Chasing Birds - Panhandle & Gainesville Days 3 and 4

Monday January 18th

Had some great leads for birding the next two, but just couldn't fit everything in. Today was time spent around Tallahassee. Visited Lake Jackson Mounds State Park and Torreya State Park. I would have usually included Florida Caverns State Park as well, but most of the property is still closed because of the damage from Hurricane Michael more than than two years. Michael was a devastating storm.

White-crowned Sparrow at Lake Jackson

I am not just interested in birds, but all genres in our natural world.  The Red Hills region around Tallahassee has a unique ecological environment for Florida. as the state is known for its more tropical climes. The Red Hills zone is composed of  plant communities more common to the southern Appalachian Mountains then in southern Florida. 

Orange-crowned Warbler

First stop was at the Crowder Road Land on Lake Jackson just outside of the state park. Last year at this time the lake was loaded with buffleheads and ruddy ducks. But today just coots and moorhens. Lots of American Goldfinches in the trees plus American Robins, a Cedar Waxwing, Carolina Chickadee and an Orange-crowned Warbler. Lots of Chipping Sparrows and a least one White-crowned Sparrow too.

Coralberry at Lake Jackson Mounds State Park

Birding at Lake Jackson Mounds State Park was slow. Was greeted by a pair of White-tailed Deer at the parking lot, spent my time birding and looking for interesting flora. Some of the birds today included Bald Eagle, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, House Wren , Carolina Chickadee, Pileated Woodpecker, American Goldfinch and Pine Warblers. Lots of interesting flora - various oaks, hickories, beech trees, southern magnolias, hollies, Carolina laurelcherry and coralberry,

Underwood's Trillium seen at both state parks today

Apalachicola River

Moved onto Torreya State State Park. This park, located along the bluffs of the Apalachicola River, is very interesting in its unique geology, rare flora and civil war history. Again the birding was very slow, but the flora was interesting the rare Florida Torreya Tree, more oaks and beech trees, southern magnolias, American sycamore, sweetgums, American Hollycommon hoptree, tulip tree, oakleaf hydrangea and needle palm.

Florida Torreya Tree

American Holly

Slender Yellow Woodsorrel

Needle Palm

Tuesday January 19th

Finally stop on this trip was back to Gainesville and Paynes Prairie State Park. Florida has a few Whooping Cranes left from the experimental reintroduction of a non-migratory flock. Looks like a site in Mississippi has been more successful.

Whooping Crane Conservation Association has a lot of information 

But currently, a lone whooper can be observed at the end of the Bolen's Bluff Trail at Paynes Prairie State Park. Walked the mile plus to the end.  Spent about a half hour at the observation tower looking for the bird. eventually located it a long way off to the east near the resting bison..  Paynes Prairie has a herd of bison roaming the prairie, all cows.  The bulls were relocated to a farm for everyone's safety. A herd of Spanish horses also roam the park.

Other birds included Sandhill Cranes, a large number of Snail Kites, American White Pelicans, Red-shouldered Hawks, Tufted Titmice and Carolina Wrens

American Sweetgum

Dwarf Saw Palmetto

Species Seen

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Canada Goose, Muscovy Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, American Black Duck, Mottled Duck, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Clapper Rail, Sora, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Whooping Crane, American Avocet, Black-bellied Plover, Wilson's Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Lesser Yellowlegs, Bonaparte's Gull, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Skimmer, Common Loon, Wood Stork, Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Snail Kite. Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, American Kestrel, Merlin, Nanday Parakeet, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Rusty Blackbird, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, Black-and-white Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal

Chasing Birds - St Marks Day Two

 Monday January 26th

Sora at the Headquarters Pond

Spent the bulk of Day Two, on this trip, at St Marks National Wildlife Refuge.  Like Lake Apopka and Merritt Island, we get a lot of wintering birdlife at St Marks in January. Especially waterfowl and song birds. St Marks is diffidently a birding hot spot.

For some of these species, the Panhandle usually marks the southern limits  of there wintering range. Such as Red-throated Loon or horned Larks. Some of most recently seen birds of interest included an Iceland Gull, American Flamingo, White-faced Ibis, Snow Goose, Red-throated Loon and Henslow Sparrow.  But I didn't see any of these on this visit.  But I did explore the Pine Flats, Marshes, Ponds and shoreline down on the Gulf of Mexico. 

Lots waterfowl - Blue-wing & Green-wing Teal, Gadwall, Greater & Lesser Scaup, American Wigeons, Northern Pintail, Canvasbacks, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Mallard, American Black Duck, Hooded Mergansers and Common Goldeneye. 

 

American Wigeon at the Lighthouse Pond

The various ponds also hosted American Avocets, Bonaparte's Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Killdeer, Dunlins, American Coots and Common Gallinules

Redhead at the Lighthouse Pond

Redhead at the Lighthouse Pond

The Wildlife Drive terminates at the St Marks Lighthouse, the Lighthouse Ponds and the Gulf of Mexico. Arrived during a low tide, calm seas and having almost no sea birds present. Dipped on the Iceland Gull being reported as well as common or red-throated loons, horned grebes, oystercatchers and only a couple of Buffleheads were present. One good sighting here was a distant look at a Common Goldeneye, plus a few Brown Pelicans, Willets and Royal Terns. The Lighthouse Ponds were loaded with waterfowl and few waders.

Canvasback at the Lighthouse Pond

The marshes shared Red-winded Blackbirds, Sora, Yellow-crowned Night-herons, Swamp, Savanah & Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinals and a Clapper Rail. 

Also had a River Otter cross the wildlife drive in front of me

In the pines, oaks and their understory, American Robins were very numerous. Other sightings included Cedar Waxwing, Carolina Chickadees, Catbirds, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Eastern Towhee, Pine Warblers, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Orange-crowned Warbler, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers and American Goldfinch.

Sora at the Headquarters Pond

A distant look at a Bonaparte's Gull

My St Marks Life List

Common Violet blooming near the helipad area

Spent time not just birding but trying to catalogue all of the various forms of life present. Will have to return to Panhandle in the springtime when wildflowers are in bloom. For today some of the interesting flora I observed today included Cabbage Palms, Saw Palmetto, Sand Live Oak, Water Oak, Laurel Oak, Myrtle Oak, Red Maple, Swamp Titi, Pondcypress, Carolina Luarelcherry, Yellow Butterwort, Gallberry, Shiny Blueberry, Sparkleberry, Fetterbush, American Royal Fern and Common Yucca

Chasing Birds - North Florida Day One

 Sunday January 24th

Recently made my annual trip to North Florida and the Panhandle. Spent four days checking out birding Hot Spots including The Celery Fields, Fort De Soto Park, Sweetwater Wetlands, Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, St Marks NWR, Lake Jackson Mounds State Par, Crowder Landing, Torreya State Park and Paynes Prairie State Park. Usually like to include Florida Caverns State Park, but most of the property remains off limits from damage from Hurricane Michael over two years ago

Emu -
lives at the Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary adjacent to the Celery Fields

Day 1 - Saturday

Purple Martins taking up residence at the martin house at The Celery Fields

First stop was a short visit at The Celery Fields in Sarasota County. Some of the birds observed included the recently arrived Purple Martins, plus Blue-winged Teal, Long-billed Dowitchers, Least Sandpipers, Nanday Parakeets, Least Sandpipers, Northern Harriers, Bald eagles, Lesser Yellowlegs, Roseate Spoonbills and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Dipped on any rails, bitterns, purple gallinules etc.

Red-breasted Merganser seen at the fishing pier at Fort De Soto Park

From Sarasota traveled to Tampa Bay. At the rest stop stop at he north end of the Skyline bridge was able to add a couple of hundred Black Skimmers, plus my FOY sighting of a Common Loon.  Several Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Egrets were present.

Forster's Tern at Fort De Soto Park

Next was a stop at Fort De Soto Park, which sits in Tampa Bay. Was here to observe sea ducks, shore birds and such. Just before reaching the park, checked the Terra Verdi Ponds which were loaded with hundreds of Lesser Scaup and Redhead ducks. Began birding at the North Beach at Fort De Soto. Some of the birds here included Wilson's Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlins, Ruddy Turnstones, Ring-billed Gulls and various wading birds.

Whimbrel seen at the Fishing Pier

Left this spot to check the two fishing piers for any scoters, loons or horned grebes. ended up with four Common Loons, but no scoters or grebes. Did have well over a hundred Laughing Gulls, plus Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gull, Royal, Sandwich and Forster's Terns. Had nice looks at a pair of Whimbrels. Also had more Red-breasted Mergansers, American White & Brown Pelicans, Cormorants, Osprey and Palm Warblers.

Black-bellied Plover at the Fishing Pier

Wrapped up the in Gainesville. First checked out any activity along the Gainesville-Hawthorn Trail. This now paved, but former railroad line was wayyy to popular on this Saturday afternoon, for any serious birding. The traffic on the path was terrible, with skate boarders, cyclists, runners and people using transport I hadn't seen before. In the past I had seen chipping sparrows, cedar waxwings, ruby-crowned kinglets, Carolina chickadees and more. But not today.

Armadillo rooting for dinner
 at Sweetwater Wetland

Last stop was the Sweetwater Wetlands. Arrived here close to closing and that was fine.  Cause the Rusty Blackbirds come into roost just at sunset. Before getting to the rusty blackbird stack-out spot, spent time looking for any other interesting birds. Some of these included Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Buffleheads, Sora, and a Merlin bomb a flock of roosting cowbirds.

The Park Ranger set me up on the spot to wait for the rustys to arrive and as I was waiting I noticed a group of birds  scanning and scoping the marsh nearby and suspected that they were also waiting on the rustys to arrive. Turns out they were friends of mine from home. Dave and Tammy McQuade had met up with Eary and Jennifer Warren and their two kids in Gainesville to look for the Rusty Blackbirds and a Calliope Hummingbird.  The Warrens had driven up from Cape Coral and the McQuades' were wrapping up a very successful cross-country birding trip. 

Bufflehead at Sweetwater Wetlands

Got to see the Rusty Blackbirds, about 60 of them. So I was now done for the day, with another long day tomorrow.

Pied-billed Grebe at Sweetwater Wetlands

Silhouette of a Rusty Blackbird.  Best I could get in the fading light

Manatees

Sunday January 24th 

Just a few miles from home is the Lee County Manatee Park. The location was sponsored by Florida Power & Light as they had originally created the canal to moved their discharge water toward the Orange

River. When water temperatures in Estero Bay drop below 68, the manatees seek waters with warmer temperatures. So in the winter, scores of manatees migrate into the Orange River and the FP&L canal to take advantage of the heated waters discharge from the power plant.

So a week ago my daughter Katie and I joined with the snow birds to look for any manatees. It was over flow parking at Manatee Park but still plenty of room at the railings to watch the sea cows. Getting really good pictures is difficult as the water is murky and you need to anticipate were a manatee with make its brief surfacing for a breath of air. We had a count of thirty-six Florida Manatees today

Festival Park - The Groove-billed Ani

 

Friday January 15th

The City of Cape Coral has been in the development phase on property in near Kismet and Chiquita Roads for well over fourteen years. It will eventually become Festival Park, a location to support large events such as musical, sports and other activities.

Florida Scrub Jay at Festival Park

But for now, birders routinely come out here looking for the family of Florida Scrub Jays, plus Burrowing Owls, American Kestrels and Eastern Meadowlarks. Currently a Groove-billed Ani has shown up.  I got to see it a couple of times so far. However I keep dipping on the Ash-throated Flycatcher that has also arrived here. I've made several visits without success. But I'll try again later

Another interesting observation made on yesterday's visit was seeing a coyote dash across the road in front of us. Coyotes are becoming more and more commonly seen in our area.  They are even seen and heard on Sanibel Island

Groove-billed Ani at Festival Park

Burrowing Owl at Festival Park

Wilson' Snipes

 Thursday January 14th

There is a pasture on Higginbotham Road near Peace Road in the Buckingham area of Lee County, that sometimes hosts interesting birds.  Especially when rains create a bit of wetlands. Lately a few Wilson's Snipe were seen there plus a Solitary Sandpiper and a Greater Yellowlegs. 

Wilson's Snipe

Wilson's Snipe

Wilson's Snipe

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Solitary Sandpiper

Wilson's Snipe

Tricolored Heron

Wood Stork