Black necked stilts at the waste plant

I found a black necked stilt couple that's been hanging around the waste plant ditches in Pinellas county. I've seen them several times on my way to get lunch and finally one day last week I brought my camera to work and stopped off after work. They are very skittish birds so I stayed back pretty far. As I was walking around in the un-mowed grass, I noticed the below eggs pretty close to the stilt couple. The birds were both in the water looking for food. The below might be their eggs. I've seen other people's pictures of stilts with eggs and always thought "How did that big egg come out of that little body?" The eggs were sitting out in the open so I'm not sure what chance they have of surviving. That grass gets mowed a couple of times a year. Plus there are tons of alligators and other birds of prey hanging around. I'll go back next week and check on them.

Sundown on the causeway

Ring billed gull trying to decide whether to eat the old dead fish from the cold spell. Not sure what the one behind was eating. He had a pink string hanging out of his bill.


Juvenile ring billed gull posing for me.

Dunlins taking a bath. They were really cute to watch.


Taking a bath together.

I stopped by one of the beaches on the Courtney Campbell Causeway one night last week after work. The smell from the dead fish that was killed during the cold spell was bad. There was a small group of dunlins taking a bath in a puddle on the beach. I guess birds have no sense of smell. They were so cute all staying close together and swimming around in the water. They were too busy grooming themselves to notice me. I only stayed a few minutes so I wouln't pass out from the smell.

Long Billed Curlew

Prancing around.

Gotta itch.

What?

It's time to eat.

Now it's nap time.

I found him (or her). The rare long billed curlew that's been hanging out at the north beach lagoon at Fort Desoto park. Pinellasbirds.com has been keeping tabs on this bird all summer. They spend their summers up in the northern part of the country. It's very rare to see one in Florida all through the summer. He must have come last winter and stayed put. This breed is considered "highly imperiled" by the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. They are declining in numbers. He seemed to be staying close to a large flock of gulls and terns but kept to himself. He's very graceful when he moves. It's a shame there's only one. Maybe he'll find a mate this winter.

Plight of the plover

Snowy plover walking on a beach.

Snowy plover resting.


Black bellied plover - his belly will turn black in the winter. It is the largest plover in the US.

Piping plover at Fort Desoto.

Sign when you enter the north beach area at Fort Desoto.

I was out at Fort Desoto recently and saw the above sign. It amazes me that you have to put up a sign to tell people not to do these things. I've been seeing a handfull of these little plovers lately. They are so cute and tiny. They constantly dart around like sanderlings do. If they are not moving it's hard to see them on the sand. They are a threatened species in the United States. They build their nests on sand and there's not too many places left where they won't get trampled on. They are so tiny and their babies are very easy prey. Please, if you are on a beach or causeway use the sign above as a guide, even if there's not one posted.

Below is a recent article in a Sarasota newspaper about whether Sarasota county should take part of the beachfront and turn it into a parking lot which will really endanger the snowy plovers trying to nest there. Plovers vs parking lot? Who should win?

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091026/ARTICLE/910261051