Celery fields

Friday January 25th

Hooded Merganser 

Bronzed Cowbird

The Celery Fields, a mult-purpose  Sarasota County managed property,  is a popular location for birders. The Sarasota Audubon Society is doing a great job in their support with their Purple Martin houses, bird feeders, butterfly garden, volunteer naturalists and more.

Bronzed Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird is a rare bird here in Florida. It's a tropical species, which has been expanding its range, out of Mexico and into the U.S Southwestern stats and has arrived in Florida   Its numbers remain small compared the native Brown-headed Cowbird, buts seems a bit more numerous than another invasive cowbird species, the Shiny Cowbird

Male Brown-headed Cowbird

Arrived before dawn, I stacked out the barn owl spot on Center Road. No owls. Did hear killdeers and Gray Catbirds. Plus the occasional roar from the cats at the nearby Big Cat Sanctuary.

Male Brown-headed Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird at the feeders

Moved onto the Raymond Road Boardwalk. It can be a good location for Bittern, Soras, Purple Gallinules, Marsh Wrens and other rails. Plus wading birds and water fowl.
But I had to be satisfied with just a calling Sora, Northern Harrier and Blue-winged Teal. A flock of Ring-necked Ducks did pass over headed.

Red-winged Blackbirds

Nanday Parakeet at the feeders

Over at the Nature Center on Palmer Road, there was a lot activity at the feeders and Purple Martin Houses

The Purple Martins are now returning from their winter vacations.  And the feeders are busy with a large number of Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, Boat-tailed Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds and the more exotic Nanday Parakeets and Bronzed Cowbirds

Eastern Bluebird seen visiting the Nature Center - Butterfly Garden

Purple Martins

Purple Martins

Next went looking for the Ash-throated Flycatcher and Greater Scaups on the property west of the Hill.  Didn't find the flycatcher today, but the pair of Greater Scaups were seen in the company of a few Lesser Scaups and Pied-billed Grebes on the central lake. Was interesting that no Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are being seen here lately. They can still be seen, nearby, on the property of the Critter Ridge Landscapers at the corner of Fruitville and Tatum Roads.

Northern Shoveler have been 

locally uncommon this winter

Lastly, I was to check-out the berm that edges the western boundary of the property. Lots of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Palm Warblers, Plus a few Blue-winged Teal, Common Gallinules, Anhingas, Roseate Spoonbills and a lone Northern Shoveler and Hooded Merganser

Was a good visit today.  Got fifty-seven species and some nice pics.  Dipped on some of the expected and rarer species.  But that just creates an excuse to come on back

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

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Sunday January 13th

Boat-tailed Grackles were active at this watering spot

Had to make three attempts to locate the Yellow-headed Blackbird.  Its a western bird and not very commonly seem in Florida and to have a brightly colored male hanging out thirty miles from home, I had to see it.

Last week Eary Warren with wife Jennifer and Dave & Tammy McQuade had discovered the yellow-headed blackbird in the parking lot of the Win Dixie store at corner of US 17 and Bermont Road in Charlotte County.  Eary, Jennifer, Dave and Tammy have been racking up a long list birds, as the awesome birders that they are, to start the new year and it is no surprise that Eary was going to spot this guy.

Great Egret

Arrived to day about 2:30 pm and note that the parking lot lacked any grackles.  The yellow-head has been hanging with a local flock of boat-tailed grackles.  drove behind the stores to the retention pond, where wood storks, white ibis, laughing gulls, Ring-billed Gulls and the 

The Yellow-headed Blackbird was initially very hard to find. 

As it was well concealed in the shrubbery

grackles were found. Ran into Monica Higgins who was already monitoring the grackles for our target bird. Made a quick recheck in the parking lot.  Still empty.  returned to the pond an was informed that the flock had been spooked by an eagle and the yellow-headed blackbird

was easily seen and photographed. Big oops on my part, as I ended up waiting for well past an hour for the target to reappear.  The grackles were still active, so the blackbird was still expected to be at hand.  Was joined in the wait by Margi Haas and several ladies from Sarasota.

Eventually the bird was seen deep in the foliage, preening and being very inconspicuous. Patience paid off and the Yellow-headed Blackbird finally came out into the open.  Got my pics.  Yeah..

Early Florida settlers called these birds Old Flintheads 

and found them not to be very appetizing for the pot

Wood Stork

Crested Caracara

Wednesday January 9th

Made a run out to Church Road near Felda in Hendry County, in search of any Wild Turkeys and to check on the scissor-tailed flycatcher/ western kingbird spot.

This stretch of road from State Road 82 in northeastern Collier County to State Road 29 in Hendry County, is roughly about an eight miles of rural settings featuring orange groves, pastures and a regional solid waste dump site.

Several Crested caracaras were spotted along the road, 

attracted to the carcass of dead possum,

A pair of scissor-tailed flycatchers seen along Church Road 

in November 2018

The location noted as 1881 Church Road became a popular birding spot after reports of Western Kingbirds and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers back January of 2014. It is a very reliable location for Crested Caracaras and Wild Turkeys. The turkeys sometimes can be seen in abundance or, like today, not at all.  As for the caracaras the winter months can sometimes find concentrations of the birds, especially near road kills.




From Bob Pelkey's Blog -  March 2014 and January 2015  and February 2014 featuring an excellent review of the birds of Church Road

Tom Obrock with Hemant Kishon birding 

1881 Church Road in Feb 2014

Photo by Bob Pelkey

Brown Thrasher

Lately the flycatchers and kingbirds don't seem to be using this site.  I was lucky to spot a pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers back on November 3rd.  But seems no one has relocated any to date. 

 Other special sightings here include an almost bi-annual appearance of Lark Sparrows, during fall migration. Vince McGrath had first located a pair back in February 2014. Painted Buntings, Eastern Towhees, White-winged Doves and Short-tailed Hawks have been seen.

Franklin's Gull

Friday January 4th

Haven't had much success with finding any wintering gulls, so far. But we've had a Franklin's Gull  hanging out in the area. Was able to spot the bird at Bowditch Point Park on Ft Myers Beach . I was a bit iffy on the ID, haven't encountered one for several years.


Still on the look-out for any black-backed Gulls or other gulls and terns. Black Skimmers don't seem to be as numerous lately as well.  Not many Bonaparte's Gulls being seen winter. Been thinking that bonaparte's maybe seen on the lakes  around Lake Placid in Highlands County. Could be the recent Red Tide activity may have effected the bird life.

Franklin's Gull seen at Bodwitch Point

Spent the morning birding both ends of Ft Myers Beach.. First at Bowditch Point Park then to the south end at Carlos Point. Carlos Point did support the expected shorebirds and seabirds.  The Gulls and Terns were limited to Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, plus Royal and Sandwich Terns.  A small flock of Black Skimmers did fly past.  Did seen but one skimmer last month.

Scoped the waters for ducks, loons and grebes.  Some Common Loons were seen, but no other sea ducks or grebes.

A Young Herring Gull

Great Blue Heron

Brown Pelican

Willit

Common Loons

Wilson's Plover

Snowy Plover

Smooth-billed Ani

Wednesday January 2nd

On my second attempt to catch-up with the Smooth-billed Ani that is hanging out around an area called the Ani Pond at Ding Darling's Bailey Track, got to see the bird. Special thanks to Ed Combs for his locating the bird for all of to see.

The Smooth-billed Ani is now considered a rare bird in Florida as it has been pretty much extirpated through out the Florida. This was a species that made its appearance in the early 20th Century here in Florid.a. Having arrived on its own from the Caribbean and Cuba.  Its numbers grew and became a very commonly seen bird. Several experienced birders I know have commented on how it was easily seen on Sanibel at one time.  But for some unknown reason the population has died out,  No doubt the influx of a number of recent sightings of vagrants  around Florida are probably the result of recent weather patterns.  Nice to see though.