American Avocet At Bunche Beach

The temperatures here in southwest Florida were a few degrees below normal this week in the eighties for highs as the northeastern United States was pummeled with an unusually early snowstorm.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

I'm not sure the affect this might have on the theory global warming.

Plans to take advantage of what might have been very good conditions for warbler action at Six Mile Cypress Preserve following a storm front were lost with a need for rest.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

The next opportunity to look for Florida Scrub Jay was postponed as well feeling a little under the weather and possibly not offering an update this week.

I heard from Tom Obrock advising me that he had a sighting of the species found only in Florida while posting great photos of the species.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

It was too late for me to make tracks north in his direction and was on the way to Bunche Beach with slim hopes that the very rare Greater Flamingo might be seen.

With this species as daunting a find as the scrub jay in my wildlife observations, I was content with hopes of seeing oystercatcher, avocet, and the significantly less likely Merlin coincidentally seen at the beach I would travel to.

The Willet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

I arrived at Bunche at an unusual hour around midday (preferring sunrise or late afternoon) with the tide at its low.

This is not considered a good time of day for photography, but I attempted to make the best of.

The Semipalmated Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

I like how a negative exposure bias setting increases the shutter speed in AV (aperture) mode while unfortunately the opposite happens with the need to improve light of a dark subject against a bright background typically.

This control of the camera will hopefully give photography enthusiasts a little more courage to capture their images under the widely considered unfavorable condition.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

This would likely be particularly useful for photography of wildlife subjects in areas where the sun is even closer to the horizon the further you get north from the equator at this time of year.

The especially bright light source allows one to favorably utilize an aperture setting that expands the area of sharpness of the subject that as a detraction reduces your shutter speed for action shots.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

Selective enhancements of some of the images have been made in post processing to improve the overall result to my preference while the ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for anything more than a minor adjustment of an image with merely sharpening a goal.

The first few images of this blog entry were taken with experimental exposure bias settings with results I think are appealing considering the time of day.

The American Avocet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

Before my arrival with the intent to stay until sunset, I traveled to the Sanibel toll plaza (western fringe of Bunche Beach Preserve) to scan the bay where the flamingo had recently been seen.

I grappled briefly with some clouds that passed over the Preserve which offered an additional challenge in photographing the wildlife.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

There were a significant number of Least Sandpiper, Black Skimmer and Laughing Gulls on the flats, but no flamingo.

The wind was strong from the north on the day of my observations which kept the water level in San Carlos Bay lower than it might have been otherwise.

The American Avocet with Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

At Bunche Beach Preserve from the John Morris Road parking area I made my way beyond the west channel where I observed a Tricolored Heron and Reddish Egret that were especially active in their feeding behavior.

I devoted much time to observing these birds with otherwise primarily Least Sandpiper seen working the sea grass for their survival.

The primarily Least Sandpiper above were photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

With the flats exposed to the extent they were, the birds were scattered over a very wide range.

It wasn't long before I filled the 8GB memory card of the camera and had to return home for the 32GB card I've been spoiled by thanks to Tim Rucci.

The American Oystercatcher juvenile above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

With my anticipated upgrade to the Canon Mark V when it becomes available (saving now), a 128GB card will hopefully be reasonably priced.

Although I gave a brief thought to calling it a day after my return home, none of my target species had been seen and I was excited by the favorable tide conditions with the possibility for good light through the late afternoon.

The American Avocet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

So I made the return trek to one of the greatest wildlife beach venues I know of.

The shorebirds in particular at Bunche Beach will congregate at much closer range in a predictable manner as the tide rises from its low.

The Forster's Tern above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

This event occurs as long as they are not disturbed by humans or one of their predators.

I walked further into the bay than I had earlier and was rewarded with the sighting of an American Avocet.

The American Avocet with Forster's Tern above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

The bird was among a flock of primarily Short-billed Dowitcher with a lone Black-bellied Plover although other of the latter be heard calling to it from not too great a distance.

I consider the American Avocet one of the more beautiful species of bird and was fortunate to observe the characteristic side to side motion of its bill indicative of its feeding behavior.

The Caspian Tern above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

As time went on and the birds were forced closer together, a lone Caspian Tern was also a standout in the crowd.

I initially thought the Caspian was a Royal Tern, but closer inspection of the bird on the computer clearly showed evidence of a dusky tip of the bill indicating Caspian.

The American Avocet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

My second target species, American Oystercatcher, would make an extended appearance before flying off the the east which was the direction it had arrived from.

This was a special treat with the oystercatcher a juvenile as noted by its darker bill.

The Sanderling above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

Its parent remained closer to the shoreline while I wonder if this was the same oystercatcher observed last week while I didn't see the juvenile at that time.

Dozens of Sanderling arrived about a half hour before sunset.

The American Avocet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

Upwards of a hundred Least Sandpiper were very active in flight in the immediate area.

I was entranced by the dominant behavior of Forster's Tern, a much smaller bird than the avocet, which numerous times discouraged the avocet from approaching too closely to its territory which didn't appear more than a few square feet.

The sunset above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

At the near exact moment of sunset, the avocet would bathe briefly which regrettably wasn't photographed in better light.

While the Merlin failed to make an appearance, the flamingo failed to show as well and remains a nemesis bird seen in the wild.

The American Avocet above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2011.

My visit to Bunche Beach Preserve this week was nonetheless one of the more enjoyable experiences I've had observing the wildlife there.

Elusive Flamingo At Bunche Beach

In early September 2011 I was astounded to hear from workmate Mike Peters that he had seen an American Flamingo in the area.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

Mike has been observing at least a pair of the species while fishing the waters in the vicinity of Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge as has been reported here.

Preceding my days off from work this week, Gayle Sheets, webmaster of BirdPatrol.org and Media Coordinator for Lee County's Bird Patrol, was kind enough to forward me an image of the flamingo taken near Bunche Beach Preserve.

The Peregrine Falcon above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

With a chance of observing the species from land, and at one of my favorite wildlife venues, I made three visits to the Preserve with hopes of making my first observation of the rarely seen bird.

My first visit to Bunche was in the late afternoon upon reading Gayle's email.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

The tide I thought was favorably low for observation of the flamingo, but would be told the following morning by a fellow visitor to the Preserve that the flamingo would more likely be seen in deeper water based on its preferred foraging behavior.

My visit to Bunche on the second day was a morning trip which allowed for observation of the greatest numbers of Tricolored Heron I'd yet seen with upwards of forty of them either in the water or in flight.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

I would learn the lesson this particular morning not to allow a camera battery to fail in use as I lost a series of images of Great Blue Heron giving a stunning chase of a juvenile in a territorial dispute.

A moment later I also had a very close flyby of a juvenile Little Blue Heron.

The Little Blue Heron juvenile above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

It was a treat to finally meet Gayle as she visited the Preserve this day and noted how excited she was to walk in the bay as she hadn't before.

Also visiting the Preserve to partake in the remarkable birdwatching opportunities were Joanne and Mickey with the Caloosa Bird Club and Ruth affiliated with the Bird Patrol.

The Great Blue Heron with Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

My third visit to Bunche Beach Preserve this week was delayed by a couple of hours with a need to replace the car battery.

My arrival to the beach this last day offered a view of a photographer in the water whom I had seen when leaving the day before.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

I would learn that this was pbase contributor and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable, Robert Doiron from New Brunswick.

Robert told be that he has a particular interest in shorebirds with there no better place I know of to observe them than where he was.

Robert Doiron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

The flamingo remained elusive while there was plenty of other action to keep a wildlife enthusiast entertained.

One didn't even need to get in the water as the rising tides brought the birds closer and closer to shore.

The Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

The flamingo had been sighted at Bunche Beach near the Sanibel toll plaza this past week and reported in a news story of the event.

Gayle was mentioned in the story noting that nine of the species were observed flying north over Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs to the south.

The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

Naturalist Vince McGrath was noted as saying that he believed the bird seen at Bunche was likely a juvenile as it lacked deep pink coloration in its feathers which can similarly be noted with juvenile Roseate Spoonbills.

He also added that the flamingos may be escapees from tourist attractions or zoos as the bird observed near the Sanibel Causeway was tolerant of its close approach.

The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

Robert made the point of telling me how tame the birds are that he's observed here while those he sees in Canada will take flight as soon as they see him from a great distance in many cases.

Imagine the scene described by Mike 20 years ago when he observed about a hundred of the flamingos together in these San Carlos Bay waters.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in October 2011.

I'm very optimistic that the flamingos will choose to stay in the area through the winter months.

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.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve: Fall 2011

A very late morning start in my trip to Six Mile Cypress Preserve this week gave me concern that there would be relatively little bird activity in the trees beyond the boardwalk.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

Tom Obrock advised me before my departure that the birds have been in the canopy when seen.

Upon my arrival, I was surprised by the large number of cars in the parking lot as it's still early for tourists visiting the area while locals are not known to take advantage of such great venues as this in their relative backyard.

The Anhinga above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

Beyond the stand of cypress trees I came across a Great Blue Heron posing on some vegetation where I had last seen feral pigs foraging months ago.

The water level was high after a good rain early in the week.

The Common Cooter above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

I next caught sight of a rarely seen Gray Catbird that is heard much more than seen.

My walk along the boardwalk was slowly paced waiting for the wildlife to come to me.

The Brazilian Skipper above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

I ultimately would stay in the Preserve for a longer period of time than I had expected meeting interesting people while intrigued by the wildlife making its way through.

Several species of bird I'm familiar with by sound were heard, but regrettably not seen.

The Green Heron above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

I met Debbie who told me she had received her camera (a great entry level kit) this past holiday season.

She showed me several of the images she had taken within the Slough and told me of her newly acquired interest in learning about wildlife and its behavior.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

Another frequent visitor met at the Preserve told of how the feral pigs were cutting down the Alligator Flag plants during drier conditions noting that more than 80 wading birds were once seen at Wood Duck Pond with the pigs at his back.

While a lot of birds were tantalizingly seen in the canopy as Tom had noted, I had the occasional glimpse of Black-and-white Warbler with Blue-gray Gnatcatcher by far the most common bird seen closer to eye level.

The Tufted Titmouse above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

A Downy Woodpecker stayed within range of observation for quite some time, but never made for a good photo-op.

Debbie also noted her observation of an alligator building a shelter for its young during the heavy rains from one day to the next.

The Downy Woodpecker above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

She also told me that the resident alligator at the Preserve has been named Rebecca.

Another pair of visitors named Melony and James were observing an alligator at extremely close range at Wood Duck Pond where I spoke with them briefly.

The alligator above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

James noted that an alligator will provide shelter for their offspring to protect the slime coating of its young.

His sense of humor was enjoyed while telling me of a possible location for photography of Florida Scrub Jays he sees with regularity.

Melony and James above were photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

What I thought were dogs in the parking area when leaving the Preserve were a family of feral pigs.

There were a half dozen puppy sized young in tow while the adult marked its territory.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2011.

Mike Peters again told me of his sighting of flamingo closer to Pine Island Marina than noted before.