Bald Eagles And Sand Sculptures: 2011

Day 1:

I had been giving a lot of thought this past month to revisiting the Bald Eagle nest south of Fort Myers Beach at Big Carlos Pass.

The sunrise above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in November 2011.

A primary goal in my wildlife observations to close out the year is to capture the mating behavior of the raptor.

I'm well aware of the fact that this may require countless hours of observation and will certainly have a tremendous amount of luck if I'm successful.

The Mangrove Skipper above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

Comfortable conditions with an unobstructed sunrise were welcome during my first chance to make my observations this week.

A bird call that I was unsure of was heard upon my arrival at Lovers Key State Park.

The Obscure Skipper above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

The mosquitoes that have been reported to be at their worst in 20 years with heavy rains in October were virtually absent while sand gnats were aggressive early in the day.

My approach to the eagle nest allowed observation of a bird in the nest with the bird's mate in a nearby tree.

The Gulf Fritillary above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

Both birds took flight upon my first glimpse of them.

The eagles were heard occasionally from different directions in the next few hours as I waited for their return to view.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

It's my expectation to find that these are the same Bald Eagles that I observed at the nest earlier this year.

I'll be assured when I note the band on one of the legs of the birds.

The scene above was photographed at Fort Myers Beach in November 2011.

Gloria Beauchamp, park manager at Lovers Key, has noted that the Bald Eagle has been seen in all areas of the Park.

At one point I thought I had observed a woodpecker I had not seen before, but it turned out to be a Belted Kingfisher after close inspection of its image on the computer.

The scene above was photographed at Fort Myers Beach in November 2011.

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were the most abundant species seen with one individual working its way through a shrub merely a few feet away allowing a remarkable view of the diminutive bird.

Insect life was prolific as well with bees particularly active around me.

The scene above was photographed at Fort Myers Beach in November 2011.

I would again make an identification request of Vince Lucas to help confirm a species seen.

He guided me in the right direction while concluding the creature to be an Obscure Skipper after making comparisons with Brian Ahern's imagery.

The scene above was photographed at Fort Myers Beach in November 2011.

Particularly vocal later in the morning during my observations were kingfishers and Ospreys.

The guttural calls of White Ibis were heard as they fed in one of the park's inner waterways though were obscured from view by the thick mangrove trees.

The scene above was photographed at Fort Myers Beach in November 2011.

Heading home I stopped at Fort Myers Beach to see the sand sculptures built during the 25th Annual American SandSculpting Championship Festival held behind the GullWing Resort.

Also celebrating its 25th anniversary is the World Championship of Sand Sculpting that will be held November 17-27, 2011 behind the Holiday Inn at Fort Myers Beach.

The scene above was photographed at Fort Myers Beach in November 2011.

The sand sculptures seen created at the American event were very impressive days after the sculptures were created.

They still attracted many visitors on the day of my visit while it is believed that 50,000 people attended the event the week before.

The scene above was photographed at Fort Myers Beach in November 2011.

The sculptures were very diverse in their themes and of many varying sizes with a few dwarfing those admiring them.

The space limitations here regrettably only offers a small representation of what was seen with a photo gallery on this subject created as time permits.

The scene above was photographed at Fort Myers Beach in November 2011.

If I'm fortunate enough to view the creations at the World Championship, it will be many months before I complete such an endeavor.

Day 2:

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

The morning of my trip back to attempt to observe the Bald Eagles at Lovers Key was met with a rare opportunity to observe a near full moonset in nighttime conditions.

I've only had this experience once before and have great regret for missing the chance to photograph the moon dipping below the horizon.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

On the previous occasion, I'm quite sure I was making a trip to observe the eagles.

The sounds heard at the parking area were not repeated on this day discounting further investigation.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

Arrival near the Bald Eagle nest was fortuitous as the birds seemed to remember me and remained in view.

Woodpeckers were much more prevalent this day with three species seen including Red-bellied, Downy and Pileated.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

The Pileated Woodpecker, significantly larger than the other woodpeckers, allowed the most interesting audible treat with its distinctive drumming created on the trees.

I was offered many more species of bird passing through on this day while a few others were absent.

The Downy Woodpecker above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

Such is the case with wildlife observation while we can occasionally take advantage of reports of species for up to weeks at a time in search of a rarity.

I caught a glimpse of what I immediately recognized as flycatcher and would compare my recollection of it to the only image I've captured of Great Crested Flycatcher nearly four years earlier at the same wildlife venue.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

Northern Mockingbird, Florida's state bird, was observed among Blue Jays.

Blue-headed Vireo was a welcome sight as it made its way through as well.

The Blue Jay above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

A brief contentious exchange between one of the Bald Eagles and an Osprey was observed with the Osprey the aggressor.

As Bald Eagles will mate for life, the pair I observed seemed to offer a reaffirmation this day as they were particularly engaging with each other on a few occasions.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

Several images taken of one of the eagles shows evidence of a metal band which has me assured that these are the same birds I've been observing.

The band was otherwise difficult to distinguish with it obscured by some of the eagle's 7192 feathers.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

Both birds were seen in the nest at one point with what appeared a food item possibly from the day before.

One of the birds was also observed to be meticulously moving part of the nest material with great care.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in November 2011.

The 2012 nesting season looks promising.

Sanibel Lighthouse Hawkwatch: Fall 2011

With migration of raptors well underway, I made a trip to Sanibel Lighthouse when I was confident the threat of rain from the latest storm had passed.

Walter Powers above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

The sky looked brighter than it had all day though was still heavily overcast as I traveled over the causeway.

The parking areas around the lighthouse showed evidence of the very heavy rain that had fallen the day before while I chose to park in the most flooded lot north of the lighthouse.

The Sanibel Lighthouse above was photographed on Sanibel Island in October 2011.

Before doing that I met an artist named Walter Powers from St. Petersburg sketching the lighthouse.

Walter told me he was an 80 year old retired firefighter from New York with a good pension that allowed him to travel.

The beach enthusiast above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

He noted that he had last been to this area 20 years earlier not making good use of his timeshare.

Walter's favorite work as I recall him saying was of a European castle he had painted while observed during snowy conditions.

The fisherman above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

The wildlife at the lighthouse on the eastern tip of Sanibel Island as always offered the regulars on the beach which was extremely windy at the time of my visit.

I took refuge from the wind on the south side of the fishing pier directly in front of the lighthouse which was more tolerable.

The Royal Tern above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

My greatest hope and anticipation was the sight of raptors that might be passing through in migration.

I would later learn reading Tom Obrock's wildlife blog that the place to be was Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve earlier in the day where upwards of a dozen species of bird I've never seen before were observed.

The Tennessee Warbler above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

My reward for the trip to the lighthouse was my first sighting of a species of bird called Northern Parula which was identified for me by Vince Lucas and Tom with much thanks.

The parula had worked its way through the vegetation onto the dune that required great care on my part to avoid kneeling in sand spurs which was impossible as it turned out.

The Northern Cardinal above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

A low flyover of an American Kestrel caused the parula to disappear from sight which was actually well timed as a four foot snake quickly made its way directly in the path of the bird.

Another intriguing species of bird just before this event had made a landing on a branch directly in front of me, but I wasn't able to capture its image for positive identification.

The Northern Parula above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

There was a small swarm of Chimney Swifts that I attempted to photograph for over a half hour unsuccessfully with the birds flying much too fast and erratically for me to get a decent image though I'm including a shot as it's a lifer species for me seen in the wild.

Fishermen, shellers and other visitors to the lighthouse were seen in greater abundance than the birds in the stormy conditions.

The Florida Black Racer above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

I also devoted much time attempting to photograph about a half dozen Bottlenose Dolphin that were feeding in the shallow tide water of the late afternoon.

The raptors which I had the greatest hopes of observing were apparently not meant to be seen this day while 3423 were reported the day before during the Florida Keys Hawkwatch.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

I had let Tom know that I had planned to be at the lighthouse for upwards of four hours, but cut my visit a little short and just missed him as the sky again began to darken again making photography extremely difficult.

From my observation point I decided to work my way along the causeway with the hope of making some interesting observations from the car.

The Willet above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

Sanderling were in the company of Laughing Gulls at my stop after crossing the causeway bridge where conditions were surprisingly calm.

With no flyovers other than by Brown Pelicans I continued to the last pullover opportunity before the shopping centers.

The Chimney Swift above was photographed at Sanibel Lighthouse in October 2011.

At this point a pair of Roseate Spoonbill were observed actively feeding in the bay with no other action to be seen with thoughts of my great fortune before calling it a day.

Harns Marsh Preserve: Late Summer 2011

The Fall migration season is well underway.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2011.

Ideal months for aves observation are known to be March and October to see the greatest diversity of species and highest concentrations of birds.

Workmate Matt Ellison this week asked me the interesting question when birds begin their Fall migration south.

The immature Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2011.

We mutually agreed that it must be July while I'm not exactly sure with the birds in many cases traversing continents while others stay the winter in Florida.

Matt regularly tells me of his observations which are always fun to hear about as he describes them in such an animated way.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2011.

While this past month allowed early observation of migratory shorebird species inland when visiting the Everglades Agricultural Area, it has only been there where I've seen certain shorebirds in migration otherwise absent at the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.

It was my intent to visit Bunche Beach Preserve again this week with hopes of observing something unexpected.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2011.

The birds will, as they do, continue to increase in numbers and diversity in the cooler months ahead.

The threat of stormy conditions at the beaches this week led instead to an early morning trip to Harns Marsh Preserve further inland when I had the chance.

The Boat-tailed Grackle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

I had made an 18 August 2011 visit to the preserve to get a feel for what was happening with the weir construction nearing completion.

At that time a pair of amicable Red-shouldered Hawks were observed together in a Cypress tree.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

While I was under the impression that water flowed out of the lake and marsh at this weir, the opposite appears to be the case.

The wildlife seen then was absent Snail Kite which was previously noted on the rise.

The Eurasian-collared Dove above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

The late summer months prove to be the least opportune for wildlife observation even considering the twenty-five or so species that I typically see year round.

The weather forecast is something I certainly rely less on preferring to look at the sky an hour or so before my departure for a wildlife venue.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

This decision to visit Harns Marsh was a good one which allowed me to observe conditions at the Preserve for a few hours while thunder could be heard from the beaches.

As the storms continued to redeveloped with the rise of the sun, I pondered Harns Marsh as a must visit venue at any time of year.

The Purple Martin juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

A highlight was observation of four Snail Kite that worked the marsh for the Apple Snails that appear to be making a good recovery after the very parched conditions at the end of the dry season.

Another thrill was my first sighting of Purple Martin with its identification confirmed by Vince Lucas and Tom Obrock.

The Black Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

There were a pair of Belted Kingfisher that did their chase routine over the marsh as last observed at Ding Darling NWR where the species can be seen in greater numbers.

A third kingfisher was observed over the north lake.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

An abundance of Boat-tailed Grackles were seen flying over the marsh toward the east.

Omnipresent Mottled Duck were strafed by a Killdeer.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

There was a solitary Roseate Spoonbill seen that took flight as I approached the remnants of the bulldozer.

Herons, egrets and ibis made their way over the marsh through the early morning hours.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

Two Eurasian-collared Dove flew by me about fifteen minutes apart.

There were surprisingly few Limpkin seen while a Black-crowned Night-Heron was observed flying south over the marsh.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

The were fortunately very few dragonflies observed that were considered a nuisance as dozens flew around me on my earlier visit to Harns Marsh.

I like to be close to the tree line about a half mile north of the parking area at Harns Marsh which especially allows for enjoyment of the birds that can be heard if not seen.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

There was a call that I didn't recognize on this most recent visit.

Rain clouds rolled in from the south before 10am obscuring the sun as thunder was then heard less than a mile away which cut my September visit short.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2011.

Sandhill Crane were heard just before leaving the Preserve.