Shown is local florist Beth Trout from Floral Artistry located on Palm Ridge Road on Sanibel. Beth is preparing the arrangements for a wedding at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers. Floral Artistry has sent many arrangements to guests staying at Ocean’s Reach and their work always brightens our day.

So the next time you need some floral cheer, remember Beth and Floral Artistry!

Our Osprey’s are taking care of their new family at Ocean’s Reach. The female has been off the nest since February 14th and both the male and female have been busy feeding their newborn. We have not been able to see them yet, however we will provide progress reports as our new family develops.

Say hello to the Snowy Plover! This beautiful Snowy Plover was captured on film by Stan Rubin.  Did you know that Snowy Plovers are found along the West Coast from Washington State to Baja, California and along the Gulf Coast from Florida to the Yucatan Peninsula. Their preferred habitats include sandy coastal beaches and shallow alkaline lakes. They are also on the endangered species list as a result of predators like animals, larger birds, humans, construction along the beach areas, and even kite flying. The reason for this is that they build their nests on the sandy beaches and when anyone is near they leave their nests to draw attention away from the eggs or young. This allows the eggs to get too cold to hatch and the process must start all over again. So if possible keep an eye open for the beautiful Snowy Plover.

Stewart Rubin, who has been staying in 3b4 caught this wonderful photo of three Black Skimmers coming in for dinner at the Ocean’s Reach pond at sunset! Black Skimmers have a very long thin black and red bill with the lower half of the bill longer than the top one. This allows the bird to skim the water as it flies and hopefully catch a few small fish.

They are in absolute perfect formation, and such a sight to see!

The Great Egret is the symbol for the National Audubon Society and was almost extinct as a result of the beautiful feathers they produced. These feathers were in such demand for ladies hats that the population of these birds plunged almost 95%. Thanks to the legal protection status over the last century, their numbers are increasing, and they are becoming a fairly common sight on Sanibel.

Len Anzelde, a recent guest that was visiting Ocean’s Reach, sent us this incredible picture of two Great Blue Herons! Great Blue Herons are found in most parts of the United States but will mostly be found near marshes, shorelines, and lake edges as they prefer to eat fish that they spear with their long beaks while wading in the shallow waters. Len is the president of his camera club and it is easy to see why he was chosen for the position.

Our thanks goes out to Len for sharing his work!

A beacon in the night from our faithful Sanibel Lighthouse. It is one of the few working lighthouses in the country, and was first lit in 1884. In 1972 the U. S. Coast Guard announced it was going to close the lighthouse, and the residents of the surrounding areas pled with them to not abandon it. In 1982 the City of Sanibel assumed control of the property with the exception of the tower which is still maintained by the Coast Guard.

This is a Sanibel-destination must! Accessible by car, foot or bicycle, it is located on the east end of Sanibel Island.

The Farmer’s Market is a popular event on Sundays from 8 – 1 pm during season. Organic fruits and vegetables are a hot selling item. All visitors are encouraged to be heart healthy and walk or ride their bicycles to the market.

This weekly visit is enjoyed by Ann Hogueland and Mary Wiggins, two winter residents that stay at Ocean’s Reach.

This was my 8th visit to Sanibel and my 2nd to Ocean’s Reach since 1998. I love Ocean’s Reach! Such a very nice condo and organized so very well. I will definitely return in 2010!

I have attached some pictures from my Thanksgiving visit, but I especially love the sand sculptures the artist create on the beach.

Thanks,

Char Carrigan

The following excerpt was provided to us courtesy of the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, and is just one more story about the extraordinary shelling taking place on Sanibel beaches this winter. Our thanks to the Museum for sharing.

A Star was Born

More than one star was born on December 25th, the day that Christians from around the world celebrate the birth of their savior.

Nearly every day, avid shelling enthusiast, Jeff Oths, Assistant General Manager of the Sanibel Community House and Vice-President of the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club, walks along Lighthouse Beach. Angulate wentletraps bring a sparkle to Jeff’s eyes, quite appropriate since it’s a special pre-dawn glow that helps Jeff discover wentletraps at this location.

On Christmas Day Jeff received his first and most treasured Christmas gift before he ever made it to the Christmas tree. While walking at Point Ybel, digging through narrow piles of shells, Jeff spotted something that he knew right away was different. It was a star-shaped shell measuring about 22 mm in diameter. He poured through Florida shell guides, at first to no avail. Until a definitive identification could be made, it would be called “The Christmas Star.” Finally, turning the page one more time, he found a replica of his special Christmas gift. It was a long-spined star snail, a species generally found on other shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

A trip to The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum to visit with Dr. José H. Leal, Director/Curator of the Museum, revealed another exciting facet of his discovery. Dr. Leal concurred with Jeff’s identification and shared that not only had the shell never been documented on Sanibel, but it was the 300th named Sanibel shell to be added to the Museum’s data base. (http://shellmuseum.org/shells/shellspic.cfm)

So come on down to Ocean’s Reach and see what you might discover on our beautiful beaches!