As my dad and I left Fort De Soto on his birthday outing, we stopped at a nearby Black Skimmer colony to check on the progress of the colony. The birds had staked their claim to a part of the beach, in the middle of a fairly busy section. The area was roped off, meaning that some of the birds were already on eggs. The birds seemed to be paired up and sitting near scrapes, but we only saw one egg. A number of them were congregated by the water. We didn’t stay long, but we look forward to the promise of cute babies in a few weeks! :)
In late May, I took my dad on a birthday trip to Fort De Soto. We had a great morning at North Beach, watching the shorebirds and enjoying the water. Our first bird of the morning was carrying an apple left on the beach. We decided that our new adage will be: “An apple a day and the birds will play!” ;-)
Ring-billed Gull Carrying Apple
A small flock of Common Terns was hanging out at the edge of the water. When a person would walk by, the birds would spook and fly off. Although I felt badly for the birds as I thought of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend festivities, the frequent flight shots were fun for photographers…
Common Terns in Flight
The Common Terns weren’t the only flight opportunities. The Least Terns were hanging out at the edge of the beach, diving for fish for breakfast. They are fast fliers and a challenge to capture through the lens. I certainly enjoyed trying! :)
Least Tern in Flight
We spotted one of the local Reddish Egrets, also known as “Big Red,” off in the surf. I love watching his “drunken sailor” antics. He darts erratically in the waves, using his wings to cast shadows on the fish below. Then he does a quick dive and comes up with a nice fish. He fit right in with the fishing boats in the distance…
Reddish Egret “Big Red” Fishing
Reddish Egret “Big Red” Fishing
Back up on the beach, we found a small Wilson’s Plover. She looked like she was on a nest, but I didn’t see any eggs in the area. It’s almost time for tiny fuzzballs to start showing up on the beach. They look like cotton balls on q-tip stick legs. So cute!
Wilson’s Plover
The Least Terns at the water’s edge were focused on fishing and breakfast. The terns back on the beach had other things in their minds. We saw a pair of terns doing a fun courtship ritual. The male had a fish and the female was dancing her approval…but minutes passed and nothing happened! The birds continued to dance and I wondered if a bird ever just drops the fish and flies off. A third bird flew in with a second fish, and the first male chased him off. Such drama on the beach! After probably 15 minutes of teasing, the birds finally did their piggy-back ride…
Least Tern Courtship – Two males and two fish for this bird to choose from!
Least Tern piggy-back ride (yep, this is a family-friendly site!)
Our last bird of the day was a Whimbrel! I’ve only seen a Whimbrel once before, also at Fort de Soto’s North Beach. The bird was standing on the beach with a pair of Black-bellied Plovers. I tried to get on a good sun angle, but a walker startled the bird and he flew. I was shooting straight into the sun as he flew off, but I managed to catch his open mouth as he called to say goodbye. :)
In mid-May I went to Fort De Soto to enjoy the cool water, breeze, and of course, the birds! A flock of terns was hanging out near the shore. They would wander out leg-deep in the water and splash around. If you’ve spent any time around shorebirds, you’ll know that a bath is followed by a photogenic wing-flap. Click-click-click goes the Beast…
Common Tern
Sandwich Tern Joint Take-Off
Tiny Sanderlings scurried along the edge of the waves, searching the sand for breakfast. These birds are mostly white in the wintertime. It’s fun to see them put on their rich brown feathers as they prepare to breed.
Sanderling
I heard the distinct call of the American Oystercatcher as he flew in and landed a little distance away. This tolerant bird didn’t mind me as I got closer, laid down in the sand, and photographed him from a variety of angles. I reminded him that I’ve never seen a baby oystercatcher. He winked and made no promises. ;-)
American Oystercatcher
I was surprised to see plenty of Black-bellied Plovers still hanging around Florida. Most of them had left by that point, off on their long flight to the Arctic tundra to breed and raise their babies. A few of them were sporting nice black bellies. Others hadn’t quite gotten their breeding plumage yet. But everybody enjoyed splashing in the water!
Black-bellied Plover
Black-bellied Plover
Black-bellied Plover Take-off
This Dunlin noticed the silly photographer sitting in shallow water and decided to wander close to her lens. He’s got his breeding plumage black belly, too!
Dunlin in Breeding Plumage
I looked up and noticed a Magnificent Frigatebird flying overhead. They were very active that morning at the duck pond on Tierra Verde. It was fun to see one up close.
Magnificent Frigatebird
All together, it was a great morning to be out in the sunshine. The Royal Terns said goodbye as they continued to splash in the waves.
