Spring Migration Kicks In

Wednesday April 18th

Last weekend  a cold front with strong head winds brought in a nice variety of migrating  birds to Sanibel Lighthouse Beach Park. I personally visited the park on Monday  morning for a few hours, along with a great many fellow birds, so playing hooky from work to enjoy this mini fallout.

Summer Tanager seen at Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Meg Rousher  put Dave & Tammy McQuaide as well as myself on a great bird - a calling Black billed Cuckoo. Black billed cuckoos are very uncommon find in Florida.

I came close to adding swainsons warbler as there were several around today, but I just missing them as they relocated out of sight.  I did miss a few other species. But I did get to see an Eastern Kingbird, Prothonotary Warblers, Tennessee Warblers, Yellow Warblers, a single Palm Warbler, Black throated Green Warblers, Summer Tanagers, a Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bindings and a Baltimore Oriole.  There were so many birders on hand that it sometimes got quite crowded.

I missed seeing this Western Tanager,

but Eary and Jennifer Warren didn't miss

taking this photo.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10214030523574392&set=pcb.10214030525454439&type=3&theater

But I did miss a few species included another rare in Florida, western tanager, plus veery, swainson's thrush, dickcissels, those swainson's warblers, blue winged warblers,  a lark sparrow,  a Ceurlian warbler, Kentucky warbler,  Merlin,  Acadia flycatcher, gray songbirds, yellow throated videos, cliff swallows, worm eating warbler,  golden winged warbler,  hooded warbler,  American redstart cape may warbler,  blackburnian warblers,  chestnut sided warbler, black throated blue warbler, scarlet  tanager.

Black-throated Green Warbler seen at Bowditch Point Park

A few Cedar Waxwings are still around

In the following days I checked for migrants at Bowditch Beach Park on Estero Island and at Six mile Cypress Slough Preserve. I added Red eyed Vireo, Veery, Yellow billed Cuckoo, Hooded Warbler and American Redstart.

A Summer Tanager seen at the Sanibel Lighthouse

Six-Mile Cypress Slough Reopens

Wednesday November 1st

It has be about fifty days since Hurricane Irma struck. Very slowly our public parks and preserves have been able to reopen. Today Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve has opened, partly.

Blue-headed Vireo

Blue - Gray Gnatcatcher

Half of the boardwalk remained closed awaiting its final clean-up.

Spent about an hour their today. So much of the canopy has been defoliated and dead snags and limbs had come down, leaving a lot more open space. Should make it a bit easier to observe the birds.

Saw my FOS Blue-headed Vireos and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Other birds today included Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, lots of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, Palm, Pine, Northern Parula and Prairie Warblers.

Apple Snail shells found at the Gunnery Trail.

They would have been left behind by either

Limpkins or Snail Kites, which feed on them

Earlier in the morning stopped at the Gunnery Trail at Turkey Strand Preserve. and had a FOS Sora calling, more Yellow-rumped, Pine, Palm and Common Yellowthroat Warblers, tons of Gray Catbirds and numerous waders. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mottled Ducks, Blue-winged Teal and Common Gallinules were seen as well.

Gallary

A female Black-throated Blue Warbler seen at Rotary Park in Cape Coral

A Black-and-White Warbler at Rotary Park

Also heard a report of an Ani seen by Meg in the Estero Buffer Preserve. Sounds intriguing.

Gray-headed Swamphen at Harns Marsh

Tricolored Heron at Harns Marsh

Red-shouldered Hawk at Harns Marsh

Red-tailed Hawk at Harns Marsh

A Polka-dotted Batfish seen in the shallows at Bunche Beach

Prairie Warbler at Lakes Park

Palm Warbler at Lakes Park

Northern Parula at Sugden Park

Black-and-White Warbler at Sugden Park

American Redstart at Sugden Park

A Black-throated Green Warbler at Sugden Park

A Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher at Sugden Park

A Common Yellowthroat at Sugden Park

Spring Migration at Sanibel Lighthouse

Monday April 23rd

The past two days the spring migration birding along the Florida Gulf Coast has been awesome. All the migrant traps along the coast have hosted many of the warblers, tanagers, orioles, grosbeaks etc. that have usually just fly past us.  But weather conditions brought them in on Saturday night and the projected winds for tomorrow should carry them away.

Sunday I had some time to bird and was not sure if we want any fall-out from the weather. I had already a had a couple of unsatisfying attempts on Sanibel Island in the past week, which can get expensive to make extensive visits, with all of the tolls and parking fees. So I first tried Bunche Beach for any interesting pelagics that may have blown in. Found a very high tide and heavy surf and few birds. My best find was an FOS Semipalmated Sandpiper and a Marbled Godwit. Next tryed Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve which was also very quite save for a Scarlet tanager that showed up just as I was leaving.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Sanibel Lighthouse. Photo by Dr Jose Padilla-Lopez

Called Dr Jose to report my find, but he and about every other local birder were at the Sanibel Lighthouse and at Ding Darling Refuge. He reported an awesome assortment of birds were on-hand. I was there in about 20 minutes. To bad my camera was out-of-order as there several photo opportunities such as a male Summer Tanager posing right off the trail.  Would have been a great shot. Indigo Buntings were everywhere and lots of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers and FOS Eastern Kingbirds. Other sights included a Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainsen's Thrush, Northern Waterthrushs, Black-and-White Warblers, American Redstart, a Blue Grosbeak, Tennessee Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Dickcissel, a Black-throated Green Warbler, a female Painted Bunting ( the males have already left), Barn Swallows and Chimney Swifts.

Additional species witnessed by other birders on Sunday and Monday included  a scissor-tailed flycatcher, verry, wood thrush, yellow-billed cuckoos, bank swallows, northern rough-winged swallows, ruby-throated hummingbirds, cedar waxwings, blue-winged warblers, ovenbird, magnolia warbler, yellow warbler, black-throated blue warbler, hooded warbler and Lincoln sparrow.

Philadelphia Vireo - back to Ft DeSoto

Friday April 29th

Returned to Ft DeSoto for a third try in April at sighting any spring migrants.  The weather held potential for some numbers to make land-fall here. But alas, some good sightings were made, but the numbers were very low.  And those good sightings required some work.




Black-throated Green Warbler

 

Black-throated Green Warbler

Arrived about 9:00 am and ran into several disappointed birders.  After checking a couple of locations I ran into John Mangold and the birding poet, Jeff Hooks. Just before running into these guys I had found a cluster of birds in an area which proved to be a hot spot for the day. Had a Palm Warbler, a flock of about ten Indigo Buntings, a Yellow Warbler and an unidentified thrush. Earlier John, Jeff, Ron Smith and another birder named Tom had great views of a pair of male golden-winged warblers there. So I joined with John and Jeff to try and relocate the golden-wings. Would have been a lifer for me, but we did get great looks at a couple of Black-throated Green Warblers, an Eastern Wood-pewee,  more Indigo Buntings, a Prairie Warbler and a female Blackpoll Warbler. 

We split up about eleven o'clock and I returned to the mulberry trees near the pier. I had checked it out earlier and had not seen anything.  On my return to this spot, I sat and waited for any activity that is usually centered around the water feature. Almost immediatelly had several birds come in to get a drink. Started with a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, then more Indigo Buntings, a female Hooded Warbler, a FOS Eastern Kingbird, a rarely seen Philadelphia Vireo - Lifer!! and a very large raccoon.  Even had a White Ibis and a Laughing Gull come for a drink. The Nanday Parakeets were also noisy visitors to the area as well. 
Link to photo by Jeff Hooks on his blog of a Philadelphia Vireo he photographed on a later date at Ft DeSoto.
Had to head for home by 2:00  when I noted a Gray Kingbird and a lone Brownheaded Cowbird on the wires. An earlier check of the Teirra Verde ponds still had very small numbers of Lesser Scaups, Redheads, Pied-billed Grebes and a lone male Ruddy Duck. And  even earlier, on the drive up to St Peterburg, I checked the campsite road along the south shore of Webb Lake at Babcock-Webb in Charlotte County. Not to much was found but for a very out-of-place juvenile Snail Kite seen sitting on a snag.  Over all it was a good day.

Blackburian Warbler - Ft DeSoto Park

Ft DeSoto Park
Monday April 26th

  Following this morning thundershowers my daughters and I headed to Ft DeSoto Park hoping for some increase in migrant activity. These kind of storm fronts can bring down migrating birds needing to find safe haven and DeSoto may have been impacted. The word was that the park has been slow on migrant activity most of the month, but we did find a good variety with this weather event.  No fall-out but a good day for birding.

Sky Bridge

 









Did not get on scene till 12:30 pm, with the first stop at the East Beach turn-around.  A good variety of shorebirds were around including Common Terns, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, Least Terns, Willets, Short-Billed Dowitchers, Dunlins, Black-Bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Sanderlings, Laughing Gulls, Brown Pelicans, Barn Swallows, Ruddy Turnstune and a lone Least sandpiper.

Black-Bellied Plover

Sanderling

Short-Billed Dowitcher

Dunlin

  We headed then to the East Beach Woods which was fairly busy with migrants and birders. We quickly found Black-and-White Warblers, a beautiful male Chestnut-Sided Warbler and a female American Redstart. Several Rose-Brested Grosbeaks were busy at a small mulberry tree and several Summer Tanagers, a Scarlet Tanger and Blue-Headed Vireo present as well. Several birders came in off the Privet Trail telling about ovenbirds, kentucky warbler and a bay-brested warbler that were seen.  Also several people were commenting on a reported warbling vireo and a blue-wing warbler. Dipped on all of these.

  

Summer Tanager

   Katie and I entered the Privet Trail, were Katie immediately spotted a beautiful male Indigo Bunting. we also found more Summer Tanagers and a Northern Waterthrush exploring water puddles. Several small brown birds were a bit difficult to id, but I believe that they are female Indigo Buntings.                 

Female Indigo Buntings

  We moved onto the Mulberry Grove were only a Gray Catbird was seen, however another birder put me onto a beautiful male Black-Throated Green Warbler and a pair of Yellow warblers in a live oak inside the ranger resident's yard. As we were watching, a male Blackburian Warbler joined in with the other warblers in the tree. As I have never seen a blackburian warbler before I had a LIFER.  

Great Horned Owl

Next Katie and I checked out the nesting Great Honed Owl at the North Beach Woods.  The parent owl gave great views and the owlet could be seen but it did not stand up.

  Before heading for home we rechecked the East Beach Woods. Ran into three members of the Caloosa Bird Club, whom I had gone on a birding trip back on March first. They had a great list for the day including the blue-winged wabler and swainsen's warbler. We reentered the Privet Trail with very little to add, but several Eastern Kingbirds and what I believe is an Eastern Wood Pewee. There was some questioning that the bird was a willow flycatcher.  As we were exiting, another birder told us about locating the blue-winged, a bay-brested warbler and a  pale, female cerulean warbler, just around on the adjacent trail. Too tempting. We set out, but I had to get back to car before the search was ended. So I said fairwell and we headed for home.  I am cureous if the bird club folks located the cerulean.

  On trip up to the park we had spotted a Roseate Spoonbill, Magnificent Frigatebird and a couple of Swallow-Tailed Kites. Some hoped for birds we can add to the dip-list included any baltimore orioles, blackpoll warblers, cape may warblers, black-hooded parrots and gray kingbird.

My List (58) - Mottled Duck, Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Magnificent Frigatebird, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, Swallow-tailed Kite, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Least Tern, Common Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Skimmer, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Barn Swallow, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird

Red-Eyed Vireo - Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Tuesday April 20th

  After taking care of some business I headed over to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Collier County to see if there was any interesting warbler activity. Could not get there till 10:30 am and found the number of visitors to be way down since my last visit. Reason being that so many snowbirds have already headed back north.

  At the butterfly garden, at the entrance to Blair House, I was informed that I had just missed a hummingbird. After a short wait, I can always try again when later, on the hummer I went inside to pay. Here I was rewarded with a male painted bunting at the feeders behind the building. Grackles and Red-bellied Woodpeckers soon took over and ran it off.  Waited at the feeder for a reappearance of the pair of Shiny Cowbirds, that I had just missed. Pushed on,  as I could try again on my way out, for the cowbirds.
   At the feeders I met up with Jeff, an ex-patriot Brit and snow-birder from New Jersey, whom I had walked with on a prior visit. Later on we were joined by a lady from Michigan, who had just flown-in to search for property in Cape Coral (residential property here are at fire sale values with the collapse of the local housing market). She was a very experienced birder and had plans to attend a birding festival at the migrant trap at McGee Marsh in Ohio in a couple of weeks.

Gray Catbirds were very abundant

 We found the water level to be very high today, so few waders were to be expected.  Had hoped for some nightherons, but only a sole Little Blue Heron and a sole Great Egret were seen. Noisy and soaring Red-Shouldered Hawks were very evident as were calling Gray Catbirds, White-eyed Vireos and Carolina Wrens.  A scope was set up at a Blue Gray Gnatcatchers nest for visitors to use and where we were able watch the gnatcatcher harrass a Red-Bellied Woodpecker that was much to close for the vigilant gnatcatcher. A couple of Great Crested Flycatchers were seen and heard. As for the warblers they were found high up in the canopy of these ancient cypress trees.  Heard several Northern Parulas and actually could only locate a beautiful singing male as the emerging foliage did make the birding more challenging. One warbler we found as Black-throated Green Warbler.  We were able to add a Black-and White Warbler and a calling Pine Warbler. A suspected tennessee warbler, only seen from directly below, I am now convinced was the similarly looking Red-Eyed Vireo. Several FOY Chimney Swifts were seen and heard. It was a good day with a few interesting birds, but not a great variety of warblers. One very interesting observation was a white-tailed fawn and doe grazing right next to the boardwalk.  They were very tolerant of the walkers. Left at 2PM without the shiny cowbirds or hummer, but was satisfied with an enjoyable walk in great weather. Won't be long till the daily 90+ degree temps, high humidity and afternoon showers reappear.

 

The Fawn

 

The Doe

My List - Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Painted Bunting, Boat-tailed Grackle