23 April 2023 - Palm Harbour to Bonita Springs

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Willet, Short-billed Dowitcher, Western Bluebird, House Finch, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Black Skimmer, Palm Warbler, White-winged Dove, Red-tailed Hawk, Black Vulture, Sandhill Crane, Wood Stork, Swallow-tailed Kite, Magnificent Frigatebird

Today we were due to leave Palm Harbour and head south to Bonita Springs. An early walk down to the beach and along the coastal track in the morning half-light produced some decent birds, including single Willet and Short-billed Dowitcher on the shore and Western Bluebird and 3 House Finch (1 male, 2 female) from the path. As I walked along, scanning the water, I noticed an unusual-looking bird, and realised straight away it was a Black Skimmer.  There were at least 3 offshore, and two came right overhead.  Unfortunately I wasn't ready for them, it wasn't yet properly light and didn't have the right camera settings, so they're not the best of photos.  I did see two a little later, but quite distant. As I walked along I suddenly became aware of a Yellow-crowned Night Heron on the path in front of me. The first one I'd seen other than a few flyovers in the dark. I rattled off a few photos as it walked across, and then it flew towards the beach, where I noticed there was a juvenile close by, partially hidden.  Further down the track, I came across a little group of three Palm Warblers, and several birds on the wires including a nice White-winged Dove, a singing Northern Mockingbird which I videod (picture is a video frame grab) and two White Ibis balancing on the wires!

The journey to Bonita Springs was relatively uneventful, though plenty of the usual suspects; grackles, ospreys and mockingbirds etc. As we came through Tampa, I'm sure I spotted a decent flock of Black Skimmers just landing on a sandy spit as we went over a bridge, but there wasn't anywhere to stop.  Other birds en route were Red-tailed Hawk, several Black Vultures, a Swallow-tailed Kite, and two Sandhill Cranes at the side of the highway.  At one point a Wood Stork flew over the road, its legs dangling; my first.  

On arrival at Bonita Springs we drove around the neighbourhood waiting for access to the accommodation, and came across a Green Iguana basking on a concrete plinth. It turns out these aren't a native species and are considered a pest, and there are iguana bounties in places like Miami.

Black Skimmer , 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 5000 (view full size image)

Black Skimmer , 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 2500 (view full size image)

Yellow-crowned Night Heron, 1/60 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1000 (view full size image)

White-winged Dove , 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320 (view full size image)

Northern Mockingbird, 1/1 sec, f/9.1, 500 mm (view full size image)

Green Iguana , 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 400 (view full size image)