The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropicsWoodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
Are pink flamingos considering a comeback in Florida? Researchers are trying to determine if the once-native shorebirds blown in by Hurricane Idalia are here to stay. In the meantime, the birds are creating excitement on social, and serving as a boost for local business. WINK News Investigative Reporter Céline McArthur takes you for a ride to see the birds in the wild. It’s not much of a challenge to spot a pink flamingo in Southwest Florida… from your car! They’re everywhere—on restaurants, mailboxes, art, and even on your lottery tickets. But finding an American Flamingo here—in the wild—is a different story. “They are very elusive birds,” warns Southwest Florida Shorebird Project Manager Megan Hatten for Audubon Florida. Hatten would know. “I come out I do surveys, I count the populations, but I also keep track of every shorebird that are out here,” she explained. On this morning, no flamingo sightings, which comes as no surprise to Hatten. “We have no idea how many there are. I mean, we think over 100 flew in with Idalia. It could be 500. It could be lower than that,” she speculates. We go online to see where bird watchers are reporting them. Adventures in Paradise posted some great flamingo videos from their cruises right off our shores, so we jumped on board for a closer look. “The first time I went out there, I thought they were made of plastic. I thought somebody was kind of pulling a roll over our eyes!” Andrew Herrick from Adventures in Paradise says with a chuckle. First Mate and Marine Biologist Andrew Herrick leads us to Black Skimmer Island, also known as Bird Island, about a mile north of the Sanibel Causeway. “It’s located right at the base of the Caloosahatchee River,” explains Herrick. “You can’t miss it because of all the bird species out here.” White pelicans line the shore. Look closely and you’ll see pink flamingos among the group. Bird watchers, armed with powerful cameras, are thrilled to capture the rare sightings. Herrick cautions that we must not get closer to the birds than this. “The last thing we would like to do is approach the island so close and then poof—scare them away and have them never come back,” Herrick warned. Herrick says the flamingo sightings have been good for business. Hatten says the presence of the shorebirds is a sign that restoration efforts in the Everglades are working. “Maybe now we have an ecosystem that’s able to sustain them. If we can sustain the flamingos, then we can sustain all of our other wading birds and shorebirds as well,” Hatten expressed with hope. Audubon Florida conducted a flamingo census in March to determine the population. We’ll share the results as soon as we get them. In the meantime, if you’d like to see flamingos up close, Naples Zoo just opened its new flamingo habitat. Zoo Tampa and Zoo Miami also have flamingos. Miami has a live flamingo cam! Just a word of caution: it’s addictive.