Sarasota

 Wednesday, March 29th

Spent Tuesday birding up in Charlotte County. 

Myakka River State Park

Noticed that the levee and the adjoining structure located west of the boat ramp has been removed. Somehow it doesn't seem right.

Fish Crow

American Avocets

Blue-winged Teal

Wild Turkey

Rosetta Spoonbill

The Celery Fields Gardens

Purple Martin

Common Ground Dove

Mourning Dove

Brown-headed Cowbird

The closest I managed going a pic of the beautiful Ruby-throated Hummingbird
 was the coral bean bush it was feeding on.

Pinecraft Park

Juvenal Barred Owl still sporting its downy feathers

Coopers Hawk

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

Six-mile Cypress Slough Owls

Saturday, March 30th

Limpkin

Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve is a very popular place for folks to enjoy the  atmosphere of a Florida cypress swamp. This time of year, thousands of vacationing  families have joined our seasonal residents to be a part of Spring Training.  Both the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox train here and so many folks travel south to enjoy the games. Its common to see families on Six-mile's boardwalk, dressed in their teams regalia as they spend time looking for alligators and egrets before game time. So the parking lot fills fast and the boardwalk can get crowded. So its best to arrive early.

Barred Owl taking a rest atop of a cypress knee

I did arrive early because I also wanted to see if a screech-owl could be seen or heard, in or about the owl box located in the parking lot.  Its being seen there lately, sticking its head out. But today I didn't spot it.  But much better was the Barred Owl. 

 Currently, as it happened last year, as section of the boardwalk, between Pop Ash Pond and Otter Pond are closed due to a pair of Barred Owls nesting just a feet off the boardwalk. 

One of barred owls responsible for the disruption made an appearance as it sat atop a cypress knee just a few away over at Pop Ash Pond. It remained at its post for quite awhile, till finally a red-shouldered hawk began harassing it.

A pair of wood ducks would also make appearance,  coming into roost nearby.   A dark-phased Short-tailed Hawk was also seen and heard calling nearby.

A pair of Great Blue Herons nesting at Wood Duck Pond

Great Egrets, Anhingas and Great Blue Herons are nesting.  A pair of Great Blue Herons are tending to nesting duties near the Wood Duck overlook. Great Egrets and Anhingas are nesting in a rookery on Gator Pond. 

A few warbler Were present in the parking lot. Not unusual to have some of your birding in .  Ruth Parks and A couple of her friends had found a mixed flock in the parking lot. Tufted Titmice, prairie warbler, blank and white warbler, a Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Northern Parulas, Downy Woodpeckers and a possible black-throated blue warbler. Meg Reiser reported hearing a worm-eating warbler near the cross-over.  

Am looking forward to spring migration to heat up.

Some Birds in March

Friday March 30th

Thought I'd share some of my better birding pics for March


GALLARY

Yellow-throated Vireo seen at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Ovenbird seen at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Piping Plover sporting fresh breeding plumage.

Should be heading north in the next few weeks

March and early April tends to be the best time for sighting

Cedar Waxwings in this area

Limpkins have moved into the Six-Mile Cypress Slough,

were they are now actively breeding

Prairie Warblers are resident birds here,

their population will increase during migration

Tufted Titmice also are common residents at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Common Yellowthroats -  a winter residents at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

A few Scissor-tailed Flycatchers will winter in Florida,

but will be heading back toward Texas soon

A pair of Barred Owls are currently nesting close by the boardwalk at Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.  That section of the boardwalk is now closed to protect the birds from any stress.

Several pairs of Sandhill Cranes are currently nesting at Harns Marsh

Snail Kites were formerly an easy find at Harns Marsh, but recently the population has declined. Speculation is that changes to water levels at the marsh have made finding apple snails more difficult for them.  Probable have been relocating to areas with better habitat

Black-and-White Warblers are often seen throughout the area at this time of year

Blue-headed Vireos winter here,

but will soon be heading north to nest

Slow Start to Fall Migration

Monday September 14th

Bobolinks seen today at Harns Marsh in Lehigh Acres

Finally, after a very slow start this September with the fall bird migration, action seems to be picking up. We're just now getting nice samplings of migrants passing through Lee County. Blackburnian and Chestnut-sided Warblers are finally here. So are Bobolinks, Summer Tanagers, Eastern Wood-Pewees and Thrushes. More to come!!

White-eyed Vireo seen today at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve

White-eyed Vireo

Eastern Wood-Pewee seen today at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve

Barred Owl seen today at the Grand Father tree at Six-Mile Cypress Preserve

Barred Owl

Friday May 30th

 It has been a treat for me when the rainy season starts-up in south Florida, because the local Barred Owls will hang out at night at the water treatment plant were I work. Well they have returned to visit with us again as the seasonal rains begin.  They will hang around until September-October, when the weather dries up.