Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area

 Wednesday January 29th

Scott's Oriole feeding on some jelly

https://ebird.org/checklist/S211139040

I was unfamiliar with the Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area near Lake Linsey in Hernando County. But a rare to Florida avian visitor is wintering here. It's a Scott's Oriole. A western species and is way outside of the species normal range and a Lifer for me.

Chipping Sparrow

 This conservation area is managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife and has an outstanding bird feeding station at the nature center featuring water features and several feeding offerings including a feeder offering jelly.  Orioles and other species enjoy fruits and jellies and that is where anyone wanting to experience this rarity must wait. The Scott's Oriole was making very short visits to the feeder and my not return for as long as an hour. 

A Pine Siskin bathing with a House Finch

While waiting a nice variety birds came in and offered some nice photography opportunities

Carolina Chickadee

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow Palm Warbler

American Goldfinches

Pine Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

House Wren

House Finch

Red-winged Blackbird

Pine Warbler

Grey Catbird

Sandhill Crane

Tufted Titmouse

Northern Cardinal

Volo Bog - Volo, Illinois

 Saturday July 24th

The Volo Bog State Natural Area is registered National Natural Landmark, owned and managed by the State of Illinois. Its a rare geographical feature, called a quacking bog, leftover after the ancient glaciers melted away. The property features wetlands, savannas and upland forests. MAP

Came here last month to bird and to do some photography. 

House Wren

Bird List - Wood Ducks, Mourning Doves, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Sandhill Crane, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Herons, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, House Wren, Gray Catbird, Eastern Bluebird, Veery, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Cedar waxwing, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler and Northern Cardinal. Also White-tailed Deer, Widow Skimmer and Northern Pearly-eye.

Prairie Coreopsis

Widow Skimmer

Scotch Pine

Red Osier Dogwood

Pale Purple Coneflower

Sensitive Fern

Tamarack

Gray-headed Coneflower

Wild Calla

Swamp Birch

Gunners Trail

Thursday November 16th

Much of the Gunners Trail remains quite wet

Wild Turkey Strand Preserve is a large parcel of Lee County property acquired as part the 20/20 program to preserve environmental sensitive lands. Much of this property was formally part of the Buckingham Army Air Force Flexible Gunnery Training Base. The base was operational from 1942 till 1945 were 50,000 American servicemen trained in aerial gunnery for service aboard bombers.

Today the Gunner's Trail is a part of the Wild Turkey Strand Preserve were remnants from the former gunnery school can be observed along the trail. It is also a place for the observation of Florida wetlands. A further purpose for the property is a wildlife corridor. Florida panthers have been seen off the trail as well

Download Buckingham Army Air Field brochure 

Wild Turkey Strand Preserve Trail Map

House Wren

A couple of days ago I took a walk on the 1.8 mile Gunner's Trail, which was quite wet. It will dry down later.

Gray Catbirds, Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers and House Wrens were very active today. The marshy areas hosted Belted Kingfisher, American Coots, Common Gallinules, Purple Gallinules, Limpkins, Blue-winged Teals, Mottled Ducks, Black-belled Whistling Ducks, Anhingas, Wilson's Snipe, Glossy and White Ibis, Great Blue Herons, Green Herons and other waders.

Other birds on the day included Snail Kites, Red-shouldered Hawks, Northern Harrier, Tree Swallows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Northern Cardinals, Downy Woodpecker and several Swamp Sparrows.

Probably a Golden-winged Skimmer

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

Back to Babcock-Webb

Hit the birding trail for the fourth day in a row, Tuesday, October 20th, by checking out Babcock-Webb WMA in Charlotte County. The location is famous for the big three rareities for south Florida of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman's Sparrow and Brownheaded Nuthatch and on the this trip I miss on all three.

Arrived about 8:45am and had quick hits on a Red-Tailed Hawk, sandhill Crane, Pine Warblers, Eastern Meadowlark and a Yellow-shafted Flicker. The birding slowed down from here on. Found lots of noisy Gray Catbirds and FOS House Wrens. Usually raptors aren't very plentifull here, but seems that migration was contining with sightenings of Red-Shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, Broad-Winged Hawk and a couple of Sharp-Shinned Hawks. By 11;30 I was on my way home. Needed to get a much needed nap in before going into work

My list - Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Chimney Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle