Sun Exposes Itself At Bunche Beach: I

The vast majority of the near 30 days since I last visited Bunche Beach Preserve offered unusual thunderstorm activity with a visit to the Preserve on 11 July 2013 providing a gorgeous summer afternoon with sunlight that I have only seen briefly at my workplace or during the report of a trip to the Florida Keys made in late June.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted this past June indirectly protecting Bunch Beach's wildlife. Watercraft and other activities around San Carlos Bay offer their share of stress to the wildlife at this magnificent beach venue.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Willet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Willet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

I arrived at the Preserve with a falling tide and headed toward the west channel. The water was covering the flats and no shorebirds were at hand near the parking area. A re-visit to the east channel remains overdue.

The Laughing Gull with Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Willet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

Unusually cool temperatures are benefiting the wildlife that are exposed to the elements with many birds seen in their molt this time of year. There was no extraordinary observation made while Least Tern made a few flybys which were not photographed.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Willet with Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Great Blue Heron with Laughing Gullabove was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The receding tide made for the late arrival of shorebirds which were not photographed as I would have liked. Since I remained on the east side of the west channel I made fewer shorebird observations than would have been possible on the flats that were becoming exposed briefly in the remaining light of the day before the relatively high tide changed.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

I remained in a pair of stationary positions for observations over two hours. As is typical at Bunche, the wildlife did not disappoint.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.

Part II will conclude offering further observations made.

The beach enthusiast with Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2013.