Looking For Flycatchers

Friday February 22nd

A Young Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Elected to drive out to Hendry County this morning in pursuit of wintering flycatchers. Was looking for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Western Kingbirds.  The known, more local, locations for finding these birds haven't been very fruitful this year.  But the spot near STA-5, SR-835 and Deer Fence  Canal Road in Hendry County, has been reliable.

So I routed a trip through Lehigh Acres, Felda, Immokalee, Deer Fence Canal Road, Clewiston, LaBelle and home. First stop was the Red-headed Woodpecker site at Wellington Ave, in Lehigh for Bobwhite (FOS), Red-headed Woodpecker and White-winged Dove. Then out to Church Road in Felda.

Western Kingbird

Savannah Sparrow

Just before reaching Church Road along SR-82, had to stop to check out the American White Pelicans sitting on the mud flats at a road side pond. Was more interested the flock of terns sitting out there with the pelicans. They all turned out to Royal Terns.  

Church Road, in Felda,  was very interesting today as Blue Grosbeaks, Mockingbirds, American Goldfinch, Cardinals, American Kestrels and Savannah Sparrows were sunning themselves atop the pepper bushes, along a side road.. No Crested Caracaras seen on this stretch of road, but the flycatcher pasture did host a young Scissor-tail Flycatcher and a lone Western Kingbird, along with a large flock of  Wild Turkeys. Surprised to find the flycatchers at this spot today, as this location had become less reliable this winter

.

Probably a Krider's Red-tailed Hawk

Probably a Krider's Red-tailed Hawk

From Felda, proceeded out toward the Deer Fence Canal area. On the drive over, several Crested Caracaras were seen along with Red-shouldered Hawks, American Kestrels, Belted Kingfishes, Sandhill Cranes, a Snail Kite, Limpkins and Eastern Meadowlarks.  

At the Flycatcher Site, I didn't spot any today. 

Now heading north, passing by cattle pastures, orange groves and sugar cane fields toward Clewiston, made a side trip down Blumberg Road. Blumberg Road is the access to the northern entrance of STA-5.  Had no plans to go that far, but this can usually, in winter, be a good location for raptors. So I did see patrolling Northern Harriers, more American Kestrels and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks.  One of which is probably the Kriders race of the Eastern red-tailed Hawk subspecies. Will continue doing research on exactly what this is.  Don't see many of them in Florida. 

A young Herring Gull

One final stop for the day is at the Levee Park in Clewiston. Lots of Brown-headed Cowbirds, Laughing Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls and a young Herring Gull

Misses today included American Robins, neither of the whistling ducks, and any Swallow-tailed Kites.

Todays Bird List ( 60 ) - Mottled Duck, Northern Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, 

Blue Grosbeak

Common Ground Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane,  Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Royal Tern, Wood Stork,  Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, American White Pelican, Brown pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Tri-colored Heron, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Snail Kite, Northern Harrier,  Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Crested Caracara, Eastern Phoebe, western Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, American Goldfinch, Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, eastern Meadowlark, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal and Blue Grosbeak.

Red-shouldered Hawk

White-winged Dove

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Western Kingbird

Kites

Tuesday, July 29th  

Mississippi Kite seen at Power Line Road, July 2013
Photo courtesy of Bob Pelkey

Bob Pelkey, of swfloridabirder.blogspot.com, invited me to join him on a trip up to Payne's Prairie State Park's LaChua Trail.  Its a four hour drive and Bob likes to arrive early, so we left Ft Myers very early at about 3:30 am.

Snail Kite

Our goal was to find Mississippi Kites and for me getting that tick would nail down all four kite species that are found in Florida for this year.  I was lucky to have see a White-tailed Kite in Everglades National Park back in early January.  Snail Kites are easily found locally, year round.  And the Swallow-tailed Kite is a popular sight here from late February till the end of July. So this just leaves finding a Mississippi Kite which should be found around Gainesville and the Payne's Prairie Park this time of year.

This was a repeat visit for us as we had successfully found the kites here last year.  So today we arrived as the park opened at 8 am, and started the day by birding the parking lot. Here White-eyed Vireos and Carolina Wrens dominate. Pushing-on we began hearing numerous Eastern Towhees and spotted four Indigo Buntings darting into the brush.  A male Blue Grosbeak was singing atop a shrub near the La Chua Sink boardwalk and was briefly joined by a female Orchard Oriole.

Horse Barn at Payne's Prairie

Blue Grosbeak

Water levels were highest I have ever seen here. Right up to both sides of the Trail.  The flooded fields were rich with Pink Lotus, Water Lilies, Purple Hyacinths and Arrowroot.  Along the trail Green Herons were very common and we were able to add a lone Least Bittern, a Purple Gallinule, several Common Gallinules, a couple of Black-crowned Night-herons, dozens of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, a lone Mottled Duck and a young King Rail.

But what about the Kites. They, like the vultures, usually don't take to air till around 9:30 as the air warms up.. So right on cue a pair of Mississippi Kites made their appearance near the Sink as they hunted for dragonflies. With the high humidity and rising temperatures it was time to move on. But was a successfully visit.

On the trip home we elected to make one more stop, at Power Line, which actually divides Pasco County from Hernando County.  It was also a place were Swallow-tailed Kites and few Mississippi Kite would congregate before migration. This year the Mississippi Kites haven't been seen here very often and today we didn't locate any and only saw on Swallow-tailed Kite. Other sighting did includes a pair of Southeastern American Kestrels, a Red-headed Woodpecker and a beautiful Red-tail Hawk.


So from here we headed back to Ft Myers.

Today's Species - 51

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Muscovy Duck, Mottled Duck, Northern Bobwhite, Pied-billed Grebe, Anhinga, Least Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Laughing Gull, King/Aztec Rail, Purple Gallinule, Common Gallinule, Sandhill Crane, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, Eastern Towhee, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Boat-tailed Grackle and Orchard Oriole.

Swallow-tailed Kite