Hammond's Flycatcher

Sunday January 19th

Hammond's Flycatcher at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary 

Why is a Hammond Flycatcher hanging out at Lettuce Lake at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary?  It should be wintering in Mexico. It's a western bird. And its a lifer for me.  Lots of birders have twitched after this small bird, which can be cooperative by posing close by occasionally. 

Will staking out the Hammond's a nice variety of birds were seen busily feeding close by.  Tufted Titmice, Blue-headed Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Black-and-White Warbler, a male Black-throated Green Warbler and Palm Warbles, Downy Woodpeckers, a raccoon, gators and a basking Banded Water Snake. 

Ovenbird

At the Bunting House feeder we had a male Painted Bunting, an Ovenbird, Mourning Doves, Catbirds, a Red-shouldered Hawk and an unexpected female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Other sightings included a Purple Gallinule, Brown-headed Cowbird, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Carolina Wrens, Black-crowned Night-heron, American Redstarts and Common Yellowthroats.

Northern Cardinal 

Painted Bunting

Banded Water Snake

Tufted Titmouse

A Wild Orchid

A wild Orchid high up in a tree near the Lettuce Lake

Wild Turkeys are often seen feeding on the property adjacent

 to the Sanctuary's parking area

Several White-tail Deer were also feeding in the same yard as the Turkeys

Lake Apopka

Friday January 17th

Heading home today from the Panhandle. Did make a side trip to Lake Apopka to check out the North Shore Wildlife Drive. Had visited last month and had some good sightings like the Ash-throated flycatcher.

Ring-necked duck and American Coot

But today, a great many people have also arrived to enjoy the day, the birds and photography.  Its much more crowded  on the drive than last month. The first the first mile or so was very busy.

At one point I stopped and asked some ladies what they were doing with a Muscovy Duck. Muscovy ducks are not commonly seen here and the ladies were concerned that the bird was a lost pet.  Especially as was kept approaching. No doubt it was used to being feed. They were trying to capture the it because they believed that it wasn't going to survive in the wild. My advise was to leave it alone.  It'll be alright.  Don't know what became of the situation after I left.

Fulvous Whistling Duck

American Coot

Lots of ducks today, but like at St Marks, the counts seemed lower. Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup and a Northern Shoveler.  Lots of American Coots, Pied-billed Coots, Anhingas, Common Gallinules, Cormorants, White & Glossy Ibis and the expected waders.  Ospreys, Northern Harriers, Red-shouldered Hawks and a Peregrine Falcon too.

Made a short visit. Still had three hours of driving to get home and the crowds were annoying.

Blue-winged Teal

Best Look I had of this Northern Shoveler

Pied-billed Grebe

Ring-necked Duck

Common Gallinule

gator

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

St Marks National Wildlife Refue

Wednesday January 15th

There is a Flamingo, to be seen at St Marks National Wildlife Refuge. This single bird must not mind being the sole representative for its species in North Florida.  Its been here off and on for over a year now.  Usually flamingos are found further south and not that often even in south Florida.

Pied-billed Grebe

I had arrived this morning about 7 am. Its still dark and very foggy and I'm not the first on site. As dawn breaks a small crowd has gathered at the East River Pool over look waiting for the fog to clear. Unfortunately it would clear up till around 10 o'clock.  We had some nice birding the location as we waited. The beautiful male Vermilion Flycatcher was active in the area.  We also had King and Virginia Rails, Wilson's Snipes, Greater Yellowlegs, Savannah and Song Sparrows, Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Its a bit foggy for the Vermilion Flycatcher

Barred Owl

Relocated to the Lighthouse around 9 am.  The fog seemed to be getting thicker. Checked out the ponds and lakes. Had a single Glossy Ibis, which had to be checked for red eyes.  Which it didn't have. The waterfowl appeared to be diminishing in variety and counts. Still we have birds. American Widgeons, Gadwalls, Hooded Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers, Lesser Scaup, canvasbacks, Redhead, Buffleheads, Common Goldeneye, Pied-billed Grebes, Anhingas Common Loon.  Brown pelicans, Cormorants, Ruddy Turnstones, Willets, Ring-billed Gulls, Forster's Terns too.

Got the word that that the Flamingo could now be spotted after the fog had lifted.  Quickly returned to East River Pool.  It was pretty far off. Too far away for my camera but that red plumage really sticks out.

Song Sparrow

Next up was a search for a henslows sparrow at the helapad location. I joined with Charlie Bostwick and his wife for a sparrow walk. We had Marsh and Sedge Wrens and a Lincoln's Sparrow. I didn't get the henslow, but Charlie heard it. The pine forest here also yielded Eastern Towhee, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Pine Warbler, Great Horned Owl and-bellied Woodpeckers 

Didn't see everthing on my list. But not a bad day

Fiddler Crab

Green Anole

Queen Butterfly feeding on Tropical Milkweed

Basking Gator

Atamasco Lily

Glossy Ibis

Torreya State Park

Tuesday January 14th

Headed up to the Panhandle for a few days. Stayed at the Torreya State Park campgrounds, just southeast of Tallahassee. 

The Gregory House at Torreya State Park

Torreya Tree growing at the Gregory House

Torreya State Park is named for a very rare, endemic conifer tree found no were else but along the bluffs and ravines of the Apalachicola River mostly in Liberty and Gadsden Counties. The tree goes by several common names like Torreya Tree or Florida Nutmeg.  Its probably one of the rarest plants in the country and beyond.  This species once in the thousands is now  in the low hundreds, after suffering heavy harvesting, disease and now Hurricane Michael.  

In October 2018, Hurricane Michael devastated Mexico Beach, Florida and proceeded inland with Category 4 winds, laying waste to property, mostly forested lands. Torreya and Florida Caverns State Parks were both heavily damaged. The storm took a heavy hit on the endangered torreya trees. Much of the back country of these parks remains closed because of the timber damage. Information on how many of the trees survived is not completely known yet. Time and effective management will be needed.

 Some of the camp grounds are open, I reserved a yurt at Torreya.  A comfortable way to camp.

Underwood's Trillium

Spent some time walking the river bluff trail behind the Gregory House, now open after being cleared.  Looking for any other torreyas and other flora.  The ecology here is more endemic to Southern Appalachia than Florida.

The site is also historical. The Gregory House and the Civil War.

Confederate forces constructed heavy fortified artillery, called the Battery at Hammock's Landing to defend the Apalachicola River from Yankee access. Cant really see much now because of the damage but the signage marked the locations.

River Bluff Trail