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Decent day of birding on the south end of Fort Myers Beach this morning. 
Highlights were the largest aggregation of WIPL I have ever seen in the high
wrack in the central lagoon- 68 birds.  Also, was able to get read three flags
from the flock of REKN that descended on the beach.

Keith Laakkonen
Environmental Sciences Coordinator
Town of Fort Myers Beach

On SCCF walk thru Sanibel Gardens, highlights were a fly-over Sharp-shinned
hawk, and a singing Palm Warbler.

Karl

Sent from my iPhone

Both of these on Sand Dollar Island, amongst hundreds of birds north of the main
beach area where you arrive after forging the lagoon.  Other groups of birds
could be seen beyond where I stopped and also across the lagoon, plus an
enormous flock of gulls, terns, etc. much further north.  I didn't walk up far
enough to admire it, but I could see the birds rising occasionally.

Jason Gulvas
Naples

Had a great birding morning from the 6 Mile Cypress Preserve Boardwalk today
(1/15) -- 39 species in 3 hours, including 5 warbler species.  Best bird was a
Black-throated Green Warbler.   Ed Combs

We went on the Pond Apple trail and had some nice birds. Highlights below.
Painted Bunting, ad. f.
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Carolina Wren
Cardinal
Catbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Common Gallinule
Anhinga
Mottled Ducks
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Killdeer
B. Pelican
Cattle Egret
Little Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret

Don and Lillian Stokes

Any recent sightings? I'm going to be up that way this eve and would appreciate
any help.
Monica Higgins , Naples

Sent from my iPhone

At 9:15 this morning we saw 3 Razorbills about 60ft offshore near the tip of the
Lighthouse Beach.

Lots of dead fish on the beach and in the water.

Don and Lilllian Stokes

Two other sightings of Razorbills this morning. Two were swimming by Colony
Condo beach and one was feeding at the north end of the beach at the end of
Bailey Rd. Cannot be sure if these were additional birds to the 3 seen earlier.

At Colony Condo beach:
8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
49 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
3 Bonaparte's Gulls
tons of Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls
No Common Terns
Lots of Black Skimmers

Driving across the Sanibel causeway a few minutes ago, what appeared to be a WWSC flew right in front of us. White secondaries very prominent.

Jim Boughton

Just saw 2 adult Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in the Dunes along Sand Castle Rd.
where it borders the Pond Apple Trail ponds. They may show up on perches around
the Pond Apple ponds as well. They are moving around and feeding.

Don and Lillian Stokes

Common goldeneye female at above site. Good looks from overpass.
Question- saw a bird diving alongside Forster tern but was brown on top, white
underneath with black spot on eye. A little smaller than Fote. Is this a
juvenile Fote?

monicahiggin
Jan 20, 2013
North Collier Regional WTP
Stationary
0 miles
60 Minutes
Observers: 1
All birds reported? Yes
Comments:
Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.5.1
10 Mottled Duck
5 Blue-winged Teal
11 Northern Shoveler
42 Lesser Scaup
1 Common Goldeneye -- Photo taken. Female, brown head, short gray bill. White
patch near rump. Opened wings at one point and could see white secondaries
2 Hooded Merganser
2 Red-breasted Merganser
2 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Egret
1 Snowy Egret
1 Tricolored Heron
3 Killdeer
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
10 Least Sandpiper
3 Ring-billed Gull
2 Forster's Tern
1 Pileated Woodpecker
1 Eastern Phoebe
1 Palm Warbler
2 Savannah Sparrow
1 Red-winged Blackbird


Sent from my iPhone

Here's a photo of one of the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers we just saw on Sanibel.
Lillian Stokes

I was one of the four birders Karl mentioned in his Razorbill post but while
crossing the first bridge on the Sanibel side of the causeway I noticed a dark
bird to the north.  I pulled off at the causeway and saw a single Razorbill
swimming and preening within binocular range.  A life bird for me and I thought
the light tones on the bird would be grayish but this bird was black and white
in the morning light at 10am 01/20/2013.
Happy Iowa birder
Gerald White

The January 26 and February 2 STA5 trips have reach capacity for the number of
cars driving on the levees.
Openings available for Birders or Photographers on Sat. Feb. 16,Sunday Feb. 17
and Mon. Feb.  18th.
Reservations required.
Contact:
Margaret England
LaBelle
www.hendrygladesaudubon.org
www.bigobirdingfestival.com

Combined list for STA5 and Deer Fence Road.

Stormwater Treatment Area 5, Hendry, US-FL Jan 19, 2013 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
21.0 mile(s)
Comments:  Audubon Everglades, Everglades Birding Festival, Manatee Audubon,  2
escorted groups and photographers.
88 species

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Wood Stork
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American White Pelican
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill  2
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite  2
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Sora
Purple Swamphen
Purple Gallinule
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane  1
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Ring-billed Gull
Caspian Tern
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Crested Caracara  1
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Cassin's Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Gray Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
European Starling
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch

Lots of birders out today and loads of birds making it worth it. Sanibel
lighthouse hosts flocks of gulls with all plumages present if Great Black-
backed, Lesser Black- backed, Herring, Ring-billed, and Laughing. Black
Skimmers, and Royal, Sandwich,  and Forster's, no apparent Common.
  1 Snowy Plover, several Black-bellied, Ruddy Turnstones, abundant Sanderlings.
Everything was relaxing until a juv Peregrine Falcon made a pass and everything
took off. Oddly, nothing returned but it was more incoming tide that predator.
The Peregrine returned and landed for all to enjoy. Tree Swallows were abundant
offshore. A Razorbill report came in so back to Sanibel. It was so tight under
the C-span I went to Dixie Beach and it was easily spotted. Followed up Stokes
report of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher- no luck but it was so gorgeous out I hiked
the Pond Apple Trail. Black&White, Prairie, Palm, Yellow-rumped, and
Yellowthroat, 2 Pied-billed Grebes, Storks and assorted waders. A 1st yr eagle
passed over the active nest. Finally enjoyed the smorgasbord the vultures were
feasting on.

Vince McGrath
Ft Myers, Fl

Probable Clapper Rail at Bailey Tract at East Pond. Seen yesterday at 11 am by
Bill Heyd.

Karl

Sent from my iPhone

One seen this morning just behind nature center at start of trails.

Karl

Sent from my iPhone

Hello everyone,

     My wife and I will be visting the Bonita Springs area in a couple of weeks.
We will certainly be watching this forum as to where birds are being seen. We
are from the Chicago area (and thus would be more than happy to help anyone find
their target birds around Chicago) and have never birded in the state of
Florida. It looks like we will visit Rotary Park in Cape Coral and the Ding
Darling Preserve on Sanibel. However, we are open to any suggestions that any of
you may have anywhere between Cape Coral and Naples. Any certain spots to look
or certain birds to look for will be most appreciated. Any and all general tips
will certainly help us out.

        Thanks so much,

                       Kurt Frieders
                       Aurora, IL

Looking at both in one binocular view now!
Lillian and Don Stokes

Sent from my iPhone

The Common Goldeneye was very cooperative at the N Naples WTF on Goodlette/Frank
Rd in North Naples this morning in the South pond. Also scores of Lesser Scaup,
numerous Hooded Mergansers, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, many Shoveler, Blue-winged
Teal, Mottled Duck and a bonus BLACK TERN!!
To reach this site from I-75 go west on Immokelee Rd turn left proceed and park
before the bridge 1/2mi. From US-41 go east turn right on Goodlette/Frank Rd

Vince McGrath
Ft Myers, Fl

Here is a photo of the Sora and the Clapper Rail taken at Bailey Tract, east
pond, on Sanibel this morning.
More photos at this link
http://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-rail-ly-good-day-clapper-rail-an\
d-sora.html

Lillian Stokes

This morning I had the best Harns Marsh birding I have had since last Spring,
including a King Rail sighting--my first at Harns--and a total of 49 species. 
Also 1 American Bittern, 1 Snail Kite, 3 Harriers, 9 Limpkins, 3 Sandhill
Cranes, 1 Snipe, 2 Flickers, 24 Robins, and 10 Savannah Sparrows. Plus a
Caracara at the Homestead Road marsh.  Ed Combs

Group of birders looking at Clapper Rail and Sora now at Bailey Tract east pond
on Sanibel. American Bittern was also seen .
Clapper is a distance down pond, Sora is closer.
Lillian and Don Stokes
Sanibel

Sent from my iPhone

Both now very close at Bailey Tract Sanibel East Pond.

Karl

Sent from my iPhone

Seen now at Ani Pond east side of island.

Karl

Sent from my iPhone