We are back in Key West for a few days to do some early season birding.
Shelling at Sanibel on day 2 went from slow to spectacular as an onshore current started pushing cones, tulips, nutmegs and conchs onto the beach with almost every wave. It was a challenge to pluck them off the beach before the next wave came crashing in to pull them back out again.
Some of the nicest finds...
Birding was so-so for the week. The best birding spot at Fort Desoto was a no-go as the park is still dealing with damage from last fall's hurricanes. So, we finished the first trip of the year with 86 species including the diminutive Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. This species rivals chickadees and nuthatches for its acrobatics.
We also ran into a swarm of Nanday Parakeets and Brown-headed Cowbirds crushing the feeders at the Celery Fields in Sarasota.
On Clearwater Beach we found a variety of gulls and terns relaxing before their nighttime feeding sorties including this small Forster's Tern.
I'm counting on Henry to help me push the YTD total well past 90 this week before we head to Port Orange on Friday. Next week I will visit several Central Florida locations ahead of my trip to South Texas where I can help with the border wall while getting some birding done.
No comments:
Post a Comment