White-morphed Reddish Egret

March 19th

 Started the month off with a birding blitz on the first.  Started the morning with waiting at a Red-cockaded Woodpeckers cluster at dawn for the awakening of the endangered woodpeckers, at Babcock-Webb. Aside from the seeing the RCW was also lucky to find a Bachman's Sparrow, and several Brown-headed Nuthatches. Could also add a Great Horned Owl, Northern Flicker, Eastern Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, Eastern Towhee, Northern Bobwhites, Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Tree Swallows.

A White-morphed Reddish Egret at Bunch Beach

From Babcock-Webb I made stops in Alva for hits on American Kestrel and Red-headed Woodpecker, then a visit with the White's to view activity at their feeders. These feeders were very busy with American Goldfinches, Painted Buntings and Indigo Buntings. Also present were a Chipping Sparrow, White-winged Doves, Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinal and a calling Northern Parula.

The White-morphed Reddish Egrets are much more common in the Florida Keys

Next onto Lehigh Acres and Harn's Marsh. Was able to assist some newby birders in locating Snail Kites and Limpkins. Also present were the usual wading birds - Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, Green Heron, Glossy Ibis, White Ibis, Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets and Cattle Egrets. The duck and coot numbers seemed to be decreasing. Seen were Mottled Ducks, Lesser Scaups and Blue-winged Teal, plus American Coots and Pied-billed Grebes. Can also add Wilson's Snipe, Tree Swallows, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Anhings, Fish Crows, American Robins and Savannah Sparrows.

Piping Plover

After a break at home, my daughter joined me for my last stop of the day, at Bunche Beach.  The star at the beach was the arrival of a White-morphed Reddish Egret.  We do see the white-morphs in the area, but they are far more common in the Keys than here. Counted about five Piping Plovers and several Black-bellied Plovers. Seen a few Double-crested Cormorants and Brown Pelicans, plus a couple of Royal Terns, a couple of Ring-billed Gulls and several Laughing Gulls. Can also add American Oystercatcher, Willet, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher
My Day List - (84)

Muscovy Duck, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Pied-billed Grebe, Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Northern Bobwhite, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Reddish Egret, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Snail Kite, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Black-bellied Plover, Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Willet, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe,  Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Royal Tern, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Great Horned Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, Fish Crow,  Tree Swallow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, American Robin, Brown Thrasher, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Bachman's Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow,  Savannah Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting, American Goldfinch,  Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle

Ring-billed Gull