Babies

 Wednesday April 28th

Spring Migration activity is extremely slow for southwest Florida. We are experiencing some variety of migrating birds, but in very low numbers. The last few days in April and into early May we sometime have Bobolinks resting up at Harns Marsh in Lehigh Acres. Checked there today and observed a distance flock flock moving around the cattails.

The Sandhill Cranes at Harns Marsh are nesting and their young, called colts, are now accompanying there parents as they forage. 

Back at home Starlings have been nesting in the cavities in the old trees around the property. The hatchlings are now vocalizing and mom and dad are actively collecting grub for their young broods.

Baby Starling waiting for lunch

Starlings nesting in cavities in the Silk Oak Tree
and in the huge Chinese Laurel

The Florida Sandhill Cranes are the breeding population here
The wintering Greater Sandhill Cranes have already left for the Upper Great Plains

Glass Lizard

 Sunday April 25th

maybe an Eastern Glass Lizard

Visited Caloosahatchee Creek - East Preserve looking for interesting birds.  Not too interesting today.  Even the catbirds have moved on. Very quite

Was interesting to encounter a Glass Lizard stretched out across the path. Initially assumed it to be a garter snake. Noticed that it didn't slither like a snake but kind of wiggled as it made its exit into the brush.

Sweetbay Magnolia

Maryland Meadowbeauty are blooming

Bahama Mockingbird

 Sunday April 18th

Northern Curly-tailed Lizard

Today I made the five hour round trip from Fort Myers to Boca Raton to twitch after the Bahama Mockingbird hanging at at Spanish River Park. This rare visitor to Florida has been a nemesis species for me, as I had dipped on finding it on several occasions in the past. But this bird was seen in the exact tree as reported by several people. And was a Lifer. A few other sightings included Painted Buntings and Palm, Cape May, Northern Parula, Black-and-White and Prairie Warblers. Nice to spot Bank Anole and Northern Curly-tailed Lizards. Lots of butterflies too including Ruddy Daggerwing.

Bahama Mockingbird

Cape May Warbler

Brown-headed Nuthatch

 Saturday April 17th

Nuthatches are some of my favorite birds and the other day I was able to catch-up with a momma Brown-headed Nuthatch, at Babcock-Webb, attending to unseen offspring.  She was observed removing waste from the nesting cavity and steadily collecting food for its brood.  Delayed posting images of this active nest till activity stopped, as a standard of birding ethics.

Spring Time

 Wednesday April 13th

Worm-eating Warbler
Pinecraft Park, Sarasota, Florida

Spring migration is getting started. A storm front came through on Monday which supported speculation that we'd have some local activity. Folks headed to our local spring migration hot-spot, The Sanibel Island Lighthouse, with high but unfulfilled expectations.

Scarlet Tanager
Rotary Park, Cape Coral, Florida

So on Tuesday we headed to Rotary Park in Cape Coral and had a better time. Some of the migrants on-hand included Cape May Warbler, Summer Tanagers, Scarlet Tanagers and Orchard Orioles. Some other migrants seen included Black-whiskered Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Ovenbirds and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Worm-eating Warbler
Pinecraft Park, Sarasota, Florida

Today, traveled to Sarasota to check the activity at Pinecraft Park. Reports on the activity, from yesterday were very encouraging. Today wasn't as busy though, but  had a few good birds including Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Red-eyed Vireo, Hooded Warblers, Worm-eating Warbler

Bobcat
Pinecraft Park, Sarasota, Florida

Cape May Warbler
Rotary Park, Cape Coral, Florida

Hooded Warbler
Pinecraft Park, Sarasota, Florida

Yellow-headed Blackbird

 Saturday, April 3rd

Made my third visit over to Palm Beach County looking for a Yellow-headed Blackbird. Good timing today. Several seen at the Sem-Chi Rice Mile Plant. The Brown-headed Cowbirds appears to have pulled out already, but still lots of Red-winged Blackbirds to host the visiting yellow-heads.

The nearby Storm Water  Treatment Areas were still very birdy. Lots of American white Pelicans, American Coots, Common Gallinules, plus Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Blue-winged Teals, Mottled Ducks a single Ring-necked Duck. Seems a White-faced Ibis has been reported here, but I didn't find any out of the many Glossy Ibis. 

Other interesting birds included a Sora, Gray-headed Swamphens, Black-necked Stilts, Caspian Terns, Gull-billed Terns and a Peregrine Falcon. 

Common Myna
Seen at the shopping center in Belle Glade
April 2021