The Day of the Raptor

 Sunday, December 26th

Belted Kingfisher

In the quest for some final year birds went out to chase a Cassin's kingbird found in Holey Land WMA in Palm Beach County on Christmas Eve. Tried to access the location by driving south along the Miami Canal from US 27.  Seemed to be the most direct route when traveling from the Gulf Coast. But it is not.  Encountered closed roads and detours but did arrive just yards from the location only to be blocked by a water management project that had removed a bridge. 

Barn Owl

Okay so I doubled back to try to access the property from another direction.  Planned to go east along Bolles Canal but encountered a locked gate on this road adjacent to a pumping station. Have access this road many times over the years and hadn't ever seen it closed before. Elected to head home from here.

But before leaving I did take a look for any Barn Owls at the pumping station and did find an owl. This was actually a nice addition to todays. Because I had already encountered a number of interesting raptors while driving around the cane fields.

There were many dozens of American Kestrels present. Added a couple Peregrine Falcons, a couple of Caracaras, several Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers. White-tailed Kites were working the fields, observed a lone Swainson's Hawk. saw a couple of Bald Eagles, several Ospreys and at least one Short-tailed Hawk. Turkey and Black Vultures round out the raptors seen today. Hundreds of Tree Swallows and a single Northern Rough-winged Swallow, plus Belted Kingfishers, Grackles, Cormorants, Anhingas, Wading Birds, Meadowlarks, Phoebes, Palm warblers and Common Yellowthroats were seen too.

Eastern Meadowlark seen along the Miami Canal

Northern Harrier seen along the Miami Canal

Bald Eagle seen on Blumberg Road

Peregrine Falcon seen on Rogers Road

Snow Birds are Arriving

Friday October 14th

As our Fall Migration experience begins to wan, we are welcoming the arrival of our wintering snow birds.  Not just the retires fleeing the pending cold and snow, but those bird species that arrive here for the same reason.

Some of this week's Birding

Brown-headed Nuthatch at Babcock-Webb

As a change from watching for migrating passerines, I spent a couple days looking for some of our resident species. Last Monday, after completing a doctor's appoint in Cape Coral, I sought the Cape's more special species.  

Eastern Meadowlark at Festival Park

Florida Scrub Jay at Festival Park

Namely the Florida Scrub Jays at the Festival Park Neighborhood where a large and unexpected covey of Northern Bobwhites was flushed. And then the Burrowing Owls and Monk Parakeets at the ball fields on Pelican Boulevard. Nearby Rotary Park as been a hot spot this season, but was very quite on a short visit.

Loggerhead Shrike

On Tuesday, visited Babcock-Webb WMA in Charlotte County. Arrived at sunrise at the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Colony on Oil-Well Grade. This location has been disappointing lately as it appears that this woodpecker cluster has dropped to a single RCW. Today this individual could be heard as it exited his hole, but immediately flew away from my direction. Eastern Towhees,  and Eastern Meadowlarks were very quite and few were encountered. No Bobwhites, Brown Thrashers or Sandhill Cranes were head or seen. Did see and hear several newly arrived House Wrens. Got nice views of a couple of Brown-headed Nuthatches and spotted both a Northern Harrier and a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Palm and Pine Warbles were everywhere as well as Common Warblers, Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebirds and Belted Kingfishers.

Burrowing Owl at Pelican Blvd Ball Fields

Red-shouldered Hawk at Rotary Park

From Babcock, I spent a few minutes to check-out the pond located in a pasture just south of the Punta Gorda Airport, that can sometimes host some very nice bids.  Today only found a few Mottled Ducks, a Lesser Yellowlegs and a Western Sandpiper. 

Mottled Duck

Then on to check-out Kiwanis Park in Port Charlotte. This venue had recently hosted some coveted migrants, including rare in peninsular Florida, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Black-billed Cuckoo and Golden-winged Warbler.  But I failed to get here in time to see these species, (had to work) before favorable winds arrived to push these guys across the Gulf of Mexico as they trek south. arriving about noon, the park was quite. few species on hand. Did sight my FOS Eastern Phoebe, an American Redstart and a family of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. I had never been here before, but will add it to my stops in the future. 

Northern Flicker at Babcock-Webb

Wintering Birds are Arriving

Most all of the expected shorebirds seen wintering at Bunche Beach, save Dunlins and wintering gull species, are on hand. Elsewhere, we're seeing the numbers of Palm Warblers growing and Eastern Phoebes, Common Yellow-throats, Pied-billed Grebes, Tree Swallows, Northern Harriers  and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are just arriving. as well. Still waiting on the arrival of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Blue-headed Vireos, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

Gater at Babcock-Webb

Eastern Phoebe at Kiwanis Park in Port Charlotte

Black-bellied Whistling Duck at Kiwanis Park

So too will be the arrival of wintering waterfowl. Blue-winged Teal are already here and in the weeks ahead we'll see Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaups and Northern Shovelers. Even later we'll see Red-breasted Mergansers, Horned Grebes, Common Loons, Gadwall, Ruddy Ducks and hopefully a couple of Snow Geese.

Birding in Cape Coral

Friday January 15th

Mangled lighting

Today we experienced severe weather including continuing tornado warnings. Just last Saturday residents of Cape Coral experienced a touch down of an EF-2 Tornado. More than two hundred homes were damaged and the baseball fields on Pelican Boulevard were damaged as well.

Some of the damage at the Baseball Fields

 

Monk Parakeet at Pelican Boulevard Ball Fields 

The ballfield was also home to a colony of nesting Monk Parakeets and several Burrowing Owls. On Monday I ventured into the area to conduct a birding survey of the Cape. 

The stop at a ballfield revealed damage to trees, fencing and the lighting structures. As for the birds I only spotted a single parakeet and no owls. 

Next headed to the Festival Park area (still undeveloped) at the interestion of Kismet and Chiquita. Finally spotted a Burrowing Owl, Eastern Meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrikes, Kestrel, and several Florida Scrub Jays.

The Monk Parakeet making adjustments to a surviving nest

More Birds of Cape Coral

Burrowing Owl at Festival Park

Eastern Meadowlark

Florida Scrub Jay

Fall Migration Improves

Monday, October 5th

 The month of September was very disappointing to those of us that had waited in anticipation for the fall migration. Weather conditions were probably unfavorable for birding in our corner of Florida. Yet that should be good for the birds on their long journey.

An FOS American Kestrel seen at Festival Park in Cape Coral

Florida Scrub Jay seen at Festival Park in Cape Coral

Yesterday I had spent a couple of hours birding in Cape Coral. First stop was a stack-out location for a recently seen lark sparrow. However it looks like it had already moved on.  So I spent time in Cape Coral looking for birds like the Burrowing Owls and Monk Parakeets at the Pelican Boulevard baseball park,  Then to Festival Park near Kismet and Chiquita Boulevards. Here were located Florida Scrub Jays, a Burrowing Owl, Eastern Meadowlarks, and an FOS American Kestrel.

Loggerhead Shrike seen at Festival Park in Cape Coral

Then I headed to Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve in eastern Ft Myers, were I learned that I had missed a very nice mixed flock that consisted of several warblers including a male Golden-winged Warbler. The Golden-winged is a much sought after species as we only see a few each fall.

Recent weather conditions spawned by Hurricane Juanita seemed to have encouraged the migrants to take a break and rest up till the winds change.  So we maybe seeing some good improvement. Though this nice mixed flock disappeared by the time I had arrived, it was encouraging

Monk Parakeet seen Pelican Blvd Baseball Fields in Cape Coral

This morning was very much better for those of us who had gathered at Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve. Most everyone were able to observe a female Golden-winged Warbler, a Lifer for me. Additionally we added a Scarlet Tanager and a Summer Tanager Additional warblers seen by our group included Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Yellow-throated, Common Yellowthroat, Black-and-White, Blackburnian, Northern Parula, Pine, Palm, Prairie, Tennessee, American Redstart, Magnolia, and Chestnut-sided. Some have added Acadia Flycatcher and Swainson's Thrush.

Burrowing Owls seen Pelican Blvd Baseball Fields in Cape Coral

Eastern Meadowlark seen Festival Park in Cape Coral

The Lark Sparrow photographed by Tammy McQuaid in Cape Coral

On October first, Charlie Ewell spotted the Lark Sparrow and posted an alert. Seems it only stayed around through the second. Maybe it'll reappear soon.

Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County

Tuesday, January 13th

A RCW hiding from the camera

Today I arrived at Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area in Charlotte County just at dawn. Because this venue is the closest location to find the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker. This species requires a very specific habitat, which  has been disappearing, as their habitat is also favored by land developers.


So about twenty minutes past dawn, a pair of noisy RCW emerged from their nest holes.  A pair of noisy House Wrens would join them in greeting a new day.


The best time and place to locate the birds is be set-up near one of the nest colony sites either at dawn or dusk.

This Red-bellied Woodpecker was inspecting a RCW nest hole

Shortly after I was able to locate Brown-headed Nuthatches in a mixed flock of Palm, Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers. Other species found included Great Blue Herons, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Eastern Meadowlarks, Mockingbirds, Common Yellowthroat, American Bittern, Pied-billed Grebes, Northern Flickers and Tree Swallows.

House Wren

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Brown-headed Nuthatch

American Bittern

Eastern Meadowlark

Northern Mockingbird

Current tally of recent hunting activity on the property

Eastern Screech-Owl at Sanibel Lighthouse



Eastern Screech-Owl at Sanibel Lighthouse



So far, the spring migration has remanded quite slow in south Florida. But it is not a wash-out yet as there is plenty of  time left for some good sightings.   I have been active the past couple of week in search of migrants and other interesting birds.

Checked out The Sanibel Lighthouse a couple of times as this location has been good for migrants in the past. So far I can count Northern Waterthrush and Prairie Warbler, plus Indigo Buntings, Orchard Oriole, Gray Kingbird, Magnificent Frigatebirds and Eastern Screech-Owl at the lighthouse.



Mourning Dove at Sanibel Lighthouse



I also checked out  Babcock-Webb in Charlotte County.  Not for migrants but to find Bachman's Sparrows.  Spring is the best time to locate this sparrow as the males will be singing, making them much easier to find. Listen for their song and check on tree limbs about ten feet up to find the singer.  This worked, as I had not one but three Bachman's Sparrows almost immediately upon my arrival.  They were located along Trucker's Grade just past the gun range. My other targets for the day included the red-cockaded woodpecker, brown-headed nuthatch and Eastern Towhee.

Met up with several birders, both local and out-of-town visitors. As I was chatting with Susan, from Ft Myers and up-state New York and another local birder, had a Brown-headed Nuthatch arrive in the pine right next to us. Very convenient.  Even more so was the Red-cockaded Woodpecker that flew past us and settled on a nearby tree,  as were observing the nuthatch. Not bad. 

Also close by this location was an American Kestrel. I had observed this bird in the same tree all winter and as it appears that kesterals were already vacating our area to head north, that this bird maybe the Southeastern subspecies of American Kesteral. This location would be about the southern most limit to is range. Other birds located included Pine Warblers, Red-winged Black-birds, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Flickers, House Wren,  Eastern Meadowlarks and Northern Bobwhite.

Another diversion from the migration milaise was to chase after western kingbirds and scissor-tailed flycatcher reported from CR-835 in Hendry County.  So after work Sunday morning I headed out to reported location and did not initially see the targets but I did find a lot of other good birds.  Like a pair of Limpkins, several Rough-winged Swallows, a feeding Snail Kite, a calling Northern Bobwhite, a couple of Palm Warblers and a couple of Savananh Sparrows. Doves, Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds were very numerous.  So were Northern Cardinals, and did hear a couple of White-eyed Vireos and saw a Swallow-tailed Kite.  Then finally a lone Western Kingbird appeared, but no scissor-tailed flycatcher

Female Snail Kite in Hendry County



Limpkin in Hendry County



Note the hooked bill, useful for extracting the snail from its shell

Baby Burrowing Owl in Cape Coral

Parent and juvenile Burrowing Owls found in Cape Coral as I was looking for owls and Monk Parakeets at Pelican Blvd ballfields

Eastern Meadowlark singing in fields in northern Cape Coral. I was here to look for  Florida Scrub Jays, were I managed to locate one.



Least Sandpiper seen at Bunche Beach today.  Still lots of shore birds present, and are now molting into breeding plumage.