Best Birding At Sanibel Lighthouse In 10 Years

It was my great fortune to read Tom Obrock's Florida Suncoast blog in a timely manner to see that he had visited the Sanibel Lighthouse and described it in a nutshell as active this past weekend.


The Black-and-white Warbler above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The large number of migratory birds at the Lighthouse can be attributed to a cold front that passed through with heavy rains. Although Tom noted that he thought the birds would be carried away by the winds before my chance to see the wildlife, my thought was that the winds were strong enough to keep the birds down. My original plan for my initial day off from work this week was to see if the Burrowing Owl chicks that were reported to have begun to hatch by workmate Patti Armstrong last week survived the precipitation that may have flooded the owl's burrows in Cape Coral. Tom's reported migration action trumped that trip. I instead arrived at the Sanibel Lighthouse in the early afternoon Tuesday. My hope was to observe species of bird that I had never seen before; moreso than getting a photograph of them. The unfavorable lighting conditions which is typically the norm at the Lighthouse with its dense vegetation and my early afternoon arrival with clear skies made photography a challenge. Closer to mid afternoon it was my great fortune to meet up with naturalists Vince McGrath and Ruth Woodall who both lead walks for the Bird Patrol. Vince commented that the previous 48 hours at the Lighthouse offered the best observations he has made in the last ten years there. He noted that the active hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 had caused a significant decline in migratory fallout and feels that hurricane activity will not be significantly disruptive to wildlife again for another five years. Later in the day, Dr. Jose Padilla, Cheryl Anderson, and Charlie Ewell added eyes in our search for the migrants. Charlie conducts walks for the Bird Patrol as well. In all, I would see 12 species of bird never personally observed before. Two of those species that I failed to photograph were Black-billed Cuckoo and Lincoln Sparrow as well as the hummingbird mention below. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo was very interesting to watch as it snatched thorn bugs from its perch. A resident Great Egret walked by us within mere feet in search of lizards. With his very keen observation skills, Vince pointed out a Ruby-throated Hummingbird almost close enough for me to touch and a flock of Cedar Waxwings at a high altitude noting that the waxwing's next stop would be in Atlanta. Vince also commented that he had observed a Merlin carry away an Eastern Kingbird earlier in the day. If I had the chance to do this trip over, I would have utilized the 1.4x extender to minimize crops of the images taken.


The Osprey above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Indigo Bunting above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Eastern Kingbird above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Rose-breasted Grosbeak above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Rose-breasted Grosbeak above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Indigo Bunting above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Red-eyed Vireo above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Rose-breasted Grosbeak above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Scarlet Tanager above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Gray Catbird above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Rose-breasted Grosbeak above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Tennessee Warbler above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Pileated Wooedpecker above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Indigo Bunting above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Summer Tanager above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Eastern Wood-Pewee above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Yellow-billed Cuckoo above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Summer Tanager above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Veery above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Great Egret above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Blue Grosbeak above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


Vince McGrath, Jose Padilla, Charlie Ewell, Cheryl Anderson, and Ruth Woodall above were photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Rose-breasted Grosbeak above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Yellow-billed Cuckoo above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Blue Grosbeak above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Veery above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Summer Tanager above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.


The Indigo Bunting above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in April 2012.

Please see: Sanibel Lighthouse 2012 Spring Migration Closure

Guest Contribution II By Hemant Kishan

It is a great pleasure to present to you a continuing series of guest contributions by Hemant Kishan, former Director of Strategy and Planning, with the General Motors Company. Hemant is also known as Digital Plume Hunter, and is working to document Ohio's Magee Marsh 2012 Spring migrants at the publication time of this post . . .

Warblers at Corkscrew -- Part I

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a productive place to find some key warbler species in Southwest Florida. Breeding species include Common Yellowthroat and Northern Parula; overwintering species include Black and White, Yellow-rumped, Pine, Palm and Ovenbird; while both Waterthrushes are reliable in Spring migration (both Northern and Lousiana).

This article takes a look at the Black and White and Northern Parula warblers.



The black and white warbler is a common overwintering species at Corkscrew. It has striking black and white markings and is hard to confuse with any other bird.



The black-and-white warbler feeds much like a nuthatch -- going up and down the trunks of trees plucking insects along the way. When busy feeding, it can be a confiding bird, often approaching the observer fairly closely.



Its winter range includes Florida, Central America as well as Northern South America. Its breeding range covers most of the Eastern United States and Canada. At Corkscrew in winter, they are easy to see in Winter when the foliage is thin -- they often feed in mixed flocks but seldom flock with others of their kind.

Unlike the stark black and whites of the black-and-white warbler, the Northern Parula (pronounced PAR'you-la) is a colorful Spring/Summer breeder at Corkscrew.



In April, the Northern Parula's are at their peak at Corkscrew -- the males can be heard singing as they establish their breeding territories. Interestingly enough, the Northern Parula breeding population is disjointed -- there is a Southern and Northern range in the US with the latter population using lichen and the former, Spanish Moss, for nesting material.



The best way to find Northern Parulas at Corkscrew is to listen for their song in Spring time. They are fast and energetic feeders and getting a good shot can be a very frustrating experience! However, when that elusive shot finally comes through, you will be rewarded with an image that can only partly capture the spectacular yellow chest, blue/grey hood and an incomplete white eye-ring of this signature warbler at Corkscrew.

Please see Hemant's Finding Vireos at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Metro Parkway Extension Wildlife Overload

A focus is made here on a continued review of wildlife images captured at the Metro Parkway Extension April 9th and 11th, 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


My spare time to get into the field was again limited this week. Plans to visit venues in the late afternoon early in the week and the early morning late in the week were quashed by overcast conditions. I have learned with my visit to Metro that Roseate Spoonbills do not keep themselves as clean as other bird species through preening. A rare sighting of an immature Little Blue Heron sporting blue lores was made.


The Great Egret above (higher in the frame than I would like) was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Cattle Egret above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Great Egret above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Great Egret above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The immature Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Great Egret above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Blue-winged Teal above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Wood Stork above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Great Egret above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Anhinga above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Anhinga above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Lesser Yellowlegs above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Wood Stork above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Wood Stork above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Wood Stork above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The Wood Stork above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.


The immature Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Metro Parkway extension in April 2012.

View more of this venue here . . . Florida Wildlife At Metro Parkway Extension