Feature: Brown Noddy

This is an account of the first documented sighting of the Brown Noddy at Lovers Key State Park, Fort Myers Beach, Florida USA. I made this observation of the species on 19 September 2008.

The Brown Noddy above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in September 2008.

My visit to the park on this day was not unusual as I walked to New Pass at the southern end of the venue where numerous bird species can be seen with regularity. I happened to time my visit during an unusually low tide where the "flats" were well exposed. Visiting the sand bar required a walk across a channel that had a very strong current. This can be a little unnerving as the water's flow on one visit to the same location nearly swept me off my feet. Certainly not something you want to have happen while carrying photo gear.

When on the sandbar, you can experience its size shrink to the size of a bus or have it completely disappear as the tide rises. This is not something I recommend you do. The sandbar is a refuge for shore and wading birds at times. Regrettably, I have observed a disturbance of them by passing boats and the disembarking of families from watercraft on the sometimes small island that is created by the tides. Shellers, whom frequent the park, will sometimes have a disregard of the birds as well.

The Brown Noddy above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in September 2008.

My Sibley field guide indicates the Brown Noddy to be extremely rare in the vast range of the state of Florida. The solitary individual of its species, which I had the incredible luck in seeing, was in the company of about 1000 birds including an American Kestrel (a flyover that caused massive panic as virtually every bird on the ground reacted as I'd liken to a wave in the crowd at a sporting event), Black Skimmers, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, Laughing Gulls, Lesser Yellowlegs, an Osprey (overhead), a Reddish Egret, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, and Willets.

I was able to observe the noddy for 21 minutes before it took flight with all the birds due to a passing boat. Many of the birds settled back down after a few minutes, but not the noddy. It moved to another location where I have yet to see it again.

The Brown Noddy above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in September 2008.

Lovers Key State Park is north of the normal range for the Brown Noddy while the bird species is known to breed in the Dry Tortugas National Park to the south southwest.

The Brown Noddy was once observed at Cape May, New Jersey after accompanying Hurricane David up the Atlantic seaboard in 1979.

The Brown Noddy above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in September 2008.

According to LKSP Park Services Specialist, Brie Ochoa, after researching the vertebrate database for the entire southwest district, the Brown Noddy was last seen at Del-Nor Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples, Florida 15 years prior to this sighting. Lovers Key State Park, on the Gulf of Mexico, is a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail and the Great Calusa Blueway.

Zoo visit

If you're ever in the Tampa bay area you have to visit the Lowry Park zoo. Of course in August it's a million degrees with 125% humidity but if you get there early you should see some neat things. There's been a lot of babies this spring and summer. Baby manatees, white tiger cubs, orangutans (the baby just turned one), baby ducks and a baby hippo to name a few.

Last weekend I went to see the new baby rhino that was born on July 7th. Who would have thought a baby rhino could be so cute. She had so much personality and all of the kids were having a great time watching her play.

Going to the zoo for me is not a leisure event. I'm always out to get the best pictures when the animals I want to see are most active. I don't casually follow the path. I started last weekend going straight to the rhino exhibit. They weren't out yet. Ran across to see if the koala was awake. No such luck. Over to the baby tiger cubs (who now look almost fully grown). They were passed out (it was a hot morning). Made a complete circle through the zoo and ended up back at the rhino exhibit. They had just come out. After pictures of the baby rhino it's back to the koala, then to the manatees, etc. I get a good workout.

Starting out

I spend most of my weekends out in a park or the beach in the Tampa Bay area taking pictures of the wildlife or anything interesting I see. I bought my Nikon D60 camera last October and have been slowly learning how to use it. Books have been great. I have the Nikon D60 for Dummies (much more information than the useless manual the camera came with) and David Busch's Nikon D60 photography. I plan to take several classes in the next coming months. I love Flickr as well.

This past weekend I spent some time on Davis Islands walking around the area by the airport and Davis Islands yacht club. There are so many birds there to see. There are always dolphin sightings around that area as well.

The hubby came with me and rode his bike around while I was taking pictures. It was hot but beautiful.

Pictures are of Oystercatcher with a ruddy turnstone and a blue heron. Lots of shorebirds on the jetti this weekend.

Serve Me As I'd Serve You

Part of this post is incorporated into the forum at PBase.com which hosts my wildlife photography. There are a lot of resources to accommodate such an endeavor, but I've found Pbase to be the best in what it does.

The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2008.

PBase apparently uses many computers to maintain its 116 million images at the time of this writing. The servers are new and old and depending on which you may be using at the time of your visit, it may be obvious.

There's nothing like an out of the box computer to solve so many internet ills. It certainly doesn't take very long for that enjoyment of speed to fade which can certainly be attributable to a number of factors.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2008.

I've only been a PBase member for a couple of years (with the use of two computers), and have experienced a lot of what is often complained about in the forum. I can't say that PBase can be blamed for everything it's been accused of, and give it kudos for the interest in improving the photo experience to be the best that it can be.

It's been interesting to watch PBase change. I'm very confident with its conservative approach.

The Green Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2008.

With regard to the upload speed issue, I've experienced that opportunity as an inconvenience as well, and have discovered a solution to whatever the cause.

To improve updating images uploaded with the desired title and so on quickly, I've found that if you have PBase open in two windows, you can use the one to upload your images and the second to make your modifications to the uploaded image when you use this approach. It may seem an odd way in completing the task at hand quickly, but it works.

The complaint that uploads take a long time is funny because uploads to PBase are almost instantaneous.

Perhaps this extra effort may not be necessary at some point.

Where does PBase not deliver on a promise?

Hot, but not-so-hot birding

Despite the forecast, I just had to get outdoors Sunday. So I decided to go hit a couple of spots down on the Ohio River. With the heat, I wasn't expecting much bird wise. The morning started out way too hot and humid - I was already sweating profusely by 9AM.

I checked out Crooked Run Nature Preserve in Clermont Co., Ohio first. It was very dead bird and bug wise, with the best bird being a young Broad-winged Hawk being mobbed by a family of Eastern Kingbirds.

Here is my attempt to photograph a Slender Spreadwing at Crooked Run:

Slender Spreadwing

I then decided to head to my cousin's farm in southern Brown Co. Ohio, but on the way I had found a good sized patch of Swamp Rose Mallow and Swamp Milkweed in a little river inlet. I decided to stop and look around. It was just too marshy to go into. I did see a Giant Swallowtail butterfly winging it high above me, so I decided to look around some more. I could hear a Yellow-breasted Chat and White-eyed Vireo calling on the other side of the inlet, but could never find them. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was flitting around with some Silver-spotted Skippers on teasel . Other than that, it was just hot and humid. While walking back to the car, I noticed two Great Egrets flying upriver along the far Kentucky shore. When I got back to the car, this bright orangish-yellow wildflower caught my eye. It was growing on the sandy bank (atop a cliff) of the Ohio River.

Most likely Wormseed Wallflower Erysimum cheiranthoides?
Growing in Clermont Co. not too far from the Brown Co. line. 2' high.

For some reason, I tend to have a hard time remembering the names of plants that I have seen before. I usually just think "I know that I know this plant, just can't remember the name" and go on. I couldn't remember having seen this plant before. I could tell it was in the mustard family by looking at its flowers and seed pods, but that's about it. I can't find it in any of my wildflower books and the internet search results are confusing (some kind of wallflower). Is this likely a non-native/garden escape? Comments welcome.

Update: Flower is most likely European Wormseed Wallflower. Thanks goes to Jim McCormac for his botanical expertise.

Butterflies appeared to be more abundant recently with the heat. I guess the cool, damp start to the summer had everything on hold. I finally heard katydids for the first time in a while, it was eerily quiet without them.

Little Wood Satyr

Female Common Whitetail

Had to get back to the A/C!!!

Random Thoughts

There have been enough breaks in inclement weather to allow for an occasional observation of bird behavior here in southwest Florida this summer without too much fear of getting the photography equipment wet. There has been a mid season downward revision to the hurricane forecast which is no guarantee that there won't be a chaotic scene at some point by November.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

If a hurricane does ultimately make its way across the southern peninsula of the state, I will be curious to see what kind of fallout of unusual species for the area may occur. The ensuing beach erosion would be among the tragic results of a significant storm. We get our fair share of this devastation in the winter months in this area.

I was extremely challenged by photographing birds in flight at the beach Thursday in the late afternoon and early evening. Somewhat so due to the sun behind some clouds and the specific bird subject, the Black Skimmer, that only landed on one occasion at close range very briefly to swallow its catch. The study of the species had me crawling around with my tripod.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

This species is a relatively fast flyer that makes abrupt changes in direction. It also had no problem at all flying directly toward me on a number of occasions. I had the impression that the birds were attempting to drive me from their feeding grounds or I may have simply been in their way.

In any event, it's a beautiful species which it appears I got a couple shots of in focus. The majority of the 300 plus images were not.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

It is such an unnerving experience to have the marine creatures that the birds favor for their sustenance crawl on you when your immersed in the water with them. When I undressed in the shower that evening, I was not surprised that I brought home a hitch hiker, a small crab, that I don't think survived after a trip down the drain.

With the exception of a major malfunction with the Canon 1D M3, the Canon 5D M2 and all the related accessories acquired this past year have exceeded my expectations. They give the user at least the opportunity to take an interesting shot.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

I've made an initial investigation of the playlist music player which looks like an interesting gadget that will allow a visitor here or at another site to listen to music chosen by the host. I will be adding that feature in the near future.

I was very surprised to read in Arthur Morris's blog recently that he will not be visiting Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge for the first time in 10 years due to what he believes to be a significant decline in wildlife photography opportunities.

The Least Tern above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

I mentioned this to Park Services Specialist, Brie Ochoa, at Lovers Key State Park, and her thought was that the poor water quality at Lake Okeechobee is potentially working its way through the Caloosahatchee River into the Gulf of Mexico and the estuaries at DDNWR.

My personal thought on this is that just like at any venue, it may be hit and miss on what you'll see for a variety of reasons.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2009.

Virtually any venue in Florida might be considered a tourist attraction, especially in the winter months. As the snowbirds arrive, the wildlife simply responds to the disruption that is sometimes abusive. Such has been the case in my wildlife observations when I see an occasional beach enthusiast unfortunately have complete disregard for the birds at rest or feeding. The disregard for wildlife happens in all seasons by locals and visitors alike.

The water temperature has gotten noticeably cooler.

Bunche Beach Revisited

Does lightning have a smell? I can't say I know the answer. The accompanying rain certainly can. It is one of my favorite aromas.

That unique fragrance caused by water interacting with mold, which I read as the cause somewhere, is sometimes experienced in advance of your getting wet if you're lucky.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2009.

A return visit to Bunche Beach Preserve was enjoyable as usual while the smell of of rain was absent. The skies have been predominantly overcast this summer in southwest Florida. Not advantageous for wildlife photography outdoors for sure, but I recall wildlife photographer Arthur Morris stating that he likes such conditions at times.

I had arrived at the preserve a little earlier in the afternoon than has been my opportunity in the past. It was a temptation I couldn't resist as the bird action has been rewarding this summer.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

I will only visit the preserve at or near low tide when the birds are in greater numbers feeding in the shallows. I passed a photographer on my walk along the beach to the west channel whom I told should return at the more opportune time for observing the wildlife with low tide only merely hours away. Particularly to hopefully see the Black-crowned Night-Heron that I had observed on my last visit to the preserve.

There was evidently a storm brewing to the north which gave no evidence of movement which I thought would spare an interruption of my observations at the beach. I was wrong.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

Less than an hour after arriving and making the walk past the west channel, the lightning was impressive. Within minutes of my first sighting of it, the lightning was too close for comfort. Within 500 feet would be my guess.

Not a good time to be in the water. The third strike was the decisive one to make the half mile retreat to the car when the nearly instantaneous thunder had every bird in the area take flight with the exception of a Reddish Egret that chose to stand its ground.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

Once in the confines of the car, I held my ground and waited things out for about 45 minutes when it appeared the worst was over and I trekked back to my favored place at the preserve.

Virtually all of the small shore birds that were in greater numbers than I had seen before at the preserve, were gone. The Reddish Egret was still exactly where I had left him, but then in the company of a greater number of White Ibis than I had seen before anywhere. There were a few Snowy Egrets in the group as well.

The moon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

The most memorable events of the day included the flight of the 74 Ibis I had counted in my immediate vicinity, with others beyond, that took flight instantaneously when a Great Blue Heron apparently walked a little too close to them. And most curiously, the appearance of three Black Skimmers were seen at what seemed the exact moment the sun had set. They strafed me on several occasions obviously under lighting conditions uncooperative for capturing more wildlife images.

The photographer I had seen earlier returned at my suggestion, but he was not prepared to get in the water as I only observed him from a great distance while he was able to photograph at very close range what appeared to be a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron on the beach. I'm sure he considered the return to the preserve worthwhile. The BKNH remained absent on this day.

The Willet above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

On the final walk back to the parking area, I briefly observed a few humans in near darkness as annoying insects including sand gnats and mosquitos were abundant. The pests were extremely voracious as the air was very still and had me flee the area quicker than I would have liked.

At most other times of year, there is at least a strong breeze that would keep such a nuisance at bay at this venue.