Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part III

Images presented in this article were captured during the late afternoon of 28 July when I met up with Bob Blanchard, and on the mornings of 31 July and 10 August 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.

The two late July visits to Little Estero Lagoon were primarily in anticipation of the hatching of an American Oystercatcher egg observed over a four week period. Bob Blanchard would observe that the egg had disappeared from the nest by the afternoon of 1 August with compelling evidence that the egg was stolen by human hands. As of this writing, the culprit remains unknown. On 2 August, Fort Myers biologist Keith Laakkonen surveyed the nest area to conclude that the egg loss was not attributable to predation. Keith was witness to a mating attempt by the oystercatchers during his morning visit which was encouraging news. I met up with Francois Constantin to close this three part article. Oystercatchers were not initially observed anywhere near the former nest, but the species was ultimately seen heading south in small groups or alone totaling 11 individuals as was noted in late June. Although the high tide in the Lagoon was not favorable for wading bird observation on the 10 August visit with Frank, the visit on 31 July was ideal for the larger birds. The August visit to the Lagoon was very favorable for shorebird action, however, which included sighting of the following species: American Oystercatcher, Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Least Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, White Ibis, Magnificent Frigatebird, Double-crested Cormorant, Sanderling, Red Knot (many banded), Black-bellied Plover, Wilson's Plover, Snowy Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Black Skimmer, Willet, Short-billed Dowitcher, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, and Common Ground Dove. Other species represented here were observed in the prior two visits to the Lagoon. There was no personal observation of mating activity of the oystercatchers during the 10 August visit.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Magnificent Frigatebird above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Sanderling above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The scene including the Naples skyline on the horizon above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Willet above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The scene above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Ruddy Turnstone with a Red Knot at lower right above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Willet above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The sunset above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Green Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Great Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Green Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Great Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The White Ibis above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Great Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Royal Tern above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Northern Cardinal above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Green Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The Wilson's Plover above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The juvenile Reddish Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The Forster's Tern above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The Sandwich Tern above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The Red Knot above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The Snowy Plover above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in August 2012.


The American Oystercatcher egg above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon on 31 July 2012. This was the last time I saw the egg before its disappearance from the nest.

Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part I.
Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part II.
Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part IV.

Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part II

On 29 June 2012, representatives of the Lee County Shorebird Partnership and members and volunteers of Southwest Florida Audubon were making clean-up and restoration efforts at the Critical Wildlife Area at Little Estero Lagoon in the wake of Tropical Storm Debby.


The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.

On that morning, Arthur Brock would make the observation of an unusual looking egg in a nest scape high on a dune that was soon after incubated by an American Oystercatcher. Environmental Sciences Coordinator at the Town of Fort Myers Beach, and University of Florida alumni and biologist, Keith Laakkonen, was supervising the work and would note this nesting as extraordinary. Brie Ochoa, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (and former Park Services Specialist at Lovers Key State Park which is immediately to the south of Little Estero Lagoon), has noted that four American Oystercatcher nests were observed with failure at Lovers Key in prior years. Brie has expressed her opinion that failure of the oystercatchers to produce offspring in the area is most attributable to the presence of people disturbing the nests unintentionally. The oystercatchers at Little Estero Lagoon have personally been observed to leave the nest to merely stretch their legs, though quickly return to their incubation duties under those circumstances. On one rare occasion observed, the bird on the nest left it to mingle with its mate a few dozen yards away. During one of my observations of the oystercatcher egg at the Lagoon this nesting season, I noted that the adult oystercatcher on the nest was easily agitated by biting ants and would leave the nest seemingly in frustration. My late afternoon observations made on 23 and 25 July 2012, from which the images included in this article were taken, offered neither of the adults off the nest for an extended period of time. The oystercatchers had played tag somewhat distant from the nest on a pair of occasions observed and were proven to be extremely diligent in their tending of the nest. On 1 August 2012, with the egg at six days beyond the normal incubation period for American Oystercatcher, I was advised by Bob Blanchard that the nest had been plundered.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Sanderling above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Willet above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The 1st summer Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Osprey above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The 1st summer Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Little Blue Heron (sometimes confused with Reddish Egret) above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Least Tern above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Sandwich Tern with Black Skimmer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The wildlife enthusiasts above were photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.


The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in July 2012.

Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part I.
Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part III.
Please see Oystercatchers At Little Estero Lagoon: Part IV.