We can ID this peep as a nonbreeding Piping Plover by its stocky shape, orange legs, very small black bill and large dark eye.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
NONBREEDING BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, BUNCHE BEACH PRESERVE/SAN CARLOS BAY, FT. MYERS, FL
We have identified this plover as a Black-bellied Plover rather than the very similar American Golden Plover as follows:
- It is much more likely (by about 99 to 1) to find on the beach a Black-bellied Plover than a American Golden-Plover. The American Golden-Plover you usually find in dry mudflats, shortgrass fields and pastures.
- The belly is white, rather than the gray of the nonbreeding American Golden-Plover.
- The bill is very stout; more like the bill of a Black-bellied Plover than the bii of an American Golden-Plover.
GREATER FLAMINGO, BUNCHE BEACH PRESERVE/SAN CARLOS BAY, FT. MYERS, FL
We learned that there were sightings of a flamingo at Bunche Beach from the last couple of ebird's Florida Rare Bird Alerts emails. We got to Bunche Beach about 8:15 am and there was no sign of the flamingo, although there were many birders looking for it. It was extremely windy. We went back to the car and about 20 minutes later we tried again. Low and behold in the distance were a group of birders observing the Greater Flamingo. We got to the spit of sand sticking out into the water and got a good view of the flamingo. It even cooperated with us after awhile by flying even closer. We eventually evacuated the spit due to the very high winds and the high tide coming in fast.
The Greater Flamingo is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 261.
Friday, January 22, 2016
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