Sanibel Lighthouse

Monday April 22nd

Cerulean Warblers are quite uncommon in our corner of Florida

Several Eastern Wood-Pewees were resting up before heading north
 on the next leg of their migration

Today marked the third day of outstanding birding at the Sanibel Lighthouse since a strong cold front followed by days unfavorable wind patterns brought in a bonanza.

I personally missed experiencing Saturday and Sunday due to work, but came straight out here following my overnight shift today. Had a great day birding with friends and spotting lots of interesting species. Added eleven new-for-the-years bird species and could have added many more if I could have hung out a few more hours. Highlights included Cerulean, Prothonotary, Yellow, Cape May, Hooded, American Redstarts and, Tennessee Warblers,  plus Scarlet Tanagers,, Eastern Kingbird,  tons of Red-eyed Videos, Yellow-throated Vireo, Gray-cheeked and Wood Thrush, Eastern Wood-Pewees and Indigo Buntings.

Another look at the

 male Cerulean Warbler

Hungry birds, working to recharge their energy so to be able to complete their long trip north, are moving around everywhere. This kind of variety is not to be taken for granted. but for now we can have a bit of fun. All told, around 28 species of warbler have spotted these past three days.  Add to that are seven species of Vireos, six species of Flycatcher, five species of Swallows, four species of thrushes plus two species each of Tanagers, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Cuckoos and Orioles. We can also add Dickcissels, Merlin, Least Terns and Northern Gannets. 

Scarlet Tanager feasting on Figs. 

Male Yellow Warbler also ding on figs

Lots of our friends were on hand here to enjoy this exceptional bounty. So many species that don't normally pass our way were visiting us  these past few days.  They wont be staying for very long, so we had to try our best to be on hand.  But it can get bit crowded at time, 

I was taking a sit down at the picnic tables near the lighthouse with master birder Vince 

McGrath and Walter Winton to get away from the crowds. Well, up popped the Cerulean Warbler in a nearby shrub and gave us a nice show for about 15 minutes. We had seen it earlier, but now it was showing well for the camera. A beautiful Yellow Warbler came in to join the show, As did a hawking Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a patrolling Prothonotary Warbler partnership with  a Cape May Warbler.  It was now time for me to go home, but I certainly will be back very soon.

This Yellow Warbler was putting on a show

Hawk Watch at Sanibel Lighthouse

Sunday, October 23rd



Sanibel Lighthouse



Today we had the hawk watch at the Sanibel Lighthouse, sponsored by Audubon of SW Florida. It kicked-off at 8 am on a brisk, clear morning, with Vince McGrath as leader of our group of about fourteen birders.

Right off the bat, Gayle Schmidt reporting sighting a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and as we moved up the path we come up with our FOS Yellow-rumped Warbler.  But it wasn't a Myrtle race, it was a rare to south Florida Audubon's Warbler. So we started out with two western birds uncommon in Lee County. Then we found the recently reported male Pin-tailed Whydah.  No doubt an escapee, but it did put on a good show.

Audubons Warbler, photo by Stan Damen

Pin-tailed Whydah

Scissor-taled Flycatcher

Over the course of four hours we did not get big numbers of hawks, but did have a good variety - a couple of Kestrels, three Merlins, a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks, a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, two Northern Harriers, a Broad-winged Hawk and at least three Osprey.

As for our non-raptor finds we had Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet tanager, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Yellow-throated Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Tennessee Warblers, Blue-throated Blue Warbler, lots of Palm Warblers, a Prairie warbler, a late Cerulean Warbler, American Redstarts, Bay-breasted Warblers, Indigo Bunting , a female Painted Bunting, several Chimney Swifts and a sole Northern Rough-winged Swallow.



American White Pelicans at Ding Darling



Following the hawk watch, I headed over to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge for a quick drive trough.  Was able to see a large number of American White Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Willets, Short-billed Dowitchers, Pied-billed Grebes, a hand-full of Black-bellied Plovers, Least Sandpipers and Western Sandpipers. A good day to bird on Sanibel.

Twenty Warblers

September 29th
Six-Mile Cypress and other locations.

The past spring migration was a bust for most of the birders of south Florida, but so far the fall migration has much better.  Most of my personal successes are with warblers.  No tanagers, orioles, thrushes etc, yet.

This final week has been a strange one with getting some good birds, but also dealing with some other strange things. Such as having my computer die and with some annoying health issues. But I got in several visits to Six-mile Cypress Preserve this week just the same.  This past Sunday I ran into Vince McGrath and Stan Daman.  Vince is a phenomenal birder.  He can sense them before anyone else has a clue. With Vince's guidance we reaped Blue-winged Warbler, a female Cerulean Warbler ( a Lifer for Stan and myself), American Redstart, Yellowthroated Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, a Yellow Warbler, a Black-and-White Warbler and a Tennessee Warbler.  Was able to add a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird and lots of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Tufted Titmice.  Also Vince picked-up a barely audible calling Barred Owl as we were leaving.



Yellow-throated Warbler - 2010



A few day's earlier I had run into Walt Winton at the same location.  I just caught the tale end of a nice mixed flock he was watching. I only managed a black-and-white and a Northern Parula before the flock moved away. Did get on a female Blackburian Warbler later.

Yesterday, I was there around 9am and was able to add Magnolia Warblers along with northern parula, ovenbird, northern waterthrush, yellowthroated warbler and a female American redstart. A surprise was a small bird I phissed-in near the pavilion.  Turned out to be a Traill's Flycatcher  (willow/alder flycatcher). Also can add a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird as well.

Palm Warbler - 2010

Palm Warblers are showing up now. Had  six of them on the 14th at Ft DeSoto and 5 more this morning at Sanibel Lighthouse. On both of these occasions the palms were the only warblers seen.  As for the the rest of this month's warblers I can add a Hooded, Prairie, Prothonotary, and Worm-eating at Calossahatchee Preserves on the first and a visit to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary on the 7th we had a FOS Common Yellowthroat, northern waterthrush, northern parula, American redstarts, worm-eating, Pine, Prairie, black-and-white, prothonotary and Yellowthroated Warblers.

Back on the 4th, at Six-Mile Cypress, I had a blue-winged Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, northern parula, yellowthroated warbler, black-and-white warbler and pine warbler.

Was back at Six-Mile Cypress again this afternoon, but it was very quite.  Saw no warblers at all.  The only salvation to the visit was seeing my first Short-tailed Hawk since July of last year, soaring over the slough.  It was a white-morphed and probably the same one reported from here earlier.

My List Count for September is 129 birds and October has the promise for even higher numbers.