Looking at this top picture you will see most of the shells I found last evening at Fort Myers’ Bunche Beach. Can you identify most of them? While you try to figure out each of the shells… Wanna go on a little CYBER SHELLING hunt for shells with me? All righty then let’s play a little “I Spy”! Don’t mind the “dirty” bling (a mix of peat and other good stuff that gives food to so many living organisms)… just look for some of those sweet little minis that we all love by clicking on the next image to enlarge…
This will give you an idea of how “big” those little gems are by looking at my handful of sweet somethings…
As much fun as it was collecting minis, I was tickled pink when Clark showed me his fave find… A ROSEATE SPOONBILL FEATHER.
We didn’t see any ROSEATE SPOONBILL birds but we did see immature WHITE IBIS birds. Ibis juveniles are mostly brown but these guys have started molting out of their plumage becoming adults.
Here are four immature WHITE IBISES hanging out with a SNOWY EGRET and a BLUE HERON.
It was a bird lovers paradise last night. I even saw the dance of the REDDISH EGRET…
Before it got dark, we stopped at Sanibel Lighthouse Beach just in time to catch a beautiful RAINBOW…
Samuel, Sheila, Gene, Freida (Cape Coral, FL) and their family in the photo above must have hit the pot of gold under the rainbow. They found all of these in the water…
I found another pot of gold under the rainbow when I met Bill, Jody, Brooke, Brandon, Laura Beth and Gramma Kaye. A golden family of shellers from Alabama.
 Okay, did y’all identify most of the shells in the top picture? Errrr….I have to confess, once I got going on my own I.D.s (and put my reader glasses on), I realized that some of these shells weren’t as obvious as I thought. There were a few that I had to look up… like the PAPER BUBBLE and TURRET. I failed my own test! hahaha I hope you do better than I did! I know the photo doesn’t show both sides of the shell, but if you know what #8 is by looking at this photo or you have a better idea if I misidentified anything, please let me know. Whoops! How embarrassing! LOL (blush, blush)
Do you love shelling? Would you like to meet other shellers who love the beach and its treasures just as much as you do? Â Do you want to learn more about shelling in Sanibel and the out island islands? Join us for Shellabaloo 3!
Love your posts!
Love those mini’s!!!
I usually try to wait until morning to look at the blog but I saw your tweet just now so I had to look. Doesn’t take much to make my day. Ha!
Another place I’m going to have to check out!! Is this the one of John Morris Rd? Bunche Beach Preserve? It doesn’t look like it’s on the coast!! I have so many things to see, we need to get back down there!! :D
Cheri, yes. Bunche Beach is at the end of John Morris Rd. It looks so different than any of the other beaches on Sanibel. You should make a quick stop there on the way to Sanibel some time.
I will have to go, too! OMG, I am flipping out with excitement! I will be there on Wednesday for 2 whole weeks! My friend Sarah & her 2 girls, Maddie (11) & Brooke (10). Last year Brooke & I got stung by some kind of jellyfish on the Sanibel side of Blind Pass! It wasn’t enough to keep me out of the water but enough for the kids, lol. Hopefully no jelly stings this year. It was my first time ever being stung on Sanibel. And it wasn’t even a bad sting… Sherri from MN
Thanks for the “treasure hunt” picture. I sure do miss searching for shells. But it was fun picking them out in your pic!
Thanks for this post, Pam. It’s nice to get to know the names of some of the shells I’ve found. Gonna be on a mission to find some Bruised Nassa, Sparse Dove and Mangrove Periwinkle since I haven’t found those yet. Love the rainbow pic!!
The rainbow is wonderful!! Thanks, Pam! I also need a mangrove periwinkle! And a junonia! ;) i wish…. Sherri
Woohoo! No wonder I’m left guessing so many times on my FMB mini finds. I didn’t score very well on the pop quiz! Practice practice…….
I start my day off looking at your site and wishing I was back at Sanibel shelling. Hope to be back next year sometime. Keep sending such great pictures.
It was wonderful to meet you at the Lighthouse Beach! The kids were so excited! Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. We will start planning our next trip to beautiful Sanibel Island soon!!!!
I think that’s the best cyber shelling photo yet! Love the tiny baby shells toward the right of center.
Love me some cyber shelling! Thanks Pam!
Bunch Beach looks beautiful love old Florida – next time I am in Sanible I will check it out
Speaking of beach bling, don’t you ever find anything cool besides shells? I found little toy cars, weird pieces of plastic, some interesting junk.
Hey MarkD60,
I shell frequently, not as much as Pam, but I have found some fun stuff here and there. HOWEVER, the best find (at least for me, not for the owner) was a full upper denture I found on FMB!!! I made a smiley face in the sand and put 2 sharkys for eyes and a lightening whelk for nose, denture as the smile! My friends made me leave the denture at the beach! LOL
Wonderful minis and micros Pam! Excellent biodiversity! Thanks so much for letting us see those! Really beautiful! :)
# 8 is a dove shell. The illustrated list of SWFL shells on the BMSM website is not working this morning, but I am thinking it is Costoanachis avara, the greedy dove shell.
# 12 is so tiny I can’t really see, but I’m thinking a tiny baby of one of the murexes.
Hi Susan
I agree with you . I think #12 is a juvi apple murex. I have some murexes that haven’t grown that curving edge. They’re between the bump edge. #8 looks like a dove shell, but I didn’t spot on the BMSM site.
Pam I love all the shells that you found and your cybershelling picture. Another beach I need to pick.
Pat
Love the cyber shelling. I’m stumped as to the identity of the hollow, worm-like things with pieces of shell sticking out the outersurface (sides). Would love to know what they are. I’ve never been to Bunche – it’s just so hard to leave beautiful Sanibel once you’re there. I’m bringing my Mom to Sanibel in a week (she’s a first-timer!!) and we can’t wait!!
I think you are referring to the shaggy parchment worm tube. I cant beleive I havent done a post on these but you can see a picture here in Debbie’s hand. http://www.iloveshelling.com/blog/2013/04/14/cayo-costa-shelling-cruise-finding-seashells-by-the-seashore/
Thanks so much for that information. I didn’t recognize them as “parchment worms” because I’ve only seen (or noticed) the plain beige tubes that wash up after storms. I learned something new today!
First day back on Sanibel, and we’re on the hunt! Hopefully we’ll run into you this time, Pam. :-) Also, we decided that this site needs a page where readers who are on the island can post real-time updates on the shelling conditions at the beaches they’re visiting! Would be awfully handy to be able to see what others are saying at any given moment. And now, off to Blind Pass we go!
Sara, We do have a page for you to post photos and update! iLoveShelling Facebook! its https://www.facebook.com/iLoveShelling. Please post any real-time shelling updates there. Fun!
Thank you for the shell id test. Also the cbybershelling. I so look forward to it.. You may be interested in the fact that we are finding many full moon shells and doublde false angel wings on Long Beach Island this summer so far. Was not sure how the shelling would be after the beach replenishing on the island after “sandy”. We are blessed that the beaches are amazing after such a horrible storm. We are still suffering in places and some businesses have not survived but my SJ communities are still helping and contributing to the restoration. Keep Jersey shore in your prayers.
I usually go to Cape May but love LBI. Glad to hear that you are finding great shells now. I may have to plan a trip over (from PA) next weekend.
Pam I absolutely love the cyber shelling. So great. Love that you can shell everyday. I hope I am as fortunate some day. All the best!!
Where have all the shells gone…??? Not finding much at all this week at Lighthouse, Algiers, or Blind Pass. Love all the info I get from reading your posts, Pam! Thanks for all your efforts!
They r in the water at lighthouse like these folks found. since Ive stayed on the beach, that’s why I started looking for minis. The minis r still there!
Oh Pam,
You are an angel for posting those virtual shelling. I am laid up off my foot with a severe broken foot & my entire summer is shot from gardening & esp shelling. So thank you for my therapy, luv you more than you know. You are a big help mentally to my road to recovery. Ty
Speed recovery! Xo