Everglades

 Tuesday January 9th

Vermilion Flycatcher at Lucky Hammock

Spent a couple of days birding around the Everglades and at Lucky Hammock.

 

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
C-111 Canal

Day One was a very blustery day, which does handicap your birding experience as the birds seek sheltered and often secluded locations to get out of the winds. This was so obvious while making a stop at the C-111 Canal venue outside of Everglades National Park where the expected Scissor tailed Flycatchers were using the cover within the trees and shrubs.

Was greeted here with a Swainson's Hawk soaring close overhead. Counted seven Scissor-tailed Flycatcher hiding from the winds in an oak tree. Had a western kingbird too. The female Vermilion Flycatcher was staying low too. A surprise of a Yellow-headed Blackbird spotted feeding with a large flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds. The expected Tropical Kingbird was also present.  

Swainson's Hawk
C-111 Canal

Moved onto Lucky Hammock, but not much was observed here today because of the weather. Lots of Gray Catbirds. and a Northern Harrier were seen. Then entered Everglades National Park with ever little to be seen. Because of the weather, passed up a planned return to the Lucky Hammock area at sundown, for least nighthawks and barn owls.

Vermilion Flycatcher
Lucky Hammock

Returned to rebird the C-111 and Lucky Hammock the next morning with much better success. Easily found my target birds. White-tailed Kites, Short-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Tropical Kingbird, Western Kingbirds, Savanah Sparrows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

Vermilion Flycatcher
C-111 Canal 

eBird Trip Report See complete bird lists for the trip

Zebra Longwing
Lucky Hammock

Western Kingbird
C-111 Canal

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Lucky Hammock

 

Red Shouldered Hawk
C-111 Canal

Great Egret
Lucky Hammock

Week One of the New Year

 Monday January 9th

In the first week of this new year did a little birding in Palm Beach and Dade Counties.  Checked out some of the rural areas in the Everglades Ag Area looking for Raptors and Barn Owls. Spotted dozens of American Kestrels, three White-tailed Kites, several Northern Harriers, Red-shouldered Hawk, an Eastern Red-tailed Hawks, Short-tail Hawk, Crested Caracara and a Barn Owl. 

Came across some flooded fields with Blue-winged and Green-winged Tea, Mottled Ducks, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers and Long-billed Dowitchers. Other sightings included Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

Chipping Sparrow
seen at Lucky Hammock - Frog Pond WMA

 

Checked out the Sem-Chi Rice Mill and was disappointed that no blackbirds or cowbirds were present and not much of interest seen at the nearby wetlands.

Glossy Ibis
seen at Wakodahatchee Wetlands at Delray Beach

Visited the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach were waking the boardwalk noticed that the rookeries of wading birds hadn't starting nesting yet. Lots of Wood Storks and various wading bird species were present. Had Black-belled Whistling Ducks, Gray-headed Swamphens and Green Iguanas

Palm Warbler
seen at Harns Marsh, Lehigh Acres, Florida

Gray-headed Swamphen
seen at Harns Marsh, Lehigh Acres

Tricolored Heron
seen at Wakodahatchee Wetlands at Delray Beach

Wood Stork
seen at Wakodahatchee Wetlands at Delray Beach

Cattle Egret
seen in Palm Beach County

Red-shouldered Hawk
seen at Lucky Hammock - Frog Pond WMA

 

Down in Dade County, west of Florida City briefly walked along the L31W Canal.  Not much spotted aside from a resting Broad-winged Hawk. At the Souther Gladys Trail 111 Canal/ Pumping Station, saw the Vermilion Flycatcher, a couple of Brown-headed Cowbirds, Eastern Phoebes and a White-tailed Kite.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
seen at Lucky Hammock - Frog Pond WMA

 

Then at Lucky Hammock, I had run into a very large birding group from Tropical Audubon Society. Best sighting here was a Swainson's Hawk, plus a couple of Short-tailed Hawks. Also added were some Chipping Sparrows and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Spotted a bright Great Crested Flycatcher but would have liked to have spotted the brown-crested flycatcher seen by the Audubon birders..

Myakka River State Park

 Friday December 30th

Spent the morning today visiting Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County. Water levels remain high and some damage from Hurricane Ian is still present.  Was hoping to observe a nice variety of waterfowl, but only came across Mottled Ducks, some Blue-winged Teal and a few Green-winged Teal.  Wild Turkeys, Greater Yellowlegs, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Black-necked Stilts and Eastern Phoebes were numerous. Other sightings included American Robins, Pied-billed Grebes, Anhingas and Cormorants.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Wild Turkey

Greater Yellowlegs

American Robin

Green-winged Teal

Northern Mockingbird

Palm Warbler
Myakka River State Park

After catching lunch at the food truck, left the park for a quick run over to nearby Celery Fields.  Here, I checked out the butterfly garden and feeder location. Lots of Nanday Parakeets, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Grackles. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler
The Celery Fields

Northern Cardinal
The Celery Field

Boat-tailed Grackle
The Celery Fields

So, as the year ends, I hadn't grown a very large year list.  With the covid stuff, gas prices and rising inflationary costs, and not forget the havoc with Hurricane Ian, I didn't do as much birding as I normally would have.  But currently I'm making plans to be more aggressive in the new year.

Lake Jackson - Tallahassee

Thursday January 16th

Made a couple of visits to the Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park and the near by Crowder Road Landing at Lake Jackson in Tallahassee.

I came to bird at the state park and was also interested in the history of the mounds.  The Mounds  goes back over thousand years ago and was believed to be a important capital for the indigenous people of the day.

More history is presented on The Butler Miller Trail, which leads to the remnants of a Pre-civil War era grist mill. The mill was once part of Colonel Robert Butler's large plantation.

Red-shouldered Hawk at Lake Jackson

The geography around Tallahassee, called The Red Hills, can be considered the southern terminus of the Appalachian Mountain range. Which also features flora commonly seen in the southern Appalachians of Georgia, such as trilliums and violets. This is also the usual southern range for some wintering birds such as Winter Wrens and White-breasted Nuthatches, that favored this bio-system. I was successful in locating both species. Plus Carolina Chickadees, Barred Owl, and Pileated Woodpecker.

Canada Geese are year round residents in Tallahassee

On Lake Jackson, hundreds of American Coots are seen, as well as a large number of Ruddy Ducks, some Buffleheads and a couple of Bonaparte's Gulls.

Possumhaw

Yaupon

Ruddy Ducks and a Coot on Lake Jackson

Underwood's Trillium

Pink Wood-Sorrel

Violet

Harns Marsh

Friday, June 14th

Swallow-tailed Kites

Birded the south end of Harns Marsh this morning with idea of possibly finding wood duck. Recent rains have raised the water levels, filling the canals. Tilapia, cichlids and gar fish could be seen near the surface. Lots of butterflies and dragonflies including Gulf fritillary, White Peacock, Scarlet Skimmers, Blue Darners and Four-spotted Dragonflies

Swallow-tailed Kite

What caught my attention were number of Swallow-tailed Kites roosting tree top across the big lake. Counted ten, but could have been more. I'm assuming that they are already staging in preparing of their migration across the Gulf of Mexico in about a month.

Didn't locate any wood ducks or snail kites, Mostly had Black Vultures, singing Northern Parulas and Carolina Wrens. Plus Red-shouldered Hawks, Common Gallinules, a few wading birds and a sleepy Yellow-crowned Night-heron.

Little Blue Heron

Red-shouldered Hawk

Common Gallinule

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Scarlet Skimmer

Yellow-crowned Night-heron

Great Blue Skimmer