Siesta Key Beach In Late Winter

Recognized as one of the best beaches in the world (#16 in a 2013 poll) Siesta Key Beach has undergone a $21 million renovation of its parking lot, landscaping, and concession facility with the addition of other amenities.

The Herring Gull above (image 1) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

Siesta Key Beach is also host to sand sculpting events with the Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival taking place from 11-15 November 2016. This event utilizing near pure cool to the touch quartz sand precedes the 30th Annual American Sand Sculpting Championship at Fort Myers Beach from 18-27 November 2016.

The Royal Tern above (image 2) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Forster's Tern above (image 3) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Royal Tern above (image 4) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Red-breasted Merganser above (image 5) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Great Egret above (image 6) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Snowy Egret above (image 7) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 8) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Brown Pelican with prey above (image 9) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Brown Pelican above (image 10) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

A visit was made to Siesta Key Beach on 8 March with the company of wildlife photographer Frank Constantin visiting from Quebec. We arrived before sunrise and approached the beach from Access #5 under overcast conditions. There were a handful of beach combers along the inundated flats which regrettably between them caused the birds on hand to take flight before good observations could be made.

The Reddish Egret above (image 11) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Brown Pelican above (image 12) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Brown Pelican above (image 13) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Brown Pelican with Snowy Egret above (image 14) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Reddish Egret above (image 15) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Reddish Egret above (image 16) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 17) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 18) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Double-crested Cormorant above (image 19) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

Among the first birds observed and first photographed was a Herring Gull making a flyby into the southeasterly wind. I wasn't aware of the unusual characteristic of the gull in real time, but discovered the red coloration while reviewing the photo on the computer. I contacted Michael Brothers, Director of the Marine Science Center at Ponce Inlet, about the oddity. He advised me that he believed the gull likely got into some paint or dye (see image #1) at a landfill.

The Great Egret above (image 20) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Royal Tern above (image 21) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 22) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Royal Tern above (image 23) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Great Egret above (image 24) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Great Egret above (image 25) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Mottled Duck above (image 26) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Double-crested Cormorant above (image 27) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 28) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The cloud cover began to dissipate shortly after sunrise. Frank had gone to take a closer look at the wading birds congregating at the tidal pool where Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons (all immature), Double-crested Cormorants, Red-breasted Mergansers, Brown Pelicans, and a Reddish Egret had arrived and were actively feeding in the shallow water.

The Ring-billed Gull with prey above (image 29) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The scene above (image 30) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The scene above (image 31) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Double-crested Cormorant above (image 32) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Great Egret above (image 33) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The juvenile Little Blue Heron above (image 34) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Red-breasted Merganser above (image 35) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Red-breasted Merganser above (image 36) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Red-breasted Merganser above (image 37) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

Other species would fly over the tidal pool as the morning progressed while a pair of Ring-billed Gulls engaged in an interesting behavior within the pool. A short while later, a solitary Mottled Duck came in for a water landing. A Royal Tern was present with a metal federal band clearly seen through its photo. Less than thirty feet in front of us a Great Egret mating dance occurred. The event was much too close to photograph, but amazing to observe.

The juvenile Little Blue Heron above (image 38) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Least Sandpiper above (image 39) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Osprey above (image 40) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The juvenile Little Blue Heron above (image 41) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Fish Crow above (image 42) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Wilson's Plover above (image 43) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Great Egret above (image 44) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Great Egret above (image 45) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Great Egret above (image 46) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

If you choose to visit this beautiful venue, be aware that the mud makes for extremely slippery conditions in places. I have found conditions to be considerably different from one visit to the next involving a change in the flats due to tidal forces or from a change in the water level in the tidal pool (lowest on this visit).

The Fish Crow above (image 47) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Forster's Tern above (image 48) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

So far my few visits to Siesta Key Beach have been sunrise visits. With an opportunity and energy I think it would be productive birding to walk along the beach closer to the residential buildings where vegetation offers refuge to local and migrant species throughout the day. Certainly an activity to be considered in cooler months of the year.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 49) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

The Laughing Gull above (image 50) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.

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The Black Skimmer above (image 51) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in March 2016.