead hatchlings inland although an opportune receding tide might sweep them right into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Just prior to sunrise, in the company of about fifteen Roseate Spoonbill, egrets, herons and shorebirds were a half dozen Wood Stork.

This was the first occasion that I had seen storks at the Preserve in many dozens of visits.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Photographs of these birds were taken in poor light and for the most part very blurry.

One particular image of a spoonbill in flight indicated that it was banded though I never got a view of it well enough to report for identification.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

The species seen in the greatest number in one group was Black Skimmer.

Short-billed Dowitcher have been arriving to migrate through while many will spend the winter with upwards of a hundred seen in the bay this week.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Overflights of White Ibis were numerous as they headed toward the gulf making them perhaps the most abundant seen overall.

Within the west channel, I was able to place the camera at a comfortably lower point for an eye level view of the peeps and larger birds that plied their trade for worms and crustaceans.

The Little Blue Heron juvenile above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I occasionally had the camera more elevated to be able to pan for flight shots of the frequent overflights of numerous species leaving their roosts.

As the action began to unfold, it was interesting to observe a few of the storks fly from one side of the channel to the other.

The Western Sandpiper above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

For some reason a stork chose to land nearly directly on a few Mottled Duck sending them scurrying away.

Another stork that landed was apparently a little too close to a Great Blue Heron which didn't take kindly to the intrusion of its space and gave chase to the stork.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I was pleased to see several American Oystercatcher while one of the birds flew low from behind me all the way to the Sanibel Causeway bridge with a large prey item in its beak.

The closer and longer observed oystercatcher preferred to stay ahead of my slow approach of it.

The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Laughing Gull were aware of the oystercatcher's feeding activity, but never directly confronted the bird as they will certain wading birds with food.

I learned years ago while observing Wood Stork on the bay side of Lovers Key State Park that the gulls are intimidated by Snowy Egret.

The American Oystercatcher with Laughing Gull above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

The gulls nonetheless remained close and at one point appeared to go after a morsel of food rejected by the oystercatcher.

Osprey were surprisingly few in number at Bunche in contrast to two weeks earlier.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I particularly enjoyed observing Black-bellied Plover which were in varying stages of plumage.

Marbled Godwit were especially abundant with their numbers in excess of a few dozen.

The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Two birds of this species at one point had an interesting display of behavior which I likened to a duel.

A Brown Pelican made two relatively close dives and was successful in its catch of fish on both occasions.

The Sandwich Tern above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

A Reddish Egret showed its dominance over a Little Blue Heron in a rare display of territorial behavior between the two species.

A lone Ruddy Turnstone allowed an entertaining close view of its foraging behavior.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

Time passed much too quickly while observing the birds nearly a mile from the parking area and I was reluctant to leave.

The tide had risen significantly and led to my crossing the channel with a little trepidation as I was nearly chest deep in water.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

My departure a couple of hours later and I'd be in trouble unless I walked much further out into the bay where the channel gets shallower.

As I approached a sandbar where a couple hundred shorebirds had congregated I couldn't resist stopping to observe them.

The Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

It was here that I saw my first Forster's Terns of the season.

I didn't get a total count of Red Knots observed as the birds were either preening or dozing for a nap.

The Willet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

The Red Knot was last seen in April at Fort De Soto Park south of Tampa.

Of three Piping Plover observed, one was laden with a flag and five bands with one of them metal.

The Willet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

A Semipalmated Plover was also seen with several bands this week.

If you haven't been to Bunche Beach Preserve in a while or have never been, I'll expect to see you there.

The Forster's Tern above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

The rewards of wildlife observation at Bunche Beach will be getting better in the weeks and months ahead.

I only wish I had the time to visit this remarkable place more often.

The Semipalmated Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

A lesson learned on this trip to the Preserve that I must remember is that when the birds get as close as they are willing to do, I have to use a smaller aperture setting to keep more of the bird in focus.

There were hundreds of images taken that would have greatly benefited from this technique.

The Piping Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

I also need to attempt to ween myself off of the use of the 1.4x extender which Frank Constantin advised me significantly detracts from a photo's potential appeal.

Workmate Mike Peters again confirmed the sighting of American Flamingo in the area while he was fishing near Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve on 14 September 2011.

The Red Knot with Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.

The knots took flight as a fellow visitor to the Preserve walked too close to them.

The image immediately above was enhanced with the removal of wing tips on either side of the photo with dowitcher legs dangling from above removed as well.

The Red Knot above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in September 2011.