Central Florida

  Thursday January 18th

Osprey seen at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

January 14th 

Central Florida - eBird Trip Report

Began my birding vacation at Lake Apopka.  The wildlife drive on the North Shore of Lake Apopka is a must visit venue for wintering waterfowl and wetlands bird life. Managed by the St Johns Water Management District, this property is an example of taking heavily polluted farmlands, responsible for some terrible bird die-offs, and rehabbing the lands and waters into a much healthier habit for the environment. 

Arrived early in the day and traveled the six miles under threat of rain. Some of the birds present today included thousands of American Coots, Hundreds of Common Gallinules, Black-belled Whistling Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, plus Purple Gallinules, Swamphens, Sora, Wilson's Snipe, American Wigeons, Pintail Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, Mottled Ducks, Osprey, Northern Harriers, Savannah Sparrows and more.

It rained the remainder of the day as I moved onto Cocoa Beach. Did a little sea watch birding at the cocoa beach pier. Noted that Northern Gannets were on hand offshore.

Wood Stork
Merritt Island

January 15th

Toured Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Birded the Black Point Wildlife Drive and Bio Lab Road.  Lots of Blue-winged Teal were present as well as Northern Shovelers, Common Gallinules, Pintail Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Greater & Lesser Scaup. Bonaparte's Gull, Reddish Egrets plus Wood Storks, Rosette Spoonbills, American White Pelicans, Hooded Mergansers, Northern Harriers and Caspian Gull were seen.

Looked for the American Flamingos reported to be seen from the Haulover Canal site in MINWR. Spotted Kestrels and Brown Pelicans, but not the flamingos.

Glossy Ibis
Merritt Island

Snowy Egret
Merritt Island

January 16th

Spent the day in Gainesville, birding at Sweetwater Wetlands Preserve and Paynes Prairie State Park. The weather conditions have remained wet so that when I arrived early at Sweetwater Wetlands, I opted to protect my camera from the rain by leaving it my car. This was a mistake. Had several awesome photography opportunities with a posing King Rail, Ruby Crowned Kinglet and Sparrows. 

One observation was that there were almost no waterfowl present - a pair of Blue-winged Teal and a trio of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. 

Did seen Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Kinglets, Marsh Wrens, Chipping, Savannah, Song & Swamp Sparrows.  Plus Orange-crowned Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Palm & Yellow-rumped Warblers. I missed on snipe, sora, purple gallinules and bitterns.

Blue-winged Teal
Lake Apopka

The next stop was at the Le Chua Trail where Snail Kites have taken up residence in the area of The Sink.  Counted five today. Had an Ovenbird seen in the parking area as I was leaving.

Orange-crowned Warbler
Sweetwater Wetlands

January 17th  

On my way home made a stop at the Paynes Prairie State Park Visor Center to look for the Whooping Crane reportedly seen out on the prairie. It was only 35 degrees this morning as I checked for any interesting birds. Had some Spanish Horses, Sandhill Cranes and Northern Harrier.  But no Whooping Crane today

Savannah Sparrow
Sweetwater Wetlands

Snail Kite
La Chua Trail - Paynes Prairie State Park

Limpkin

Carolina Wren
Paynes Prairie State Park

Gadwall
Lake Apopka

Little Blue Heron
Lake Apopka

Some of the Faces at Six-Mile Cypress

Wednesday, November 9th

Gray Squirrel

Today I spent about an hour at the Six-Mile Cypress Slough boardwalk. Basically was interested in a bit of walking and a bit of photography. The weather was nice, the light was good and the parking lot was quite full.

Double-Crested Cormorant

Anhinga

Carolina Wren

Red-Bellied Woodpecker dining on Dahoon Holly berries

Downy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

A Napping Black-Crowned Night-Heron

Florida Banded Watersnake

Fall Migration Has Started

Monday August 15th

Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve - Ft Myers, Florida

Yellow Rat Snake -
A commonly seen reptile at Six-mile

Six-mile Cypress is one of our better Fall Migration hot spots in Lee County for the neo-tropical migrants. And this week there numbers have really stepped-up. From the end of July till now we have seen a steady stream of the early migrating species such as  Black-and-White Warblers and Northern Parulas. A few Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Red-eyed Vireos and Yellow Throated Warblers too. 

This week we have seen a influx of additional warblers including Yellow, Hooded, Prothonotaries, Prairies, American Red-starts, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Waterthrush and Ovenbirds, We have also had a couple of Kentucky Warblers show-up. They are very uncommon in our area.

Kentucky Warbler

Summer Tanager, Eastern Wood-Pewee and Acadian Flycatcher have all recently been seen. Common Yellowthroats, Swainson's Warbler and Worm-eating are still expected.  Other species that have recently arrived locally, but in other habitats include Belted Kingfisher, Barn Swallows and Piping Plovers 

Carolina Wren

Red-shouldered Hawk

Northern Parula

Armadillos have been digging in the butterfly garden

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly

Northern Parula

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

White Ibis

Cuban Brown Anole

Black-and-White Warblers are very common lately

Spring is Around the Corner

Sunday March 13th

Painted Bunting

Recently visited a friends' feeders and noted that the Indigo Buntings and Goldfinches are molting into their summer colors. 

Soon.these fellas will  be heading north along with the Yellow-rumped Warblers, Blue-headed Vireos, Belted Kingfishers and American Kestrels. 

But we'll also soon be enjoying the arrivals of colorful warblers, grosbeaks, swallows, tanagers, orioles, vireos and more.  If the winds are favorable for them, most will fly past us. Otherwise we will have the opportunity to observe these neo-tropical sojourners as they rest and feed. Some will make beautiful Southwest Florida their summer retreat, while the rest attempt to speed north as quickly as possible,to their favorite nesting territories 

Indigo Bunting

American Goldfinches

This Cooper's Hawk is a resident in my neighborhood

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Carolina Wren

Eastern Phoebe

Red-headed Woodpecker

                                                                                                                                     
                       

Spring Migration Has Stalled

Cuban Anole seen at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve

Monday, April 13th

Spring migration has come to a screeching halt. We had a very nice land-fall a couple of weeks ago, but weather patterns have largely pushed the migrates to the west of Florida.  Even a visit today by the Calusa Bird Club to the migrate hot spot at Fort DeSoto, in Pinellas County, as reported by Vince McGrath, only yielded a couple of  passerine migrants.

Gray Catbird at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve

At Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve today we , Ron Bishop and Walt Wintondid find a Northern Waterthrush and lots of Gray Catbirds. But mostly we found the expected natives like Carolina Wrens and Northern Cardinals.

Northern Cardinal at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve

Carolina Wren at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve

We still have a lot of interesting birds that are seen year round.  Here are a few.

Black-crowned Night-Heron at Six=Mile Cypress Preserve

Green Heron at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve

Male Wood Duck seen near the airport

Florida Scrub Jay found in Leigh Acres. Our only Florida endemic species

Male Snail Kite seen near Harns Marsh

The very common Boat-tailed Grackle

Our State Bird - The Northern Mockingbird

Burrowing Owl dozing in Cape Coral

The Eurasian Collared Dove is also a very common species

This Monk Parakeet was collecting nesting materials in Cape Coral

This strange looking duck appears to be a cross between a feral Muscovy Duck
 and some sort of domesticated duck

This Blue Jay was seen at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve