Harns Marsh Preserve

Saturday, January 19th

Gray-headed Swamphens have become quite common.

Savannah Sparrow

Made several trips out to Harns Marsh this month. Thought I would comment on what is happening at the Marsh lately and share some pics.

There aren't really a lot of wading birds on hand lately.  A nice sampling.  the same with the wintering water fowl.  A few Ring-necked Ducks, Blue-winged Teal and Hooded Mergansers. The resident Mottled Ducks are not really that numerous as well.  Black-bellied Whistling Ducks have disappeared from the area all together.  Wood Ducks are occasionally seen.

Limpkins, Common Gallinule, American Coots, Sandhill Cranes, Anhingas, Pied-billed Grebes and Double-crested Cormorants are expected

Tri-colored Heron

A Little Blue Heron

Loggerhead Shrike

                                                                                  

Gray-headed Swamphens are easy to find and American Bitterns can be seen. Much harder sightings would be the Least Bitterns, Sora, King Rail and Purple Gallinules. Need to be on site at day break for a chance to hear or maybe even spot one. I've dipped on these  species this month so far. 

Still looking for any Wild Turkeys, Swamp Sparrows or a Grasshopper Sparrow.

A female Common Yellowthroat

Snail kites were a for-sure sighting here once, but not anymore. Seems Harns Marsh isn't suiting them lately. Quite probably,  what is happening here is that changes have been to how the water is held  for storm water control. These changes may have effected the snail kites ability to successfully hunt the apple snails that make up most of their diet. There is diffidently a lack of empty, apple snail shells, once commonly seen here, that are discarded by the feeding kites and Limpkins leave behind. Perhaps the snail population has crashed?

Ring-necked Duck

Pied-billed Grebe

Harns Marsh Preserve eBird Hotspot reports
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L830108

Palm Warbler

Raptor numbers are over-whelming lead by the large concentration of roosting Black and Turkey Vultures.  Bald Eagles, wintering Northern Harriers, resident Red-shouldered Hawks, the occasional Snail Kite, and soaring Red-tailed and Short-tailed Hawks. American Kestrels, in the winter, are seen.  Sometimes a Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Sharp-shinned hawk or Coopers will make an appearance

A Whirly Bird
The nearby Buckingham Airfield hosts Lee County Mosquito Control
 and other local agencies
This corner of Lee County was once a part of the Buckingham Army Airfield,
 a training base during WW2

A male Anhinga

Crested Caracara

American Kestrel

Wilson's Snipe

Hooded Merganser

Glossy Ibis

Sandhill Crane

Purple Gallinules have become hard to find lately. 

 My last observation was back in October

Least Sandpiper