Birding Return to Harns Marsh (Fort Myers)

Year 13

Molly and I are escaping the Northland’s bitter cold for a short respite in southern Florida, and for me this means birding. One of my favorite spots in the Fort Myers region is Harns Marsh. Whereas other birding / tourist locations can be filled with people, the birding walk along the trail is always peaceful and only shared with a few other folks. It is important to arrive shortly after sunrise for two reasons:

  1. The birds will be active and feeding (later in the day when not feeding the birds often hide in the tall marsh grasses)
  2. The sun will be “behind you” and focused upon the birds as you walk the trail.

Here is an example of early morning, just after sunup … low bright sun behind me and blinding this Roseate Spoonbill. I have never been this close to a Roseate, and the bird never flushed (the bird could not see me given how low the sun was in the sky). I tend to hike two miles … one mile out and then back which takes me as far as some brush piles and one big tree next to the marsh.

A couple more comments before I get on to my photos from Harns Marsh …

  • Don*t miss what I have named “West Harns Marsh“. This birding spot is next to the county sheriff department’s training area and small airport. The open area right next to the marsh attracts raptors. Scan trees, fence posts, etc. as you slowly drive the dead-end road.
  • For the first time we flew down to Fort Myers rather than driving the looong route from northern Minnesota. A key reason for flying rather than driving was finding a bicycle shop from which we could rent good road bikes (and for me an eBike). Give Bike Bistro a try. I am very pleased with their bicycles, service and prices. However, if you want “beach bikes”, this is the wrong store for you.

Harns Marsh Birding (all the images in this post were taken during one two hour birding hike)

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill & Snowy Egret

Roseate Spoonbill & White Ibis (immature)

Northern Mockingbird

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Sandhill Cranes

Snowy Egret

Tri-Colored Heron

Tri-Colored Heron & Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron

Great Egret

Cold? Not Really

Year 13

Molly and I have escaped northern Minnesota for a few days. The temperatures at home will push -20F by Friday (not wind chills). Anyhow I had a laugh when I looked at the local Fort Myers forecast … windchills of +27F this afternoon (temps rise to the 70’s by Tuesday morning. I am definitely going birding tomorrow morning in Florida.

Fort Myers: -+27F

Duluth: -35F

 

Winter Birding: Timing + Location – Wind = Success!

Year 12,

Over the past few days my birding has followed this formula: Timing + Location – Wind = Success! While one could argue these variables are always important, in the winter I rarely head out birding without first consulting my hour by hour weather forecast (I use WeoWow) and have that app configured to take direct input from the National Weather Service.

In the winter I first research sunrise and sunset times followed by wind speeds (basic and gusts). From my prior birding excursions I normally have a good idea what locations to target my efforts. In the winter, food is scare and knowledge of food sources dramatically helps your probability of success.

For this pine grosbeak I knew that songbirds often “grit up” on remote roads starting 30 to 40 minutes after sunrise.  Thus, I like to slowly drive backroads at this time of day before stopping somewhere else for a birding hike.

For the Snowy Owls, while the white birds may perch in plain sight during the day, these owls get much more active starting one hour before sunset, or recently about 3:30 pm. However given Snowys love wide open spaces, strong winds will shut down their hunting as the birds roost on the ground in protected spots awaiting calmer conditions. I lke to keep wind speeds below 15 mph.

As an example, right now my weather app says wind gusts are 28 mph at 7:30 am. The net effect is I am staying home. Sunrise this morning will be at 7:50 am, which given the clouds means light which allows you to see birds will actually a half hour later at 8:20 am, but as noted given the wind I am staying home.

Yesterday I used my same hour by hour weather forecast and perfectly birded in a “weather window”.  At sunrise it was dead calm and 28F, but a few hours later around 11:00 30+ mph winds with crashing temperatures towards 5F would arrive. the forecast held true and I was 15 miles from home when the whiteout conditions arrived.