Island Treasure

Void of paying customers today, I took a little trip to the north end of our island and visited Bowditch Point. This 18 acre park is part of the Lee County Parks and Recreation system and is named after Nathanial Bowditch an American navigator and mathematician who lived between 1773 to 1838.

This is a lovely park shoved out into the juncture of Estero Bay and the Gulf Of Mexico where travelers can set on beaches on the west side the point and view gulf waters or set on the east side and view the mainland and Estero Pass.

With wonderful white sand beaches, walking paths, boat docks, bathroom facilities and a little beach shop called Flip Flops, this park is a great place to go hang out.

My purpose for heading that there this morning was to see if I could view any wildlife. The Gopher Tortoise inhabits this small piece of land and although I was able to find several Gopher Tortoise holes, I could not find that elusive creature! Go figure, it was 38 degrees. Tortoise do not like cold weather!

I was able to view and photograph a male Osprey (Fish Hawk) making ready a nest for the coming nesting season. I could not spot the female Osprey, but by the looks of construction she was not far away. The Osprey hunts fish as a source of food and typically will mate for life, returning to the same nesting area each year. I sat in the brush for quiet some time watching as the male bird flew in and out of the nest bringing twig after twig, stick after stick and stuffing them where necessary to achieve the desired results of the building plan. Not wanting to interfere with this majestic bird as he performed his tasks, I slipped away during one of his outings in search of the next decoration for the nest and followed the trail leading to the beach.

Cristina, owner and manager of Good Time Charters and Everglades Adventure called me yesterday giving me heads up on "dead fish" finds during her journey to Lovers Key and I was curious if this sort of fish kill was occurring on the north end as well. Not surprisingly, I did find fish after fish, either already dead or beached already in the final grips of death. No, this kill was not due to red tide or pollution, this kill is due to the cold that has been on us here in south Florida bringing our water temperature down below 50 degrees, a highly stressful environment for fish and sea life not use to these extreme temps. I saw lady fish, catfish, spade fish, grouper, and mangrove snapper laying along the shoreline, perhaps 4 or 5 dozen within a 100 yard walk from the end of where the trail dumped me on the beach to the very tip of the island. Life will find a way however, and recovery will come quickly as the waters begin to heat up today and throughout the rest of the week.

Well lets hope for better weather! Have a wonderful day!