American Flamingo Visits Bunche Beach Preserve

A visiting birder and author from Ferguson, Missouri named Cornelius "Connie" Alwood was the first to report an American Flamingo to eBird that has favored Bunche Beach Preserve this past week in Fort Myers, Florida.

The American Flamingo above (image 1) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Among Connie's other eBird reports of interest include a mid July 2015 nocturnal observation at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers where he noted a half dozen Mississippi Kites soaring out of sight, as well as a late November 2015 report from California Gulch, Arizona where he and a bird guide observed a Black-capped Gnatcatcher.

The mixed shorebirds above (image 2) were photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Fort Myers News-Press photographer Andrew West at far right and Gail Campbell to his immediate right above (image 3) were photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Possibly crossing paths with Connie at Bunche Beach Preserve on the morning of 21 January was local birding enthusiast and Bird Patrol volunteer, Gail Campbell who provided a notification to the SW Florida Bird Alert closed group Facebook webpage. Gail's report was much more timely allowing me to meet up with her and many others to see and photograph the flamingo in the mid-afternoon.

The American Flamingo above (image 4) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The Willet above (image 5) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

At the beginning of the 20th century, flamingos were virtually eradicated in Florida due to plume hunting and harvesting of their eggs. Flamingos typically lay only one egg in a nesting season. In 2008, the Caribbean population of Greater Flamingo was split by the American and British Ornithologists' Unions creating the American Flamingo.

The American Flamingo above (image 6) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 7) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo is the only flamingo species found in the wild in North America. The three other New World flamingos; Chilean Flamingo, James's Flamingo and Andean Flamingo may be found in South America. The Greater Flamingo and Lesser Flamingo are now considered Old World species. Flamingos can be very long lived with one captive bird (Greater Flamingo) reaching the age of 83 before its death.

The American Flamingo above (image 8) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 9) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The past decade has seen a resurgence of American Flamingos in Florida, particularly at Stormwater Treatment Area 2 (STA2). There unfortunately is a huge disparity in the number of flamingos observed at STA2 from year to year with a high count of 147 in early 2014 and only eight counted in early 2015. However, there was a flamingo mating event observed by a tour group at STA2 in 2015. Flamingo field trips at STA2 are sponsored by Audubon Society of the Everglades.

The American Flamingo above (image 10) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 11) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Lee County has been a rare host to American Flamingos unlike the well known venues STA2, and Snake Bight located in Everglades National Park. 2015 was a boon for Lee County flamingo observations with a bird seen throughout July and another flamingo seen in early September.

The American Flamingo above (image 12) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 13) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingos seen in Lee County in 2015 had a wide range from Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge to Bunche Beach Preserve to Bowditch Point Park to Fort Myers Beach to Lovers Key State Park. A great documentation of the flamingo in the area in September was made by South Florida wildlife photographer Al Hoffacker.

The American Flamingo above (image 14) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The Brown Pelican above (image 15) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The flamingo observed in South Fort Myers in late January 2016 seems to favor the Sanibel Causeway tollbooth to Bowditch Point Park to Bunche Beach Preserve. Upon close observation the flamingo can be observed doing a highly entertaining Elvis-like shuffle when feeding.

The American Flamingo above (image 16) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 17) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

A bonus bird seen at Bunche Beach Preserve this day was a white morph Reddish Egret with satellite tracking technology. Reddish Egrets are the rarest wading birds in the United States with a study underway to particularly identify the cause of the decline of the species in the Florida Keys.

The banded white morph Reddish Egret above (image 18) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

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The scene above (image 19) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Western Spindalis At Markham Park

Almost like clockwork, another vagrant bird entered the airspace of southern Florida and landed in late 2015 on the heals of Variegated Flycatcher, Northern Wheatear, and a Mountain Bluebird.

The Zebra Longwing Butterfly above (image 1) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

Though not as rare in Florida as the aforementioned species, a much sought after Western Spindalis zena zena (Bahamas Black-backed) was reported by David Hall at Markham Park on 26 November.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above (image 2) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Cape May Warbler above (image 3) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

As the Spindalis had been reported through the end of the month of November, Bird Patrol volunteer and wildlife blogger, Tom Obrock, and I made a trip on 1 December to chase the rarity. Arrival at Markham Park in Sunrise, Florida, was after my fear that we might be rained out as there was an ominous looking sky approaching the east coast.

The Blue Dasher Dragonfly above (image 4) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Western Spindalis above (image 5) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

With the car parked where instructed from previous eBird Florida Rare Bird Alert reports, Tom and I made our way toward the Nature Trail. I immediately had the thought that if I lived nearby, I would visit Markham Park often.

The Magnolia Warbler above (image 6) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 7) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

Markham Park is multi-use venue with events on the weekend that one might expect to be disruptive of the wildlife, but has been proven not to be the case. At the time of my visit there were many other wildlife subjects on hand that I enjoyed observing and photographing even with a relatively small footprint of the park explored.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 8) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Spot-breasted Oriole feeding on Coco Plum above (image 9) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The spindalis had been reported to be favoring the company of a group of Spot-breasted Orioles, and such was the case this day. While the orioles were highly visible, the spindalis was a relative skulker.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 10) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 11) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

I met Angel Abreu, among the many birding enthusiasts on hand this day, who pointed out David Hall also present who was the first to report the Western Spindalis at Markham Park. It ultimately became a crowded field of observers which made it a challenge for me to photograph the spindalis when it made an appearance.

The Western Spindalis above (image 12) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 13) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Western Spindalis zena zena at Markham Park is the most common sub-species that visits Florida. Although not considered migratory, a Bahamas Black-backed Western Spindalis was remarkably observed at Leffis Key near the turn of the millennium by Bill Pranty and Brian Ahern.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 14) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 15) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

Brian has an eBird checklist from that time while Greg Lavaty has a gallery of older images of spindalis that he had observed in Puerto Rico when this species was generally called Stripe-headed Tanager. Greg's tanager is now Puerto Rican Spindalis (Spindalis portoricensis) according to the American Ornithologists' Union.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird above (image 16) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Prairie Warbler above (image 17) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

There are currently five sub-species of Western Spindalis which include Spindalis zena zena (Bahamas Black-backed), Spindalis zena townsendi (Bahamas Green-backed), Spindalis zena pretrei (Cuban), Spindalis zena salvini (Grand Cayman Island), and Spindalis zena benedicti (Cozumel Island). Bill Pantry notes that only pretrie, townsendi and zena have been documented in Florida.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird above (image 18) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 19) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The genus Spindalis currently consists of four species including Spindalis zena (highlighted in this article), Spindalis dominicensis, Spindalis portoricensis, and Spindalis nigricephala. Wildlife blogger Hemant Kishan photographed the Puerto Rican Spindalis (portoricensis) well. Larry Manfredi's web page offers interesting comparisons of a few Spindalis zena subspecies.

The Spot-breasted Oriole above (image 20) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Common Basilisk above (image 21) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

While a Western Spindalis should not be expected to be seen at any time in Florida, the 2009 Long Pine Key nesting event will hopefully be a harbinger of things to come. It would certainly be prudent to look extremely closely at any bird thought Spindalis to ensure it is not another rare visitor to Florida, or possibly a first known record.

The Gulf Fritillary above (image 22) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Long-tailed Skipper above (image 23) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

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The Julia Butterfly above (image 24) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

The Band-winged Dragonlet above (image 25) was photographed at Markham Park in December 2015.

A Fish Heist At Carlos Pointe: Pt. I

It was surreal to drive along Estero Boulevard and Fort Myers Beach on the morning after the Independence Day holiday.

The sunrise above (image 1) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

It appeared I was one of few up and about save a few pedestrians in the predawn hour about while on my way to Carlos Pointe. Bud Tom Obrock had told me of the Black Skimmer fuzzballs that were abundant there a few days earlier.

The fisherman above (image 2) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The fishermen above (image 3) were photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Roseate Spoonbill above (image 4) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Least Tern above (image 5) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Snowy Plover incubating eggs above (image 6) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer chick above (image 7) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The birds were active over Big Carlos Pass as were the fishermen shortly before sunrise. Certainly nothing unusual about that. After parking I was eager to cross the bridge and see the action at Carlos Pointe up close.

The Black Skimmer chick above (image 8) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with chick above (image 9) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer chick above (image 10) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer above (image 11) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 12) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 13) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

A dozen or so Roseate Spoonbills immediately caught my attention at the pool. The purpose of the circus flags that are hung over the water there are a mystery. I should have asked one of the wildlife volunteers that were seen this day who is responsible for them.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 14) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 15) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 16) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 17) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 18) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey and chick above (image 19) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The next thing of interest as I walked north were the owl decoys. My thought was that they were to deter other predator birds that would readily consume the chicks and juveniles that are abundant at this venue this time of year.

The Black Skimmer with chick and Laughing Gull above (image 20) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with Laughing Gull above (image 21) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 22) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with prey above (image 23) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with chick above (image 24) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with Laughing Gull above (image 25) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

Well, my attention was next focused on the Black Skimmer colony. It was here that I would settle down and observe. Although I was tempted on a few occasions to get closer to the wildlife, it was rewarding enough to watch the action from the point where its was impossible to identify the decoys without very close scrutiny.

The Laughing Gull above (image 26) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with chick above (image 27) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with chick above (image 28) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with chick above (image 29) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer with chick above (image 30) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Snowy Plover above (image 31) was photographed at Carlos Point in July 2015.

There was a very modest breeze this particular morning which made the flight of the birds unpredictable though I managed to occasionally stay with them. There was a recurring auto focus opportunity. This venue had previously been of interest to me for observation of a Red-necked Phalarope.

The Brown Pelican above (image 32) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Common Ground Dove above (image 33) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The juvenile Little Blue Heron above (image 34) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

The Black Skimmer above (image 35) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

A small flock of Laughing Gulls were assessing the situation.

The Black Skimmer above (image 36) was photographed at Carlos Pointe in July 2015.

Please also see A Fish Heist At Carlos Point: Pt. II