Bunche Beach - Bald Eagle day!

It is low tide and the Lee Co Bird Patrol is offering its monthly beach/bird walk. The exciting part about going birding is that you never know for sure what you will see - yet every single event seems to be better than the last, this day was no exception.....come and take a peek....

Plovers - in the back is the Piping Plover, in the front is the Semi-palmated Plover.

Overhead we heard the Bald Eagles before we saw them....landing in a far away spit of sand with the Sanibel Lighthouse in the background.

They were quite vocal.

Checking the surrounding

Getting ready

After a bit I diverted my attention to the Marbled Godwit that was by my side.

Amazing how it can sink its head to find morsels of food.

Must be worth it, check the smile on his face! Then I heard uproar from the crowd - I looked up and saw the Bald Eagles copulating.

In Eagle's world, it is quickly over and I barely  managed to get the end result.

Overhead, a Kingfisher was chattering and aiming for lunch.

 What a treat! Today was Bald Eagle day and everyone was delighted, myself included.

Bunche Beach

After several days of morning rain, it was nice to see the sun this morning with a low tide - time to visit Bunche Beach and see who is feeding.

 

Several Semi-palmated Plovers were foraging....

as well as Short-billed Dowitchers.

Short-billed Dowitcher

Semi-Palmated Plover

Roseate Spoonbills were feeding too.

And the Least Sandpipers are back!

And so are the Spotted Sandpipers.

The Green Heron checking it twice....wondering who that is in the neighborhood.

On your mark, get set.....

GO!

The Marbled Godwits were in good numbers - one of my favorite.

The Least Sandpiper - the smallest of them all.

The Marbled Godwit with a Willet - a fine pair they make.

What's not to love at Bunche Beach!

Short-billed Dowitchers.

Same specie - different age and plumage.

A Tricolored Heron - beautiful!

And the one that steals the show - the white morph of the Reddish Egret

Enjoying his ballyhoo catch.

Yum....that was good!

Fluff, fluff....shake, shake, shake....

get ready....

and start the whole process of feeding all over again....

As we neared the exit toward the parking lot - a Calico Crab grabbed our attention...

as well as some Oyster clusters - looking like a foot print in the sand....though, you wouldn't want to step on that.

And folks, the Calico Crab has a message for you....listen up.....

Great message, don't you think? This sign should be at the entrance of every single public beaches - it carries an important message. (My E-bird List for today.)