Walking with the Birds on South Marco Beach!
It’s a beautiful day for a walk on the beach my friends! Not too hot with a light breeze and no rain in the forecast! We are blessed to live in an area with several beautiful beaches to walk. Today we’ve decided to visit a beach just minutes from the Bird nest!
South Marco Beach on Marco Island
Marco Island is located off the Southwest coast of Florida. It’s the largest barrier island of the Ten Thousand Islands area. Boasting a beautiful tropical climate the island is a popular destination for those fleeing the cold winters of the US and Canada. The island covers roughly 23 square miles, 10 of which are covered with water filled lakes and canals. With a population under 18,000 Marco is a pretty quiet place to visit during the off season!
Host to two popular beachesTiger tail and South Marco; Beach Marco is a shelling and birding paradise.Today we elected to visit South Marco Beach! Parking was convenient so we loaded up our wagon and made the trek to the beach!
A little bit of History…
Marco history traces back to 400 AD! At that time, the island was inhabited by the Calusa people who were native to the state of Florida. Marco Island Museum is host to some of the history and amazing artifacts found on the island. The island was originally named San Marcos by Spanish explorers during the mid 1500’s. Ferry service began in 1924 with the first bridge connecting the island to East Naples built in 1944. [] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Island,_Florida)
The sweet bridge leading to the beach is so inviting! Surrounded by lush sea grapes and wildflowers, the view is quite alluring! Come along….the beach is waiting!
Armed with an umbrella, a couple of chairs and of course my camera we quickly found our spot in the sand! With camera in hand, I hit the beach! It didn’t take long before the show began! Nature always shows up!
The Brown Pelican!
A beautiful seabird! Each time we visit the beach I try to capture this amazing bird. The smallest of the six different species of pelicans this bird can reach a length of 48 inches! Look at that wing span! With beautiful gray-brownish plumage the first thing I always notice is the large pouch under the beak! Just waiting for a fresh lunch of fish! Did you know, during breeding season, the plumage on the head turns bright yellow and white around the neck! When breeding season is over, it fades to a dull yellow and brown! Looks like we’re not in breeding season!
The Loggerhead Sea turtles are in season!
From May through early August mother turtles nest on the shores of Marco Island. In fact every year there are on average about 80 turtle nests on the 4 miles of Marco Island Beach! The baby turtles emerge beginning in July and continue until early October, scurrying out to the Gulf of Mexico [] (https://www.cityofmarcoisland.com/growth-management/page/sea-turtle-conservation)
photo thanks to pixabay!
Conservation is critical!
Their nests are protected! Residents along the beaches are required to follow strict rules regarding outdoor lighting on porches and in windows which will disorient the turtles, making it difficult to find their way back to the gulf.
How about the Laughing Gulls! Known for their unique “laughing” call, they fly through the skies overhead with such grace. When on shore, you’ll often them quite at ease, ready to pose for a picture! Feathers flying with the gulf breeze! Native to the Southeast year round, you may see them on the East Coast each summer! [] (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Laughing_Gull/overview)
Even offering a bow or two!
Of course I knew they were only hoping for a quick bite from any beach visitor!
Day cruises were active today!
I’ll be sure to take note; I know my grandson would love a boat ride when he visits in October!
At last, a glimpse! Dolphins spotted!
Somehow I always feel I’ve won the lottery when I capture a glimpse! They elude my camera every time. I guess I’m just not quick enough! Don’t worry, I'll always have a picture tucked away in my mind!
We realized we had been here 3 hours, it seemed like mere minutes. With a shady umbrella and a cool breeze we were ready for a nap after that walk! We bundled everything up and made our way back along the boardwalk… to be tucked away until our next walk on the beach!
A big thanks to my friend @tattoodjay, his #Wednesdaywalk challenge is a great excuse to get out and enjoy nature! It doesn’t matter where you are, nature always shows up! I know he loves those beaches, so I know he would love Marco! Thanks @tattoodjay and thanks to all of you for stopping by!
And as always, blessings to you all!
Weirdly enough the seabirds look quite the same around the 🌍 world.
lol isn't that amazing? They're still beautiful arent' they? And....there are indeed specific species native to certain areas! :)
Without a doubt one of, well no my favorite walk post I have seen today I was smiling ear to ear as I read your post, what a beautiful beach and thanks for the info on it, but WOW all you got to see today with the animals and birds wow that is co cool but my favorites have to be that your saw dolphins they are my favorite animal and I always love when I see them
Thanks for joining Wednesday Walk :)
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I have to say this is the nicest comment @tattoodjay :) Thank you so much! I know, the dolphins always steal the show on the beaches don't they? We go just hoping we'll catch a glimpse. Trying to get a shot is so difficult, they move so fast, lol So glad you enjoyed the post, your Wednesday Walks are an awesome idea!
I am not sure I have ever before said that a post was my favorite one of the day or the Wednesday Walk, but this one really caught me I loved it
The dolphins I did of course love, I have a few dolphins tattoos on me, but the whole post was fantastic
What a lovely walk my friend, you got a nice shot of the pelican, and how nice to have seen the dolphins, it's always such a bonus! We see a lot of whales but always very deep, have not seen dolphins here for a long while but then we need to go down to the beach more often;)
Enjoy your weekend Mrs Bird!
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lol, glad you enjoyed this walk @lizelle. I can't even tell you how many shots I took to get just 2 shots of those pelicans :) The dolphins are tough to catch, slipping into the waves as they do. I can't imagine seeing whales, wow, that would be so amazing. We do love the beach, I know you do as well. Thanks my friend!
Oh my goodness dolphins! I just love to see them free and happy! That must of been such an amazing experience! I am also pleased to read the sign protecting the turtles. Anyway, beautiful place and clearly you had a wonderful time my Dear Mrs. Bird. Stunning shots 💙🐬💙
I know, the dolphins are one of my favorites but they're so hard to capture in photos, lol They move tooooooo fast! Everytime we walk the beaches we're hopeful we'll see them. Someday I'll get a good shot! :) One of the reasons we moved to this area is because it is so environmentally conscious of the wildlife. Being healthy and living healthy with nature is a priority here . I'm so glad you enjoyed the shots my friend, thank you!!!!
I love St. Marco's Island! When I lived in Florida a while ago... and then some, it was one of the places I loved to visit. So pristine and peaceful during the off season. I love that you captured the laughing gulls and the pelican. I used to love going to the fishing docks and watch the wildlife perform all kinds of stunts for a toss of a fish. :)
And I did lose a french fry once on a fast food place that had seaside seating. It swooped down and grabbed it from my fingers. Hello?? I totally was not expecting that!
You live near such a beautiful area! Thank you for taking us on your walk! Have a most awesome day!
!tip
hehehehe, swooped in for a fry huh? Totally not fair! Thats worth fighting for, lol Honestly, I have to agree with you, it is beautiful. The fact that they place such a focus on keeping the environment and its animals protected is why we chose this place. It's so peaceful right now...everyone is sad the tourists will soon arrive, lol Oh well, we have about 6 months of peace each year (dodging a few hurricanes too!) Thank you swee friend!
Beach life is always so alluring my friend. Marian's sister worked as a conservation officer with turtles in the Bahama islands.
Great shots of the birds and of course the dolphins.
Blessings!
Beach life is alluring, you are so correct! I can't imagine having a job working with wildlife on the beach, it would be so amazing. So glad you enjoyed the shots, the participants weren't easy to catch, lol Fun day though, and so relaxing :)
That is what counts in life my friend. Fun days and to relax.
No chasing around after the wind that is called money.
Blessings!
What a wonderful day out, so much to see through your lens @birdsinparadise, turtles, dolphins, bird life all an absolute delight.
Thank you @joanstewart! As you know, nature is the best enterainment, and it's free! One always feels better after time spent enjoying the outdoors :) Glad you enjoyed!
I love this post! I’m such a huge ocean fan. I love gulls and all the sea life and especially pelicans. And dolphins! Did you capture that picture? Amazing. I’m so glad the sea turtles are protected. It’s amazing to go snorkeling and see them. Also, adding some history of Marco Island was total awesomeness, @birdsinparadise!
Thank you @jayna! Yes, I did capture that shot, I took almost 400 photos that day, probably about 20 of the dolphins but they move so fast they're difficult to capture :) I'm sure snorkeling is amazing, the underwater life is even more beautiful than what we see above the water! We love beach walking, nature is so fun to watch.
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Lovin' those bridges!
There's just something about them that is so inviting.
I know, they're so inviting...I take pictures each time we visit because they look different every time :) Thanks @goldendawne, we're blessed to be able to visit these beautiful areas.