Our Tuesday morning birding group (12 people today) traveled south to Lehigh Acres to visit Harns Marsh (for directions, click here).  We arrived there about 8:30.  We parked the cars by the entrance and walked about a mile CCW around the marsh. 

Birds were everywhere.  Of course, Egrets (Great & Snowy), Herons (Great Blue, Little Blue, & Tricolored, Black-crowned Night-), and Ibis (Glossy & White) were quite abundant.  At least four different Snail Kites and two Limpkins were observed feeding on the plentiful snails.  Other water birds seen included American Coots (a large raft of several hundred), Cormorants, Mottled Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, Hooded Mergansers, Moorhens, and Northern Shovelers.  Shorebirds seen included Killdeer, Least Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Wilson’s Snipe, and Yellowlegs (Great & Lesser).  Tree Swallows and a few Barn Swallows were continuously flying over the water.  Altogether, the group observed 40 different species.

This Monday morning, a friend and I traveled south to North Fort Myers to visit the Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve.  This Preserve is located along the northern shoreline of the Caloosahatchee River.  It is cut in half by Interstate 75.  It was opened to the public in May, 2008.  This was our first visit to this Preserve.

We started in the East section and walked the approximately 1.5 mile boardwalk and trail system through hammock and pine flatwoods.  This trail did not come close to the river.  Although it was a pleasant walk, very few birds were seen.  We saw exactly seven species: Cardinal, Catbird, Ground-dove, Red-tailed Hawk, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and a Wood Stork (flying over). 

We then got in the car and went over to the West section.  The combination boardwalk and trail was only about 0.5 miles long and did end at a small marsh with water.  Again, we were not near the river.  Birds seen here included Moorhens, Tricolored Herons, and a Little Blue Heron.  On the way back, in the open area by the power lines, we walked a short section along the tree edge .  We did see several Brown Thrashers, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Cooper’s Hawk, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers.  Other birds seen during our hike included Catbird, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Pileated Woodpecker, and Vultures (Black & Turkey).  In the West section we saw a total of 16 species.

Our birding group traveled north to the Celery Fields this morning, arriving at the gazebo parking lot about 8:15.  The marshy areas next to the gazebo were completely dry.  Much of it had also been burned as a result of an accidental brush fire a few days ago.  We walked the normal path through the marshy area and did see a few birds, notably Savannah and Swamp Sparrows and Tree Swallows.  Most of the birds spotted were on or around the lake beyond the marshy areas.  Birds seen included Coots, Cormorants, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mottled Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Blue-winged Teal, Moorhens, and Pied-billed Grebes.  Wading birds seen included Egrets (Cattle, Great, & Snowy), Herons (Great Blue, Little Blue, & Tricolored), White Ibis, Limpkins, and a single Black-necked Stilt.  Birds seen overhead included a Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Bald Eagle, and Osprey.

Our next stop was Ackerman Park, where we had lunch.  Birds seen there were mainly Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, a Caspian Tern, Cormorants, Mottled Ducks, and Boat-tailed Grackles.  Altogether, we spotted 37 different species at the two locations.

A photographer friend and I drove north to Polk County to visit the Circle B Bar Reserve, about a two-hour drive from Punta Gorda.  We left at 6:30 a.m. and were on the trails by 8:30. The weather was excellent, a cloudless sky and not too hot.  As usual, the Reserve was teaming with birds.  We walked the Heron Hideout, Marsh Rabbit Run, Windmill Whisper and Shady Oak Trails, about a 2.5-mile loop.  As with many places, some of the marsh is drying up.  Much of the marsh north of Marsh Rabbit Run is dried up.

The White Pelicans were still there, probably numbering a few hundred.  There were about a dozen Spoonbills and Wood Stocks scattered over the Reserve, several offering nice close-up shots.  We saw the usual Egrets, Herons, and Ibises.  Waterfowl included Coots (many), Moorhens, Mottled Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Blue-winged Teal, and Ring-necked Ducks.  At one point, all of the waterfowl blasted off due to a Bald Eagle flying in and snatching a Coot.  Shorebirds seen included Killdeer, Great and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers, and Wilson’s Snipe.

We saw a Marsh Rabbit, and a large water snake devouring a catfish.  Although our focus was on photographing birds, we managed to count 43 different species.  A great day to be out.

This morning, our birding group (13 persons) traveled north to Robinson Preserve in Bradenton, Manatee County.  We arrived there about 9 a.m.  The sky was overcast and we experienced a few light drizzles during our walk around the Osprey Loop (3 miles).

Some of the marshy areas were dried up, which may have contributed to a low number of birds seen.  A few shorebirds (Willets, Dunlins, Black-bellied Plovers, Killdeer, Short-billed Dowitchers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Wilson’s Plovers) were noted only in one area.  There was also a Reddish Egret foraging in this area.  It was surprising to see so many Wilson’s Plovers together (eight).  A lone Caspian Tern was also noted.

Other birds seen on our hike were the normal wading birds, such as Egrets (Cattle, Great, & Snowy), Herons (Great Blue, Little Blue, & Tricolored), and White Ibises.  A lone Spoonbill was observed in flight.  Four Red-breasted Mergansers were observed in the Manatee River.  An Eagle’s nest with two young ones was also noted.  Altogether, 35 species of birds were observed..

We had the good fortune to observe a Great Blue Heron capturing a large fish (probably a Sea Trout) about 16-inches long.  He then repositioned it and gradually swallowed it.  Another interesting observation was hundreds of small Fiddler Crabs foraging for food along the water’s edge in one area.  There were even some male crabs by their burrows trying to attract females by raising and lowering their large claw.

This morning, our birding group (8 people) traveled north to Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County.  As we drove into the parking lot, we were greeted by the Red-headed Woodpeckers.  It is nice to see these birds still thriving in this area.

We started by walking the blue trail around the Wet Prairie (not wet), then the maroon trail through the pine flatlands, and then the yellow trail around the swamp (no water) and back to the parking lot.  These trails covered a total distance of about two miles.  Since everything was dried up, we saw no water birds except for a Great Blue Heron and Great Egret flying over.  We did see Cardinals, Blue Jays, Catbirds, and Mockingbirds.  We also saw two Red-shouldered Hawks, one in a nest, probably sitting on eggs.  Woodpeckers seen included Red-bellied, Red-headed, and Downy.  Smaller birds seen included several Tufted Titmouse, White-eyed Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Palm Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Carolina Wren.  Altogether, we saw 22 species.  (Note: Our observations were entered on eBird).

After a pleasant lunch in the picnic pavilion, we headed over to South Sleeping Turtles Preserve.  By this time, it was 1:30 and no birds were seen or heard.  Note: This Preserve is located on River Road just south of I-75.  If you Google this Preserve, it will show it on Jackson Road, which is incorrect.

This morning, our birding group (9 people) traveled north to Honeymoon Island State Park, a good 2-hour drive.  We made a pit stop at the Skyway Bridge rest area, where we observed a number of water birds, including Ruddy Turnstones, Willets, Snowy Egrets, White Ibis, and Royal Terns.  We then continued our drive north, arriving at the Park entrance around 10 a.m.

Our first stop in the Park was on the balcony of the Nature Center.  With scopes, we saw Red-breasted Mergansers, a Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Oystercatcher, and Forster’s Terns.  We then went to the Pet Beach birding the marsh on the way.  The tide was high and still rising.  Birds seen included Savannah Sparrows, Brown Thrasher, Whimbrel, Willet, several Wilson’s Plovers, Black-bellied Plover, and Dunlins.

We then drove to the Osprey Trail and walked out to the Bald Eagle’s nest.  The Great Horned Owl’s nest had been taken over by Ospreys.  Apparently, the two young owlets had fallen out of the nest several weeks ago.  The Osprey Trail is well-named, as at least a half-dozen active Osprey nests were observed.  Along the trail we saw a pair of Indigo Buntings, Cardinals, Catbirds, Great-crested Flycatcher, Cooper’s Hawk, Downy Woodpeckers, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers.  The Eagle’s nest was occupied by an adult and one chick.  We saw 34 different species of birds at the Park.  These observations were entered in eBird.