Just in time for hurricane season, with its hot, humid air and potent thunderstorms, we have returned to Longboat Key in Southwest Florida. While the weather may not be ideal, the human "snowbirds" have returned to northern climes and this residential island is as uncrowded as it gets all year, a great time to wander the beach.
Of course, the bird population has changed as well. Shorebirds are limited in number and variety while other species, such as magnificent frigatebirds and roseate spoonbills tend to be more common. American white pelicans, now breeding across the Northern Plains, will not return until autumn and red-breasted mergansers, abundant on the bay in winter, long ago left for their Canadian homeland. Nevertheless, most of the herons, egrets and seabirds remain through the year and I encountered 17 species on my walk this morning.
We'll stay in the Subtropics for a week or so. As one who prefers a cooler and drier climate, that should be plenty of time to explore this barrier island. More reports to follow!
