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Posted by David S. on 08:58:23 09/04/10
Last Thursday Wendy and I went to Flamingo and kayaked Snake Bight for birds. Despite a 20 knot wind from the NE, we entered the western side of Snake Bight and paddled along the shore. Going was slow and laborious into the wind, but the further north into the bight, we became more protected by the trees and shallow water. We entered on a falling tide and the mud flats became more exposed the further we traveled. We hit the tides just right for maximum mudflats and many birds, but left the shallows just in time to make it to the channel before the tide fell any, further which would have rendered us hopelessly stuck on the flats. At the end of low tide, the strong NE wind blew us down the channel in such a way that we could face the exposed mudflats to the east of the channel, and with minimal paddling, we had excellent observing conditions with the late afternoon sun behind our backs. It was like we were on a "conveyor belt", constantly moving along the shore of the flats observing all the birds along the entire length of the channel! What a treat! We arrived back at the marina at 6:30 just in time to celebrate our adventure with some ladies from St. Pauli we met at the convenience store just before they closed for the evening. As were were about to leave Flamingo, we were stopped by an immature Bald Eagle trying to eat a small turtle. Obviously engrossed trying to figure out how to open the package, this bird totally ignored our presence and allowed us to take several pictures from about 30 feet away! What a way to end a fine day of kayaking and birding. Come to think of it, I've ALWAYS had good days doing this!
Even though the quantities of shore birds were not as large as in January or February, the variety was was excellent.
Osprey
Bald Eagle 2
Marbled Godwits ~70
Willets ~50
Spotted Sandpipers 7
Western Sandpipers
Least Sandpipers
Semipalmated Sandpipers
Semipalmated Plovers
Black-bellied Plovers
Ruddy Turnstones
Black-necked Stilts ~30
American Avocets ~20
Short-billed Dowitchers
Little Blue Herons
Great Blue Herons
Snowy Egrets
Great White Egrets
Reddish Egrets ~30
Tri-colored Herons
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbills ~ 50
American Brown Pelican
Belted Kingfishers
Royal Terns
Least Terns
Forester Terns
Black Skimmers ~70
Blue-winged Teal(?)~ 15
Greater Yellowlegs
Barn Swallows
Comorants
Turkey Vultures
Laughing Gulls
NO Flamingos sighted
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