When Birding Is Too Darn Much Fun

I thought I was going to only do a blog post on today's morning birding sea-watch, but the day kept getting better. We started out with our friends Sandy and Ann, at Blind Pass on Sanibel Island, FL. Given the unusual 30 mph gusting WNW winds (the Gulf is usually bathtub calm) we were looking out over the churning ocean for hopes of Northern Gannets, which could get blown closer to shore. We did get some distant Gannet views and saw other birds as well, such as a distant flock of (of all things) Blue-winged Teal.

A big flocks of Willets, gulls, and Black Skimmers landed and

wow! a beautiful Marbled Godwit was in the midst.

Here's the Marbled Godwit and a Willet looking for goodies in the surf line.

We huddled against the bridge at Blind Pass, for protection from the wind. It's hard to look through a scope in high wind, so shelter is a big plus.

The gray skies began to turn sunny and a Snowy Egret in breeding regalia landed in front of us, so gorgeous in the light. By noon, we headed home for lunch and had just sat down on our lanai (porch) when not one, but three Swallow-tailed Kites sailed over our house and fed over our yard! These migrants had just arrived. 

Magnificent birds, these insect eaters winter in South America and breed mainly in the lower Southeast, but can wander beyond that.

That made species number 106, and counting, that we have seen this winter on Sanibel so far.  Sometimes birding is just too (just kidding) darn much fun! Gotta run. We're going back to Blind Pass for hopes of more birds and a sunset with a green flash.

Hope your'e having too darn much birding fun also!

Lillian Stokes