Day 25 Captiva

 We left around 9am to go to Ft Myers to visit Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve which is  over 3,500 acres of wetland ecosystem with a Boardwalk trail and Interpretive Center. The cypress slough catches and slowly filters rainwater on its way towards Estero Bay. 

Map of the Trail

At the amphitheater area we spotted a Great Egret nest across Gator Lake.

There appeared to be some young in the nest and there were 3 or more adults in the area.

 

There were turtles and cormorants on the platforms in the lake.

No sign of any alligators.

Several  herons were in this area.

And anhinga...

On the way to the Wood Duck Pond, we saw some wild pigs running beneath the boardwalk.

One Little Black Pig

 One Little Brown Pig

Captured more of the pigs on video.
To view videos, go to blog by clicking link at bottom of email.  Click arrows on video:

We did not see much at Wood Duck Pond but we saw some interesting turtles and a green heron at Otter Pond.   We had been told that there was a Limpkin with 2 baby Limpkins by Otter Pond but we did not see anything of them.  I just happened to photograph the Green Heron below when I was looking for the family.

 

Other views of the slough:

We made another stop at the observation deck at the amphitheater on the way back and lucked out to see a Limpkin who was eating apple snails and partly hidden by reeds.

 After seeing the Limpkin eating snails,  we ate our picnic lunch at the area near the parking lot.

We then shopped at Publix for groceries and stopped at the Polo Shop at Sanibel Outlets and bought  5 items -2 shirts, sleep shorts, socks, and after shave. 

The drive back to Captiva was smooth going our way but traffic was backed up bumper to bumper across the Causeway with cars and trucks leaving Sanibel.

For dinner, we had salmon broiled with mustard sauce served with green beans and broiled tomatoes with parmesan cheese.  Nice finish to a busy and active day.

Day 24 Captiva

Cloudy morning today with early rain.   Cleared off  and I walked to the beach about 11:00.  Found a lot more dead large fish on the beach due to the Red Tide.  Photo shows how calm the water is today.

Several pelicans flying:

And a large yacht with a sail went by:

Made a lunch of egg salad sandwiches and then spent afternoon poolside.

View from under the pool canopy:

And a photo of the pool looking back to the cottage:

Home-cooked dinner tonight was chicken tenders crusted in panko, fried okra, green beans, and spinach salad with strawberries.

Day 23 Captiva

Another beautiful day of sunny, hot weather.  Quiet walk on the beach at 9 am ....as you see from the photo, there were some people fishing and shelling on the shore but no birds.  There were a few dead fish along the water's edge but I chose not to share gross pictures of them.  This was a result of the Red Tide- a phenomenon caused by algal blooms (during which algae become so numerous that they discolor coastal waters (hence the name "red tide"). The algal bloom may also deplete oxygen in the waters and/or release toxins that may cause illness in humans and other animals.  I was sneezing a bit as I walked on the beach probably caused by the phenomenon.

Edgaurdo came to replace the hot water heater in the cottage which had started to leak in the downstairs storage room and run out into the carport.  He worked very quickly and was done in a short time.

I made tuna fish salad sandwiches with tomato and lettuce for lunch. We spent the afternoon at the pool.  We had Taco Night ....using up the rest of taco shells and seasonings from the pantry. 

Day 22 Captiva

Today continued the Cullens' visit.  Mike and Al were up very early. I walked to the beach around 7ish and saw several brown pelicans and shore birds:

Saw a few dead fish on the beach killed by the Red Tide.  Birds were checking them out:

As I was coming back, Mike was leaving to pick up his brother, Fran, who spent last week at the nearby Castaways with fishing buddies.  They returned and joined Al, Pam, and I for conversation, coffee, and pastries on the porch.  We checked out the eagles' nest  before going to the Sunset Grill for breakfast. 

We all had a great breakfast and enjoyed the beautiful views from the window at an inside table.

We so enjoyed our visit with the Cullens ....only it was too short....as they left after our meal.  

We drove to Sanibel to buy some fresh produce and flowers at the Farmers' Market. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach. We walked to the beach for the 6:30 sunset.

To view videos, go to blog by clicking link at bottom of email.  Click arrows on video:

For dinner we had hambugers grilled by Al with all the fixins and baked beans.

Day 21 Captiva

Early walk to the beach at 9am....another quiet day. Was greeted by our chair that we left there the day before:

Lot of pelicans and shorebirds feeding at north end:

 Pelicans near our shoreline:

   Lone Black-bellied Plover in the sand:

When I returned, I found what I believe to be a Cuban Frog on the steps to the cottage:

I served breakfast of poached eggs and  bagels on the porch.  Early afternoon, friends Pam and Mike arrived from Naples where they are staying 2 months away from the Ohio cold.   We enjoyed catching up with what we all had been doing while sitting on the porch. 

We took a drive through Ding Darling.....not many birds seen on this hot afternoon but did see:

Reddish Egret

White Pelicans

Resting Shorebirds mostly Willets

We did a walk to the beach which was quiet and  almost deserted.   Checked on the eagles back at the pool:

About 5:30 we went to Doc Ford's for dinner.  We enjoyed the food and company and our server Sue, who was also the server our last visit.  Al had to try out all the hot sauces at the table with his fresh oysters and overdid it a bit....one of the managers brought him some milk when he realized he was "breathing fire" so to speak.

Al had Captiva Cakes - panfried served with jicama coleslaw and key lime butter sauce.  Mike had Ford's famous clam chowder and  Lime Panko crusted Fish Sandwich served with house slaw and spicy remoulade.  Pam ordered one of the specials - Yellow-tailed Snapper stuffed with Crab served over mashed potatoes with asparagus.   I had Calamari Salad -Lightly battered calamari tossed with mixed Everglades greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, a sweet and sour vinaigrette dressing and topped with crispy wontons.  Great dinner and company!