San Carlos Bay Bunche Beach and Ding Darling

Thursday 29th.
Local information is essential when knowing where and when to find the birds. I have previously mentioned the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail and the details posted by the Calhoosa Bird Club have been very useful and accurate. This morning we took them at their word and went to San Carlos Bay Bunche Beach Preserve to look for waders and seabirds. It is opposite Bowditch Point and with the tide low there were numerous birds around. In the space of only a few yards we had three firsts for our all time list. Marbled Godwits were easily seen and numbered about a dozen. Then with the help of two Canadian Birders we saw and identified Wilson's Plover and Piping Plover. Some of them were so close we did not need even binoculars with the Piping Plovers being only feet away. This was birding at its best. As we were walking back at least two hundred Black Skimmers flew in giving us a good show as they flew around, landed and took off again. Also there was a good number of Royal Terns. Due to the weather being ten degrees colder than the average this week and winds causing the water to be very choppy our chances of viewing sea birds was not good.

We were delighted with these sightings, but we were again on our way to Ding Darling and Sanibel. The wildlife drive was our intention and the focus would be to locate and photograph the Short-billed Dowitchers. They were easy to see and after a good examination of about twelve of them we knew we had added another one to our list. Here we also saw Least Sandpipers and some Semi-palmated Plovers.

A quick shopping trip to Tarpon Bay gave us another surprise. As we were about to leave I heard a bird call and in the top of the Mangroves were two Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. They flew away quickly but one returned for us to check the identification. There was no doubt what we had seen as there is no other birds like them. Michelle was able to take a record shot.

On this trip we purchased The Sibley Guide To Birds - Second Edition. It has been written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley. There is no doubt that he is an authority on birds and he has been acclaimed by birding societies. It has to be the most informative and detailed bird book that we have bought.
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