Cinnamon Teal

 Monday December 14th

Made another two day road trip, last week, with stops at Silver Springs State Park, Sweetwater Wetlands in Gainesville, Daytona Beach and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Rhesus Monkey habitat at Silver Springs State Park

Stopped first at Silver Springs State Park east of Ocala. Silver Springs is famed as the home territory for troops of feral Rhesus monkeys who's presence are due to monkeys having escaped into the forests almost hundred years ago. Eventually they will be removed as obnoxious exotics, but for now they have been culled to reduce their numbers. Until recently a small number of feral squirrel monkeys had existed in areas near to the Gordon River in Naples, Florida. But licensed trappers were allowed to cull these monkeys.  They are probably extirpated at this point.

Sandhill Trail

It started as a cold day while I hiked the Sandhill Trail, which featured a sandhill Long-leaf Pine ecosystem.  Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, American Robins and Downy Woodpeckers were active. Some of the flora in this habitat included the Long-leaf Pines, Sand Pines, American Turkey, Live, Sand Post Oaks and Myrtle Oaks, Saw Palmetto, Black Cherry American Olive, Leafy Elephant's Foot and Coastalplain Golden aster.

Sand Pine

River Trail

 Before leaving leaving Silver Springs walked the  River Trail.  A different, more riparian ecosystem then the sandhill area. Some of the flora here included Bald Cypress, Live and Water Oaks, American Sweetgum, Pignut Hickory, Southern Magnolia, Red Maple, Dahoon and American Holly, Sugar Hackberry, Silverling, American Beautyberry, Sparkleberry and Walter's Viburnum

 At the trail head was immediately met by an active Hermit Thrust. Not a lot of other birds seen or hears, aside Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers , a few waders and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. 

Sparkleberry

A single Bufflehead was present today

Gainesville is less than an hour north from Ocala and had several venues in mind to bird, but wanted to start at Sweetwater Wetlands. Have had some very nice visits here in the past and rusty blackbirds had
been roosting here up till a week ago. Birding was a bit disappointing. Water level were too high for shore birds and snipes and for some reason I didn't notice any sparrows either. The venue can be very  good for waterfowl. For some reason black-bellied whistling ducks weren't present during my visit. But we had a great many Common Gallinule and American Coots. Plus some Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Leaser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks and Ring-necked Ducks.  Did hear a Sora calling. 

Limpkin seen at Sweetwater Wetlands

Day Two

Daytona Beach wasn't really my target venue.  Had planned to make a stop at Ormand Beach to see if gannets were present and Sabastian Inlet or Ponce Inlet to look for purple sandpipers. But I really needed an extra day on this trip to handle all these possible stops. Perhaps a five to seven day trip next month could be accommodating.

Angelwing shell

At Daytona Beach hundreds of Laughing Gulls were lounging on the sand. Plus some Ring-billed and Herring Gulls and a lone Lesser Black-backed Gull. Additional Royal Terns and a couple of Black Skimmers.

Herring Gull

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island can be a good location for spotting wintering waterfowl.  Currently a male Cinnamon Teal is wintering here and we don't see cinnamon teal in Florida very often.  Its a western species, not commonly found this far east. 

The Cinnamon Teal with Blue-winged Teal
at stop number 4 on the Blackpoint Wildlife Drive

As a Florida vagrant, the Cinnamon Teal was a special sighting.  Other waterfowl included Northern Pintail, Blue-wing and Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Northern Shovelers and Mottled Ducks.  American Coots and Common Gallinules were plentiful on the Blackpoint Drive. Wood Storks, Rosette Spoonbills, White and Glossy Ibis, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Herons and other waders were present.  As seen were Caspian Terns, Ring-billed Gulls, Greater Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitchers, Palm and Orange-crown Warblers. 

Green Heron

Checked-out the birding activity along the Bio Lab Road.  Only a few Sanderlings and Royal Terns

today. 

But on the out of the refuge was able watch an active family of Florida Scrub Jays. Then the four hour drive home

Florida Scrub Jay

Asters seen at the St Johns River at Palatka

Spiny Fiddlewood seen on the Blackpoint Wildlife Drive

Indian Blanket seen at the Blackpoint Wildlife Drive

Day 2 Florida Keys Trip

 Monday November 23th

Day 2 wasn't a very birdy day. One good sighting for the day was at the motel in Marathon. Nice looks at a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

From here was a stop at Long Key State Park. Walked the the Golden Orb Trail looking for unique Keys trees, plants ad animals. 

Long Key, along with Bahia Honda, is also a location for the rejuvenation of the very rare Miami Blue Butterfly. Long Key is also regenerating from effects of Hurricane Irma. Acres of mangrove were killed off by the high surge water.  New growth can be seen emerging among the skeletal remains of the ravaged trees. 

Fiddler Crab

Great Crested Flycatcher

The Golden Orb Trail heads through the mangroves, then moves inland through salt pans then higher to tropical hardwoods. Sightings include Seven-year Apple, Wash Wood, Poison Wood, Florida Silver Palm, West Indian Milkberry, Blackbead, Sea Lavender, Beach Spider Lily, Comma, Jamaican Dogwood and Wild Dilly

Sea Torchwood

Wash Wood

Sea Lavender

Seven-year Apple

West Indian Milkberry

Blackbead

Wild Dilly

Now I went onto Windley Fossil Reef State Park. Walked the Hammock Trail with the purpose of finding another rare plant, the Key Tree Cactus. 

With the help of park staff, I was able to see one witch is part of a re-introduction project. Mature cactus can reach 10 meters in height and have become quite rare due to habitat destruction

A specimen of Key Tree Cactus

Apart from the tropical hardwood forest, the property was once used to quarry limestone for the building of the overseas railroad.  The limestone was created from an ancient coral reef that existed about two million years ago when almost all of Florida was submerged below a shallow sea. The fossilized coral is evident along the quarry walls.

The hammock trail features placards identifying the many species trees and plants found here.  Such as Poisonwood, Crabwood, Scarlet Cordia, Coma, Blolly, Pigeon Plum, Milkbark, Black Ironwood, Monk Orchid, Triangle cactus, Bahama Strongbark and some unusual fungi.

Lancewood

Bahia Hondo State Park

 Sunday November 22nd

After moving on from Big Pine Key, made a stop at Bahia Hondo State Park. The state park

encompasses almost all of this small key. I hadn't stopped here before, but could not miss the iconic abandoned railroad trestle projecting out from the key.

The nature trail is now off limits due to the hurricane damage, because three years ago Hurricane Irma devastated the the Florida Keys including Bahia Hondo. 

American Kestrel

Still was able to locate Florida Silver Palm, Florida Thatch Palm, Seven-Year Apple, Gumbo Limbo and Sea Lavender

Sea Lavender

Florida Silver Palms are primarily a Florida Keys species

Florida Silver Palm

Seven-Year Apple

Bahama Nightshade

Cassius Blue

The Key is also a location for the extremely rare Miami Blue Butterfly, were the University of Florida is active in rejuvenation the population. I didn't observe any, but Cassius Blue Butterflies were easily found.

Not a large variety of birds today at Bahia Honda. Palm Warblers, Prairie Warbler, Kestrels, Laughing Gulls, Brown Pelicans and a Yellow-crowned Nigh-heron. 

The waters at the marina were very clear. Was able to observe mullet, a parrotfish and lots of Atlantic Needlefish just at the surface.

Atlantic Needlefish

A Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-heron

Cuban Pewee

 Sunday November 22nd

White-crowned Pigeon seen on Key Largo

Today, I went on a twitch to see the Cuban Pewee on Big Pine Key.  This rare-to-Florida visitor, was located at Blue Hole in the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Pine Key. 

Common Myna seen in Florida City

For me, its a five hour drive from Fort Myers down into the Florida Keys. Made the trip into a two day overnighter, because I also wanted to explorer some of the unique floral communities found nowhere in the US but in the Keys. 

Did make a stop on Key Largo to look for interesting birds, flora and the endangered Florida Tree Snails

Moved on to Big Pine Key, which is just south of the famous seven mile bridge. Much of this Key is  a part of the National Key Deer Refuge. Key Deer are a diminutive and endangered subspecies of White Tail Deer totally endemic to the Keys. Blue Hole is a former rock quarry used to provide material in the construction of Henry Flagler's Railroad through the Keys. Its now the only freshwater lake in the Keys

A Key Deer seen near Blue Hole

As for the Cuban Pewee, it was easily located from the Blue Hole overlook, were it is drawing many interested observers. It would pose nicely for photographs. 

Cuban Pewee seen at Blue Hole

Gallery of Scenes from Key Largo and Blue Hole

Poisonwood at Key Largo
Look but don't touch

Everglades Velvetseed at Key Largo

Lancewood at Key Largo

Florida Tree Snail at Key Largo

Bahama Strongbark

Blackbead at Blue Hole

Everglades Greenbriar at Blue Hole

Coker's Creeper at Blue Hole

Smooth Devil's Claws seen at Blue Hole

Mangrovevine at Blue Hole

Goatweed at Blue Hole

Rough Velvetseed seen at Blue Hole

Florida Thatch Palm seen at Blue Hole

Key Thatch Palm seen at Blue Hole

Chapman's Wild Sensitive Plant 

Kestrel at Big Pine Key

Locustberry at Blue Hole