Years again, I discovered about Eagle Lakes Park in Naples from the Nice Florida Birding Path information ebook. Once I first visited, I needed to stroll previous soccer fields and baseball diamonds. There was a water park, tennis courts, and a neighborhood centre. I puzzled the place the birding hotspot was to be discovered. Then, I arrived in the back of the park, with its three marshy ponds and tree-lined walkways. Instantly, I used to be in birding heaven, as I began to see a wide range of nice birds.
On a latest go to, I used to be delighted to see that the park managers had lastly reduce the reeds and palms, which had been blocking the views of the ponds for years.
Shiny Ibis
I began within the gazebo, which overlooks one of many ponds. A scope is helpful on this park. Whereas scanning the pond, I noticed Shiny Ibis, feeding proper by the gazebo. Farther out, there have been Nice Blue Heron, Nice Egret, Snowy Egret, Wooden Stork, and Western Cattle Egrets. A Roseate Spoonbill was a flyover.
Mottled Duck
Hanging across the marsh edges had been Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers. An Japanese Phoebe was hawking for bugs. Purple-bellied Woodpecker and Northern Flicker labored the slash pines for bugs. As I labored my method across the marsh, I heard the calls of American Coot and Widespread Gallinule. A pair of Mottled Geese engaged in a head-bobbing courtship. (These warm-weather geese are a south Florida specialty.) A Pied-billed Grebe sat on the water, close to a Little Blue Heron. There’s at all times some hen perched excessive up, searching for its subsequent meal. Right this moment, a Belted Kingfisher and a Loggerhead Shrike shared a snag, whereas looking.
Belted Kingfisher (high) and Loggerhead Shrike (left)
After all, all these birds entice raptors, which want to share within the bounty. I watched a juvenile Purple-shouldered Hawk because it slipped via the timber. The native Osprey appeared to be absent. It could possibly be as a result of a pair of Bald Eagles have taken over their outdated nest on high of a light-weight commonplace and evicted the earlier tenants (see image at high of article). This park had at all times been dependable for an eagle sighting, but it surely was the primary time I observed them making an attempt to nest right here. That will likely be one thing to observe over the approaching months.
I spent two hours within the park, within the late afternoon, and I noticed 35 species. If I had stayed till sunset, I might have seen all of the waders and marsh birds coming in to roost for the evening. However, actually any time of the day is nice for eagles and the opposite nice birds of Eagle Lakes.
Be aware: All photographs by the Kinrys household.