Some Birds in March

Friday March 30th

Thought I'd share some of my better birding pics for March


GALLARY

Yellow-throated Vireo seen at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Ovenbird seen at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Piping Plover sporting fresh breeding plumage.

Should be heading north in the next few weeks

March and early April tends to be the best time for sighting

Cedar Waxwings in this area

Limpkins have moved into the Six-Mile Cypress Slough,

were they are now actively breeding

Prairie Warblers are resident birds here,

their population will increase during migration

Tufted Titmice also are common residents at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Common Yellowthroats -  a winter residents at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

A few Scissor-tailed Flycatchers will winter in Florida,

but will be heading back toward Texas soon

A pair of Barred Owls are currently nesting close by the boardwalk at Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.  That section of the boardwalk is now closed to protect the birds from any stress.

Several pairs of Sandhill Cranes are currently nesting at Harns Marsh

Snail Kites were formerly an easy find at Harns Marsh, but recently the population has declined. Speculation is that changes to water levels at the marsh have made finding apple snails more difficult for them.  Probable have been relocating to areas with better habitat

Black-and-White Warblers are often seen throughout the area at this time of year

Blue-headed Vireos winter here,

but will soon be heading north to nest

Six-Mile Cypress Slough Reopens

Wednesday November 1st

It has be about fifty days since Hurricane Irma struck. Very slowly our public parks and preserves have been able to reopen. Today Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve has opened, partly.

Blue-headed Vireo

Blue - Gray Gnatcatcher

Half of the boardwalk remained closed awaiting its final clean-up.

Spent about an hour their today. So much of the canopy has been defoliated and dead snags and limbs had come down, leaving a lot more open space. Should make it a bit easier to observe the birds.

Saw my FOS Blue-headed Vireos and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Other birds today included Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, lots of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, Palm, Pine, Northern Parula and Prairie Warblers.

Apple Snail shells found at the Gunnery Trail.

They would have been left behind by either

Limpkins or Snail Kites, which feed on them

Earlier in the morning stopped at the Gunnery Trail at Turkey Strand Preserve. and had a FOS Sora calling, more Yellow-rumped, Pine, Palm and Common Yellowthroat Warblers, tons of Gray Catbirds and numerous waders. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mottled Ducks, Blue-winged Teal and Common Gallinules were seen as well.

Gallary

A female Black-throated Blue Warbler seen at Rotary Park in Cape Coral

A Black-and-White Warbler at Rotary Park

Also heard a report of an Ani seen by Meg in the Estero Buffer Preserve. Sounds intriguing.

Gray-headed Swamphen at Harns Marsh

Tricolored Heron at Harns Marsh

Red-shouldered Hawk at Harns Marsh

Red-tailed Hawk at Harns Marsh

A Polka-dotted Batfish seen in the shallows at Bunche Beach

Prairie Warbler at Lakes Park

Palm Warbler at Lakes Park

Northern Parula at Sugden Park

Black-and-White Warbler at Sugden Park

American Redstart at Sugden Park

A Black-throated Green Warbler at Sugden Park

A Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher at Sugden Park

A Common Yellowthroat at Sugden Park

Painted Buntings at Corckscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Sunday, January 29th

Painted Buntings at feeder located at the Blair House

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is located in eastern Collier County and is owned and operated by the National Audubon Society.  The sanctuary is home to one of the oldest stand of bald cypress trees left in the U.S. These trees, some several hundred years old, were barely saved from the loggers' axe.  It is a Jewel.

Besides the famed Wood Stork breeding colonies located here in the winter, it also hosts at least one of the few rare Ghost Orchids found in Florida.

Spent a couple of hours today walking the boardwalk. The feeders at the Blair House and at the Bunting House each hosted a pair of Painted Buntings. The Bunting House feeders also is home to a wintering Ovenbird.  Other sightings included a pair of Anhingas in a noisy altercation. Don't know what their problems were. Several Red-shouldered Hawks were active. One was busy consuming a snake and another pair were being very amorous. Had a few warblers, like Black-and White, Palm, Common Yellowthroat and Northern Parula.  Lots of Gray Catbirds and a Barred Owl, White-eyed Vireo and Carolina Wrens were heard. A light-phased short-tailed hawk was seen by several people, but was a miss for me. Other birds included Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Wood Stork, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal.

An unusual visitor to the Blair House was a Rafinesque's Long-eared Bat sleeping near the outside rest rooms.  This is an uncommon bat and an excellent finish to my visit.  Earlier in the day I counted at least eighty Black-bellied Whistling Ducks at a pond on Immokalee Road east of Sanctuary Road.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Gray Catbird



Common Yellowthroat

Red-shouldered Hawk eating a freshly caught snake

Water Moccasin



Rafinesque's Long-eared Bat