I had a really good morning at Fort De Soto, in case you couldn’t tell from my last three posts! Here’s some more fun from North Beach.

This Osprey was perched in a tree at the parking lot as I headed out to the beach. He was enjoying his fish breakfast. He didn’t offer to share!

A couple of Common Mergansers were swimming around the sandbar. One of them gave me a wing-flap.

This Marbled Godwit was hanging out in the shallow waters around the sandbar. I love the light on him. I can’t image having a beak that big!

You could hear the bark of Black Skimmers as they skimmed along the shore. A small flock of them built up on the sandbar. Then I heard a familiar noise and spotted some funny business going on. It would be so cool if a flock of skimmers nested at North Beach this year!

The Least Terns are back! These are the smallest terns in North America. They return to Florida in late March to nest on our beaches. On this particular morning, I saw them pulling lots of tiny fish from the waves. I hope their nesting colony this year has better luck than last year.

A flock of Red Knots was bathing in the shallow water. This one was starting to come into his breeding colors. With all their feet in the water, it was hard to tell if any of them were banded. A lot of them are.

A Reddish Egret flew up and started to dance in the waves. He was pulling out fish after fish after fish! The gulls hovered overheard, ready to steal the fish at the first opportunity. Lazy birds!

I found a pair of Snowy Plovers running around in the white sand. The banded one is a male called “Kenobi” who was born on Outback Key two years ago. It looks like he’s found a girlfriend…

I came across another flock of terns. This one had some Sandwich Terns in it, and finally! after many years, I finally found them “making sandwiches.” :)

One of my last birds of the morning was one of the best. A pair of American Oystercatchers are nesting on North Beach! One of them was banded in Georgia. I’ve never seen baby American Oystercatchers, so I can’t wait to go back!!