Early this morning I traveled north to Fort DeSoto for the express purpose of seeing the Purple Sandpiper that has been reported there for the past two days.  My first stop was the Gulf Pier.  There is a seawall and rocks extending some 400 feet or more to the left of the pier.  Lo and behold I found the Sandpiper on these rocks about 200 feet left of the pier.  I took about 50 images and watched him (her?) for about an hour.  About a dozen other birders and photographers also enjoyed the same view.  There were also some Oystercatchers, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings and Black-bellied Plovers in this area.

Afterwards I went to the north lagoon.  There were some birds clustered on the far point, including some Oystercatchers and a Marbled Godwit.  I made a quick stop by the tower area, but only saw some Palm Warblers, Gnatcatchers, and a Phoebe.  I continued on to the east turnaround, but this area was occupied by kite surfers; no birds in the area.

After leaving the Park, I stopped at the Tierra Verde ponds.  The southern pond had quite a few ducks, mainly Redheads with a few Lesser Scaup.  Also saw a lone American Wigeon.  I was surprised at the large number of Great and Snowy Egrets around the pond.  There was also a group of Gulls on the north end of the pond that included two Great Black-backed Gulls.

I took my son and his fiance down to Shark Valley today.  Shark Valley is one of the three entrances to the Everglades National Park.  While they took the 2-hour tram ride over the 15-mile loop trail, I walked a portion of the trail taking pictures.  This area offers photographers wonderful opportunities to obtain closeup images of many of Florida's wading birds.  The canal along the trail is full of fish, providing a copius food supply for these birds.  Of course, the place is also full of alligators, which are sometimes closer than you want them to be.  Obtained images of Herons (Great Blue, Little Blue, Green, and Black-crowned Night), Egrets (Great & Snowy), Purple Gallinules, Wood Storks, and Anhingas.  Of course, took several shots of the numerous alligators.

I stopped at Lake Hunter on Monday afternoon to check on the Purple Gallinules.  Found about a dozen, along with some juveniles.  Also saw some Moorhens and a Black-crowned Night Heron.  Then I went over to Lake Morton, arriving there about 4:30 p.m.  I did a walk-around and saw the usual Swans, Ducks (mainly Ring-necked and Ruddy), White Pelicans, Egrets, Herons, and a Wood Stork.  Obtained some good images of the male Ruddy Ducks.

On Tuesday morning I stopped at the Circle B Bar Reserve, south of Lakeland.  Walked the long trail around the Banana Marsh area down to Lake Hancock and back.  Observed a lot of wading birds, such as Egrets (Great, Snowy), Herons (Great Blue, Little Blue, Tricolored, Green), Ibis (White, Glossy) and Anhingas.  Saw two Bald Eagles fly over.  Also saw many Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, Eastern Phoebes, Warblers (Palm and Yellow-rumped), Woodpeckers (Downy, Red-bellied), and Savannah Sparrows.  On Lake Hancock, observed Brown Pelicans, many Cormorants, and Gulls (Laughing, Ring-billed).  I was disappointed relative to the few ducks observed.  Only saw several Black-bellied and Mottled Ducks.  Since hunting is allowed on the Reserve two mornings a week, the ducks may be widely dispersed.