Road Trip - Tallahassee

Saturday January 20th

Canada Goose at Biltmore Pond

We get a few Snow Geese wintering in Florida every year, but the Ross's Goose is quite uncommon. Several have been reported at the Biltmore Avenue - North Pond in southeastern Tallahassee. A couple of years ago, Bob Pelkey and I had visited the venue to look for the Whooping Crane that had been wintering there over several years. The crane hasn't been around lately,( last reported in Feb 2016 ) but Snow Geese, Canada Geese, the Ross's Geese and a lone Greater White-fronted Goose have been using the site lately.

So, on this road trip it was onto the Biltmore Avenue hotspot on Friday afternoon after leaving Gainesville. Luckily the Snow Geese and the Ross's Geese were on the pond in a fenced in pasture when I arrived, no other waterfowl were present though.

Blue-morphed Snow Goose

Didn't really get a chance for much photography on the geese. Because the cows kept blocking the view.

Then it happened!!!

The geese all flew off. Why? 

Because a DRONE was hovering over the pond. Not the first time this has happened to me.

The Ross's Geese haven't been reported from Tallahassee since.  David and Tammy tried on three different visits to the venue without success. They got the Greater White-fronted Goose, which I dipped on.

The Ross's Geese with a Blue-morphed Snow Goose

Cedar Waxwing

One last stop before nightfall. Lake Henrietta Park is close by and occasionally rusty blackbirds can be found there. Walked the path around the lake and spotted lots of good birds we may not see in Ft Myers. Like a White-throated Sparrow, Cedar Waxwings, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, my FOS Redheads and Canvasback.  Other birds included Barred Owl, Lesser Scaup, Rudy Duck, Wood Duck, Buffleheads, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Limpkin and American Robins. No rusty blackbirds today.

Tomorrow I'll be birding at St Marks NWR with the McQuades.