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Posted by Vincent Lucas on 17:26:28 05/16/12
This morning, in my continuing Bird-A-Day quest, I visited Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area in Ft. Myers Beach, Lee County. There wasn't much around except the more common shorebird species when all of a sudden, a Long-billed Curlew flew in. I studied this bird for over five minutes before it flew off. It may be the same one that has been frequented Bunche Beach this past winter and in other years. Prior to seeing this bird, I saw a Whimbrel foraging in the grass along Estero Blvd. at Lovers Key State Park so the comparison these birds was fresh in my mind. On the north side of Big Carlos Pass behind the Island's End Condominiums on Ft. Myers Beach, there were no less than 13 American Oystercatchers, 4 Snowy Plovers, several Wilson's Plovers, one with a furball of a baby on stilts running around as its mother whistled for it. There were also 45-50 Red Knots, most in breeding plumage, a few Short-billed Dowitchers plus the usual Willets, Sanderlings, one Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied & Semipalmated Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Dunlin, etc. In addition to the hordes of breeding Least Terns, there were two Common Terns present as well as a somewhat late(?) Red-breasted Merganser on this beach.
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