Hello Birders!
We are having a fantastic season for Winter Shorebird Stewardship! So far we have seen 52 different species on our walks, and we are up to 5,531 birds counted since October!
Most of our trips have been to Bunche Beach, but we have also visited Lovers Key and Bowditch Point Park, and both were surprisingly rewarding.
We have recorded several banded endangered Piping Plover and learned the interesting stories of their life histories, including one seen this month who was banded as a chick at Robert Moses State Park on Fire Island, Long Island, NY on June 27th of this year, and has already migrated all the way to Bunche Beach to spend the winter. Incredible.
Please join us on our upcoming Stewardship dates:
Sunday January 7 - 8 am Bunche Beach
Sunday January 14 - 8 am Bunche Beach
Sunday January 21 - 8 am Bunche Beach
Sunday January 28 - 8 am Bunche Beach
RSVP to leeshorebirdsteward@gmail.com
Stewarding Site amenities and logistics:
Bunche Beach: Porta potties are available at the kayak launch. If you do not have a Lee County Parks parking sticker you will need to pay for parking via a parking App, $2 / hour. We will meet at the end of the road, where the cul-de-sac meets the beach.
Be prepared to get your feet wet on mudflats that can be slippery and sticky. Water shoes or old sneakers are recommended. Bring water, snacks, hat, sunglasses, camera or binoculars if you have them. We will walk maybe a mile, stopping many times.
Our walks usually last about 2 hours, and you are free to leave at any time!
Robin Serne