In addition to Little Estero, the subject of my previous photo essay, the Fort Myers area has considerable bird life on other beaches. While Little Estero is near the south end of Estero Island, Bowditch Point Regional Park is at the north end.

This small park has an amazing diversity of habitat, ranging from beach and mudflats to salt marsh and mangrove swamp. With the habitat diversity comes wildlife diversity.

We got to the beach at first light, where one of my favorite birds greeted us. This Reddish Egret was already fishing in the surf.

A Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) Spreads its Wings

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I couldn’t decide which photo I liked better, the one above or the one below. So I asked my Facebook friends which one they prefer. The one above was the overwhelming favorite. But my friends who are professional photographers prefer the one below. So I include them both.

It Catches a Fish for Breakfast

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Later, it flew away.

It Flies Low and Close to Me

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I always enjoy watching this cute white bird with bright yellow feet.

This Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) Seems to Dance

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The reason why this egret and other wading birds come to Bowditch Point is for the fish and seafood, like these.

We Got So Close to This Sea Slug that It Ejected the Purple Dye

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See the Eyes of the Animal in the Shell?

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On a little hill near an interior trail we found this gopher tortoise. It is a medium sized turtle that excavates burrows, into which it disappeared just after I snapped this shot.

A Gopher Tortoise Suns Itself in Front of Its Burrow

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On another interior trail we spotted this brilliant red bird in the sun. It was hard to miss.

A Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Sits Still for its Portrait

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We often heard the melodious song of the cardinal, but before we saw this one hadn’t been able to get a good, close view of one. When we went to Bowditch Point, we were in luck.