The Wandering Disciple

A brown pelican glides into the water for a soft landing at South Brohard Beach in Venice, Florida. The beach is a popular spot for flying activity both feathered and aircraft. Situated on the approach to Venice Airport, the beaches are filled with shorebirds looking for food and airplanes on approach to the airport. (Photo: June 9, 2018)

An osprey flies high over the shoreline at Brohard Beach. These magestic birds of prey are usually found near bodies of water looking for a meal. Ospreys can be seen soaring over the water and then diving feet first to grab fish by their talons. Ospreys can be found year-round in Florida and the Southeast United States and migratory throughout the rest of the US. (Photo: May 5, 2018)

Hi! I am a Black bellied Plover and I enjoy long walks on the beach. This little guy is one of the many shorebirds that can be found foraging in the surf along the beaches of the Suncoast. (Photo: May 8, 2016)

The clear and cool waters of the Gulf of Mexico are a great place to enjoy a relaxing dip in the sea. With miles and miles of turquoise waters, the Sunshine State of Florida has no shortage of beaches to see and enjoy. (Photo: April 24, 2016)

A pair of aircraft do some formation flying along the Gulf Coast of Florida on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The skies over Florida provide pilots with some of the best flying in the country and is a popular place for formation flying like seen here over South Brohard Beach near the Venice Municipal Airport. (Photo: April 10, 2016)

A general aviation aircraft buzzes South Brohard Beach on a Gulf of Mexico approach into Venice Municipal Airport. This municipal airport lies along the coast making the beaches a great place to watch airplanes. While Venice does not service commercial aircraft, it is a popular spot for general aviation and flight schools. (Photo: April 3, 2016)

A brown pelican flies high along the coast at South Brohard Beach in Venice. The pelicans fly the coast tracking schools of fish before diving down for the attack. (Photo: March 14, 2016)

A great blue heron takes a stroll along the beach at South Brohard Park. Not typically a beach bum, the great blue heron is usually found along the shores of lakes and streams, not the gulf. But they don’t discriminate, they will migrate anywhere there is a steady supply of food. (Photo: March 6, 2016)

A laughing gull struts his stuff along the beach at South Brohard Beach in Venice. One of the more popular gulls along the beach, the laughing gull is usually white and gray. However when they enter into breeding time, they transform. They develop a dark hood, white eye crescents and a red bill during this time making them stand out among the flock. (Photo: April 5, 2015)

A boat buzzes the public beach on its way out to enjoy the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Any given day boats of all sizes can be seen having fun on the water. With miles upon miles of coastline and an endless supply of water both salt and fresh, Florida is a boating mecca. Whether you are fishing, cruising or taking in the sights, there is something for everyone on the water. (Photo: April 3, 2015)

Waves break along the beach at South Brohard Beach in Venice. While the Gulf of Mexico is typically calm, winter cold fronts like this or summer tropical weather can stir the Gulf up and produce some wave action like the relaxing waves seen here. (Photo: January 25, 2015)

A squadron of pelicans flyover the beach at South Brohard Beach in Venice.  There are two types of pelicans found in Florida, the Brown Pelican pictured here and the larger White Pelican.  When pelicans are in a group, they are called a squadron, scoop or pod.  (Photo: January 5, 2014)

There is nothing more relaxing then the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Unless a storm is on the horizon, the Gulf Coast of Florida usually features a calm appearance like the one here at South Brohard Beach on the island of Venice. (Photo: January 17, 2013)

A boat passes by South Brohard Beach as it cruises along in the Gulf of Mexico.  The Suncoast waters are a great place for boating as weather and water cooperate much of the year making for a great day on the water.  (Photo: April 3, 2015)

When Floridians think of the winter months and cooler weather, the first thought that comes to mind is the return of the winter residents commonly known as snowbirds.  But those are the only snowbirds that flock to the Sunshine State, a walk along any beach or body of water will find feathered visitors enjoying the warmth of the Florida sun.  (Photo: January 5, 2014)

A brown pelican dives down into the Gulf of Mexico in hopes of catching its next meal.  Pelicans and other shorebirds can be seen along the coast looking for a bite to eat (Photo: March 10, 2013)

Venice, Florida: During our weekend trip to the beach at South Brohard Beach, we had a nice day to observe some shorebird activity.  For the first time, we observed a bird that we had not seen before.  It really stood out among the normal beach visitors and it turned out to be a black bellied plover in breeding plumage.  This was a really neat looking bird and provided a nice break from the usual sights.  In addition to the birds along the shore, there was even a dolphin feeding just off the coast for quite some time. Here is a list of the animals seen during our beach visit: Black-bellied Plover Brown Pelican Dolphin Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling

Today we made our weekly trip to the beach at South Brohard Park and while my wife and son looked for shells and sharks teeth, I watched the air traffic into Venice Municipal Airport.  Here is a snap shot of what we saw today: Cessna Skyhawk - N655PD Piper Cherokee - N2914B Ultravia Pelican Sport 600 - N25881  Robinson R-22 - N80407  Cirrus SR-22 - N169DW Bell 407 - N911VS Cessna 310 - N5794M Cessna Skyhawk - N71FC  Cirrus SR-20 - N349CD 

Here are the aircraft seen during today's visit to South Brohard Beach at the base of Venice Municipal Airport. O-2 Skymaster - N373AZ Piper Super Cruiser - N4136M Cessna Citation Excel - N60S  Cessna 150 - N5223Q

The B-29 Superfortress “FIFI” flies over South Brohard Beach in Venice, Florida. With over 11,000 B-29’s produced by Boeing, FIFI is the last remaining airworthy B-29. FIFI is operated and maintained by the Commemorative Air Force and travels the country during the Air Power History Tour. (Photo: March 6, 2016)