Mid-December Wildlife Photography in SW Florida

Bunche Beach Preserve might be a contender for one of your favorite wildlife venues if you ever happen to visit.

The Black Skimmer above (image 1) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

This is the case for me with a trip on 14 December particularly enjoyable after not visiting for a while with the first species sighted at the preserve a pair of Bufflehead directly off the parking area in pre-dawn light. The birds were drifting to the east at a considerable speed.

The Black Skimmer above (image 2) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Royal Tern above (image 3) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Royal Tern above (image 4) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Snowy Egret above (image 5) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Laughing Gull above (image 6) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 7) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 8) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

Since I was early in meeting up with Frank Constantin visiting from Quebec this day, I debated "chasing" those birds to the east channel, and regrettably made the decision not to walk the quarter to half mile necessary to get ahead of the birds.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 9) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Laughing Gull above (image 10) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Laughing Gull above (image 11) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2015.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 12) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Reddish Egret above (image 13) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Royal Tern above (image 14) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Forster's Tern above (image 15) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

It would have additionally required wading in the water at more than waist depth with hopes of at least halving the distance to them from shore for a decent pic in better light. After meeting up with Frank, we went to the west channel where a greater number of birds had congregated.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 16) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 17) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Willet above (image 18) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 19) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 20) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above (image 21) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Short-billed Dowitcher with Dunlin above (image 22) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2015.

It was rewarding to have the very good light of the morning at this time of year which is hit and miss. A few places were chosen for observation with the main focus a hope for overflights and flybys of waders. Neither were overly impressive unfortunately.

The Little Blue Heron with prey and Great Blue Heron above (image 23) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Little Blue Heron with prey above (image 24) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Little Blue Heron with prey above (image 25) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Black-bellied Plover above (image 26) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Piping Plover above (image 27) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Black Skimmer above (image 28) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Black Skimmer above (image 29) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

It was rewarding to see the large numbers of birds loafing and doing their thing, take flight as one inexplicably, and return to the near same place they were on a few occasions. My favorite species of the day photographed was Forster's Tern. It stands out like a sore thumb amongst the other terns.

The Black Skimmer above (image 30) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Black Skimmer above (image 31) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Forster's Tern above (image 32) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Sandwich Tern with Forster's Tern above (image 33) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above (image 34) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above (image 35) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Dunlin above (image 36) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

It was also interesting to observe a Great Blue Heron stalk a Little Blue Heron with prey. After reading reports of a Great Blue consuming ducks at the seasonal Oil Well Road Duck Pond, it seems anything is possible with the wild ones.

The Ring-billed Gull with Royal Tern above (image 37) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

The Black-bellied Plover above (image 38) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.

With this late report, I am already approaching another need to visit Bunche.

The Least Sandpiper above (image 39) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in December 2014.