Elusive Flamingo At Bunche Beach

In early September 2011 I was astounded to hear from workmate Mike Peters that he had seen an American Flamingo in the area.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

Mike has been observing at least a pair of the species while fishing the waters in the vicinity of Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge as has been reported here.

Preceding my days off from work this week, Gayle Sheets, webmaster of BirdPatrol.org and Media Coordinator for Lee County's Bird Patrol, was kind enough to forward me an image of the flamingo taken near Bunche Beach Preserve.

The Peregrine Falcon above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

With a chance of observing the species from land, and at one of my favorite wildlife venues, I made three visits to the Preserve with hopes of making my first observation of the rarely seen bird.

My first visit to Bunche was in the late afternoon upon reading Gayle's email.

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

The tide I thought was favorably low for observation of the flamingo, but would be told the following morning by a fellow visitor to the Preserve that the flamingo would more likely be seen in deeper water based on its preferred foraging behavior.

My visit to Bunche on the second day was a morning trip which allowed for observation of the greatest numbers of Tricolored Heron I'd yet seen with upwards of forty of them either in the water or in flight.

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

I would learn the lesson this particular morning not to allow a camera battery to fail in use as I lost a series of images of Great Blue Heron giving a stunning chase of a juvenile in a territorial dispute.

A moment later I also had a very close flyby of a juvenile Little Blue Heron.

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

It was a treat to finally meet Gayle as she visited the Preserve this day and noted how excited she was to walk in the bay as she hadn't before.

Also visiting the Preserve to partake in the remarkable birdwatching opportunities were Joanne and Mickey with the Caloosa Bird Club and Ruth affiliated with the Bird Patrol.

The Great Blue Heron with Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

My third visit to Bunche Beach Preserve this week was delayed by a couple of hours with a need to replace the car battery.

My arrival to the beach this last day offered a view of a photographer in the water whom I had seen when leaving the day before.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

I would learn that this was pbase contributor and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable, Robert Doiron from New Brunswick.

Robert told be that he has a particular interest in shorebirds with there no better place I know of to observe them than where he was.

Robert Doiron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

The flamingo remained elusive while there was plenty of other action to keep a wildlife enthusiast entertained.

One didn't even need to get in the water as the rising tides brought the birds closer and closer to shore.

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

The flamingo had been sighted at Bunche Beach near the Sanibel toll plaza this past week and reported in a news story of the event.

Gayle was mentioned in the story noting that nine of the species were observed flying north over Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs to the south.

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

Naturalist Vince McGrath was noted as saying that he believed the bird seen at Bunche was likely a juvenile as it lacked deep pink coloration in its feathers which can similarly be noted with juvenile Roseate Spoonbills.

He also added that the flamingos may be escapees from tourist attractions or zoos as the bird observed near the Sanibel Causeway was tolerant of its close approach.

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

Robert made the point of telling me how tame the birds are that he's observed here while those he sees in Canada will take flight as soon as they see him from a great distance in many cases.

Imagine the scene described by Mike 20 years ago when he observed about a hundred of the flamingos together in these San Carlos Bay waters.

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

I'm very optimistic that the flamingos will choose to stay in the area through the winter months.

Sanibel Lighthouse Hawkwatch: Fall 2011

With migration of raptors well underway, I made a trip to Sanibel Lighthouse when I was confident the threat of rain from the latest storm had passed.

Walter Powers above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

The sky looked brighter than it had all day though was still heavily overcast as I traveled over the causeway.

The parking areas around the lighthouse showed evidence of the very heavy rain that had fallen the day before while I chose to park in the most flooded lot north of the lighthouse.

The Sanibel Lighthouse above was photographed on Sanibel Island in October 2011.

Before doing that I met an artist named Walter Powers from St. Petersburg sketching the lighthouse.

Walter told me he was an 80 year old retired firefighter from New York with a good pension that allowed him to travel.

The beach enthusiast above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

He noted that he had last been to this area 20 years earlier not making good use of his timeshare.

Walter's favorite work as I recall him saying was of a European castle he had painted while observed during snowy conditions.

The fisherman above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

The wildlife at the lighthouse on the eastern tip of Sanibel Island as always offered the regulars on the beach which was extremely windy at the time of my visit.

I took refuge from the wind on the south side of the fishing pier directly in front of the lighthouse which was more tolerable.

The Royal Tern above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

My greatest hope and anticipation was the sight of raptors that might be passing through in migration.

I would later learn reading Tom Obrock's wildlife blog that the place to be was Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve earlier in the day where upwards of a dozen species of bird I've never seen before were observed.

The Tennessee Warbler above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

My reward for the trip to the lighthouse was my first sighting of a species of bird called Northern Parula which was identified for me by Vince Lucas and Tom with much thanks.

The parula had worked its way through the vegetation onto the dune that required great care on my part to avoid kneeling in sand spurs which was impossible as it turned out.

The Northern Cardinal above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

A low flyover of an American Kestrel caused the parula to disappear from sight which was actually well timed as a four foot snake quickly made its way directly in the path of the bird.

Another intriguing species of bird just before this event had made a landing on a branch directly in front of me, but I wasn't able to capture its image for positive identification.

The Northern Parula above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

There was a small swarm of Chimney Swifts that I attempted to photograph for over a half hour unsuccessfully with the birds flying much too fast and erratically for me to get a decent image though I'm including a shot as it's a lifer species for me seen in the wild.

Fishermen, shellers and other visitors to the lighthouse were seen in greater abundance than the birds in the stormy conditions.

The Florida Black Racer above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

I also devoted much time attempting to photograph about a half dozen Bottlenose Dolphin that were feeding in the shallow tide water of the late afternoon.

The raptors which I had the greatest hopes of observing were apparently not meant to be seen this day while 3423 were reported the day before during the Florida Keys Hawkwatch.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

I had let Tom know that I had planned to be at the lighthouse for upwards of four hours, but cut my visit a little short and just missed him as the sky again began to darken again making photography extremely difficult.

From my observation point I decided to work my way along the causeway with the hope of making some interesting observations from the car.

The Willet above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

Sanderling were in the company of Laughing Gulls at my stop after crossing the causeway bridge where conditions were surprisingly calm.

With no flyovers other than by Brown Pelicans I continued to the last pullover opportunity before the shopping centers.

The Chimney Swift above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

At this point a pair of Roseate Spoonbill were observed actively feeding in the bay with no other action to be seen with thoughts of my great fortune before calling it a day.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve: Fall 2011

A very late morning start in my trip to Six Mile Cypress Preserve this week gave me concern that there would be relatively little bird activity in the trees beyond the boardwalk.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

Tom Obrock advised me before my departure that the birds have been in the canopy when seen.

Upon my arrival, I was surprised by the large number of cars in the parking lot as it's still early for tourists visiting the area while locals are not known to take advantage of such great venues as this in their relative backyard.

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

Beyond the stand of cypress trees I came across a Great Blue Heron posing on some vegetation where I had last seen feral pigs foraging months ago.

The water level was high after a good rain early in the week.

The Common Cooter above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

I next caught sight of a rarely seen Gray Catbird that is heard much more than seen.

My walk along the boardwalk was slowly paced waiting for the wildlife to come to me.

The Brazilian Skipper above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

I ultimately would stay in the Preserve for a longer period of time than I had expected meeting interesting people while intrigued by the wildlife making its way through.

Several species of bird I'm familiar with by sound were heard, but regrettably not seen.

The Green Heron above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

I met Debbie who told me she had received her camera (a great entry level kit) this past holiday season.

She showed me several of the images she had taken within the Slough and told me of her newly acquired interest in learning about wildlife and its behavior.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

Another frequent visitor met at the Preserve told of how the feral pigs were cutting down the Alligator Flag plants during drier conditions noting that more than 80 wading birds were once seen at Wood Duck Pond with the pigs at his back.

While a lot of birds were tantalizingly seen in the canopy as Tom had noted, I had the occasional glimpse of Black-and-white Warbler with Blue-gray Gnatcatcher by far the most common bird seen closer to eye level.

The Tufted Titmouse above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

A Downy Woodpecker stayed within range of observation for quite some time, but never made for a good photo-op.

Debbie also noted her observation of an alligator building a shelter for its young during the heavy rains from one day to the next.

The Downy Woodpecker above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

She also told me that the resident alligator at the Preserve has been named Rebecca.

Another pair of visitors named Melony and James were observing an alligator at extremely close range at Wood Duck Pond where I spoke with them briefly.

The alligator above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

James noted that an alligator will provide shelter for their offspring to protect the slime coating of its young.

His sense of humor was enjoyed while telling me of a possible location for photography of Florida Scrub Jays he sees with regularity.

Melony and James above were photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

What I thought were dogs in the parking area when leaving the Preserve were a family of feral pigs.

There were a half dozen puppy sized young in tow while the adult marked its territory.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

Mike Peters again told me of his sighting of flamingo closer to Pine Island Marina than noted before.

50 At Captiva Island

A drop in temperature and humidity this week was refreshingly comfortable.

Jim above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

This couldn't have happened at a better time as I welcomed family visiting for my sister Karen's 50th birthday.

In all, they would arrive on Captiva Island from South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

The musician at Keylime Bistro above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

A home rented at Andy Rosse and Binder where we spent the week offered a stunning view of Pine Island Sound with the beach on the Gulf of Mexico a short walk away.

Exploring the house upon our arrival led me to one of the decks on the upper floor that allowed a view of two hawks that flew directly at me.

The sunset above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

I didn't have the camera at the time that would have allowed the opportunity to help identify them.

They were stunning and evidently in transitional plumage.

Jim above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

Bald Eagles and Osprey also put on a show highlighting their intolerance of each other.

The docks and boat lifts were a commonly used perch for Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Osprey and Sandwich Tern.

The Bald Eagle with Osprey above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

At one point the occasionally seen Belted Kingfisher made a low flyover of a couple dozen Royal Tern causing them all to take flight unexpectedly.

One particular morning was devoted to a trip to Bowman's Beach for some shell collecting.

The lawn ornament above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

I learned a lot about this endeavor reading one of the island brochures that indicated that shelling is best done under strict conditions including a low tide, a full or new moon, and a northerly wind direction.

It was also noted that shells will be buried under the sand making this a serious business (which it is) for those in the know.

Karen above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

At this particular beach were hordes of gulls, terns and Sanderling among a few Black-bellied Plover.

On another day with anticipation of the sunset on Captiva Beach, Mom joined us to partake in a puff or two from one of the celebratory cigars brother Jim brought with him from New England.

The shorebirds at Bowman's Beach above were photographed at Sanibel Island in October 2011.

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets were common fare with one of the latter accommodating a beach wedding.

Sister Nancy and her husband Jack had celebrated their second wedding anniversary a few days earlier.

Marie above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

We made an afternoon trip to Ding Darling where masses of birds with a greater diversity had yet to arrive.

One of the closest birds to Wildlife Drive seen was a double banded Roseate Spoonbill.

The Roseate Spoonbill at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge above was photographed at Sanibel Island in October 2011.

Great work has been made at the Shell Mound Trail with a particular interest of mine the recreation of the archeological "dig" of the site going back many hundreds of years.

It's understandable why wildlife find the Sanibel and Captiva Islands so attractive along their journey with the area surrounded by water and subtropical vegetation.

Jack and Nan above were photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

Tob Obrock had texted me earlier in the week to advise me of his observation of a rarely seen Canada Warbler.

On one of the trips to the Publix on the mainland I caught sight of my first of season American Kestrel on a wire in front of the Mobil station with the species also seen flying over the front yard of the house on the last day of our stay on Captiva.

Glenn and Karen above were photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

Karen's husband Glenn told me that he had again seen the hawk over the sound (with fish in talons) offering further insight into behavior.

A very brief visit to the Sanibel Lighthouse was made where the funneling of hawks on their migratory trek south should be rewarding in the weeks ahead.

The sunset with Bottlenose Dolphin above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.