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.
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