Bunche Beach Tornado Watch

A late in the week opportunity to capture some wildlife imagery was made to offer some fresh stuff.

The scene above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

The start of the morning was very gloomy with heavy winds yet the temperature was warm.

Without precipitation, although Lee County was reportedly under a Tornado Watch, I chose to travel to Bunche Beach knowing that the conditions would not be ideal.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

The night before I had received a reply from local birding enthusiast, Wes Dirks.

I thought I might meet up with him at the Sanibel Lighthouse, but the conditions were considered to be much too windy for photography of migrating passerines there.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

With the tide at Matanzas Pass still hours from its high upon my arrival at Bunche Beach Preserve, I had not seen the tide so high at the preserve before.

This was certainly due to the winds from the south that were driving the gulf waters into the bay.

The Dunlin above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

I chose to walk about a half mile to the east along the shoreline and wait for the birds.

The sighting of a Bald Eagle and Magnificent Frigatebird after immediately stepping out of the car I thought a good omen.

The scene above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

This was a very rare occasion when I would not wade in the water as the waves were fierce.

Although I wouldn't see the eagle again, two frigatebirds would fly toward me during my visit.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

A pair of Ospreys would make flyovers as well although the only species of bird I would see dive into the water apparently in search of food was a Royal Tern.

Many Snowy Egrets braved the conditions headed in the direction of Bird Island that would allow them good cover.

The Magnificent Frigatebird above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

Double-crested Cormorant and Brown Pelicans were prolific in flying toward the lighthouse across the bay.

Willet, Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Dunlin, and Black-bellied Plovers were headed in the direction of Bowditch Point just north of Fort Myers Beach.

The 3rd graders above were photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

A large group of children arrived on the scene that I would learn were two classes of third graders that were to learn about the food chain within the mud flats at Bunche Beach Preserve.

The windy conditions were ideal for an apparently very well experienced Kitesurfer that did some amazing leaps from the waves.

The Royal Tern above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

It was a treat to again visit Bunche Beach with nearly two months having passed.

The storm front that was the cause of the tornado warning that was reported to expire at 1pm was extended to 8pm when I returned home.

The Kitesurfer above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in March 2011.

It wasn't until 8:20pm that lightning could be seen and a trace amount of rain fell.

The Uncommon At Bunche Beach Preserve

It is a rare occurrence when I am overly focused on a single species of wildlife in a week's time.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Such is the case this week when I had the opportunity to get into the field at Bunche Beach Preserve for some Florida wildlife observation.

My hope had been to observe Bald Eagles beyond their range I've otherwise studied south of Fort Myers Beach of late.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Upon arrival at the preserve, I made my typical walk west in anticipation of the eagles that are more often reported there than I've seen them.

The Bald Eagle would ultimately not be seen during the overcast conditions.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

After walking about a quarter mile passing many typical shore and wading birds expected to be seen, I caught site of bird in the bay that I didn't recognize.

The tide had turned shortly after sunrise when the wading birds appear to be most successful in capturing prey.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

The most entertaining bird species seen was Reddish Egret which is not always seen at the preserve.

It was the observation of the mystery bird I would later identify as Common Loon that preoccupied my attention.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Once I made sighting of the bird, I would attempt to stay ahead of it as it drifted with the tide to the east.

The loon never made a significant attempt to avoid me other than drifting too far into the bay at one point.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Since I was already waterlogged, I walked further into the bay to encourage the bird to head back to shore which it did.

This allowed me about an additional 15 minutes of observation time.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

The opportunity for stunning photography when the bird had prey in its beak on a couple of occasions was lost as I struggled to keep the camera level with it as low to the water's surface as I dared.

The wave action coming onto the beach was fortunately minimal.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

The Common Loon is considered an uncommon to rarely seen transient along the Gulf coast, so this sighting was especially exhilarating.

Pbase member and Texan Joe Fischer has noted that the loon is most spectacular in its breeding plumage which has been his great fortune to observe.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

The loon tested my ability to document a rare sighting well as I would need to manually focus on the bird on occasion.

A drizzle and fierce wind from the west cut short the rare opportunity I had in photographing the species.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

When Doves Cry

Though I missed the first hour of sunlight in my observations of a Bald Eagle nest this week, I would spend the remainder of the day making observations of the species' behavior.

The Common Ground Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

At my approach to the nest area, I couldn't help but notice a pair of Black Vultures in the Australian Pines when an unnoticed vulture directly in front of me took flight leaving behind its meal of a well decomposed Armadillo.

Throughout the day I made the mistake of periodically reviewing an image taken to ensure proper exposure which resulted in the images discombobulated when uploaded to the computer.

The Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Both Nikon and Canon cameras do this if you don't ensure that the last image reviewed in the camera is the last one taken.

The immediate neighborhood of the Bald Eagle nest location at Big Carlos Pass near Fort Myers Beach offered 23 species of bird seen, mainly flying overhead throughout the day.

The Black Vulture above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The behavior of the Bald Eagles was very interesting to observe to get an insight into their daily routine.

Upon my arrival near the nest location, I would find two adult eagles supervising the nest.

The Armadillo carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

I would lose sight of one of the birds that would fly off and disappear for different lengths of time.

That eagle would prove to be close by on a few occasions when the remaining bird would take flight briefly to have its mate return with it to the nest area.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

One of the Bald Eagles is banded on its right leg as evidenced through a very fortunate image taken of it with the designation "BAND 862" engraved in the metal and seen only through a very heavy crop.

The banded eagle is the one that would often remain closer to the nest.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

I suspect that these Bald Eagles are the same pair observed nesting near Fort Myers Beach two years ago.

These are certainly not the eagles that can be seen at Bunche Beach Preserve to the north.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

This makes me wonder the range that the birds have and where the juveniles go when they mature as a large territory miles in diameter will not have more than a pair of adult eagles seen.

This contrasts greatly with the Osprey which may nest within a few hundred feet of each other.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

I suspect that the Bald Eagles observed this week control the entire habitat of Lovers Key State Park and at least the south end of Fort Myers Beach.

As I patiently waited in observation of the nest for the adult birds to occupy it together, they failed to do so.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The eagle without a band brought a fish to the nest in the morning while its mate brought a fish shortly before sunset.

It wasn't until near midday that I learned that there was an eagle juvenile in the nest.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

I had anticipated the possibility of copulation behavior, but that clearly takes place in November to early December judging from the size of the offspring observed.

The juvenile eagle was evidently well fed as it relieved itself twice in the hours ahead.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

It was difficult to determine if there was a sibling with it as the view of the nest was quite restricted.

At one point, I was surprised that both eagles were soaring high overhead at a height I would speculate to be 350 hundred feet.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

It was at this time that an Osprey entered the scene to seemingly take advantage of the absence of supervision of the eagle's nest.

The action unfolded in an instant where one of the Bald Eagles was on the tail of the Osprey.

The Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

In the next seconds I observed the other eagle dive at incredible speed to defend its territory as well.

The eagle's pursuit of the Osprey was done at such an astonishing speed that its flight could be heard even without the bird flapping its wings.

The Bald Eagle juvenile above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Typically in my observations, Bald Eagle or Osprey flight may only be audible when the birds have their wings flapping and are unusually close.

When the first eagle was in pursuit of the Osprey just below the tree tops and parallel to the ground, I speculate the speed at 60 miles per hour or more.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

It was intensely exhilarating to observe the action while noting the eagle appears to have a very similar wing position as the Osprey in its dive.

The top speed of a diving Bald Eagle (behavior that should not be expected to be seen) is documented in excess of 100 miles per hour.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

It was the late afternoon arrival at the nest by one of the adults with prey that offered the most stunning observation.

I was quite sure that the eagle had a fish in its talons, but then would question the possibility of something else.

The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The eagle diligently fed its offspring bits and pieces.

I was confident the adult Bald Eagle was dismembering a fish as the larger pieces including what appeared to be a tail fin were eaten by the adult.

The Raccoon carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The juvenile was too large to consider that the other had not yet hatched.

The juvenile was then fed a meal that resulted in feathers seen drifting away in the breeze.

The Bald Eagle juvenile above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Shortly after the arrival of the adult Bald Eagle at the nest that would last nearly 29 minutes, it was extremely haunting when I heard a chorus of dove song from all directions as sunset approached.

The observation of the sole juvenile Bald Eagle in the nest has me speculate that its sibling might have been consumed at this time.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

With feathers flying from the nest, the adult eagle consumed what was clearly the leg of a fairly large bird.

Man-made sounds whether they be from boats, planes, power equipment, or the horn of the bridge tender in action are a constant drone at the nest in an otherwise incredibly silent place.

The Northern Cardinal above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The call of a variety of different species of bird was heard throughout the day more often than they were seen.

A follow-up trip to the nest the next day was made to observe the Bald Eagle behavior in predawn light and for several hours thereafter.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The adult eagles were again seen perched in the vicinity of the nest.

The juvenile would prove itself to be a solitary individual in the nest while the parents would continue to attentively supervise it.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The eagle's nest observed this season showed no evidence of seaweed in its construction, a characteristic of Bald Eagles and Ospreys, as noted by David Sibley in his guide to bird life and behavior.

An Osprey's collection of seaweed for nest construction was observed first hand at the J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in mid January.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

A Bald Eagle's nest in the same vicinity at Big Carlos Pass observed near the end of the 2008 breeding season had inexplicably fallen.

A website sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation notes that a Bald Eagle nest has been recorded to have a weight of two tons with record dimensions of 20 feet tall by 10 feet wide as it's built upon each season.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Avian authority David Sibley notes that an eagle nest may collapse under its own weight and perhaps due to the growing juveniles.

The Bald Eagle nest which I observed in 2008 exists now only in photographs.

The Osprey with Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

There was no hurricane activity in Florida in 2008 that would cause the much smaller nest to collapse.

Future high wind events could potentially bring down not only the nests, but the prolific Australian Pine trees themselves that Ospreys and Bald Eagles prefer to build nests upon in this area.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The Australian Pine is considered an invasive species and is attempted to be eradicated through management of local parks and surrounding areas.

A contentious behavior between the Bald Eagle and Osprey continued in my further observation of the species.

The Bald Eagle with Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Inexplicably, one of the Bald Eagles would leave its nest area to strafe the Osprey nests and engage an Osprey in an impressive aerial display.

It was quite remarkable to observe this behavior where either species can appear to have the upper hand at a given moment in time.

The Raccoon carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The story heard this week of an in flight theft of a fish from the talons of the Osprey by a Bald Eagle clearly places the birds in their pecking order.

The Osprey occasionally appears not to know its place and will attempt to turn the tables.

The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

My observation of the Blue-headed Vireo was a first sighting of the species in excess of three years of diligent Florida wildlife study and photography.