Myakka River State Park

Monday December 2nd

Myakka River State Parks hosts lots of large American Alligators

Snow Goose

Snow Geese are a common bird. But not in south Florida.  A few Snow Geese may migrate as far south as Florida, so now a young Snow Goose has been found near Sarasota at Myakka River State Park. 

Today was windy as a cold front was moving in. And no waterfowl were out on the water, except for a few Black-bellied Whistling Ducks seen from the bridge and the Snow Goose.  I found in the exact location, near the weir, as other birders had already reported. This same location was also hosting numbers of Rosette Spoonbills, Black-necked Stilts, White Ibis, Limpkins, Yellowlegs, vultures and some rather large alligators.

Glossy Ibis

Black-necked Stilt

Snow Goose

Other sightings included White-tailed Deer, feral Hogs, Wild Turkeys,

 Cormorants, Anhingas, 

American Robins, American Avocets, 

Long-billed Dowitchers, Least Sandpipers, American White Pelicans, Glossy Ibis and 

Wood Storks.

Least Bittern at Celery Fields

After visiting Myakka River, made a quick stop at nearby Celery Fields.  Didn't expect much due to the time of day and the winds. No waterfowl here either, but was treated to a cooperative Least Bittern and a Purple Gallinule.

Lesser Scaup at Akerman Park

Did eventually find a few ducks a Akerman Park. Some Mottled Ducks and a pair of Lesser Scaups. 

Plus some Pied-billed Grebes and a few 

Starlings, 

Brown-headed Cowbirds and Laughing Gulls

Back to the Tomato Fields

Wednesday December 6th

A Crested Caracara dining on a road killed Spotted Skunk along Church Road

After work Wednesday morning, I headed back to the flooded Tomato Fields along Oil Well Road near Ava Maria. The water levels at the Tomato Fields are usually drying up by now, but we still have water and birds. A scope is important here.

Greater Scaup

Mostly American Coots, Mottled Ducks and Blue-winged Teal are present with a few Green-winged Teal on hand.  The numbers of Northern Shovelers had risen, and other water fowl remained a bit sparse. Included A male Greater Scaup a few Lesser Scaup, and a lone Northern Pintail.  A ruddy duck has been reported, but I hadn't seen any. 

Northern Pintail

Also in much lower numbers was a mere eight American White Pelican. Other species seen included Common Gallinule, hundreds of Glossy Ibis, Rosette Spoonbills, and the usual waders. A pair of Bald Eagles are nesting in a tall pine on the back side of the field.

Also made a stop at the two bridges location. Sighted a Snail Kite, Limpkins, Black-belled Whistling Ducks and large numbers of Anhingas and Cormorants.  Had stopped to look for any western kingbirds, but none spotted today.

Lesser Scaup with the male Greater Scaup

Great Crested Flycatcher seen along Oil Well Road

Tricolored Heron seen at the Bridges

White-winged Dove seen along Church Road

St Marks

Monday, December 8th
Day Two - North Florida Trip

St Mark's Lighthouse

While camping at the yurt in Torreya State Park Bob Pelkey and I found that our smart phones clocks were bouncing back and forth between CST and EST. Seems we were sitting near t to the border of these time zones. The confusion got us a late start so that we didn't arrive  St Marks till 9:30.

Lesser Scaup at Lighthouse Pool

The day was overcast, chilly and drizzly. But we still found good birds. We would dip on a few targets that had been recently reported such as Ross's goose, Virginia rail, vermilion flycatcher and white-faced ibis

Started off with Eastern Phoebe and yellow-rumped warblers at the visitor center. Further down lighthouse road we added green-winged teal, coots, common gallinule, red-breasted merganser, swamp and savannah sparrows, eastern towhee, pied-billed grebes, belted kingfishers, northern harrier, red-shouldered hawk and the expected waders.

Reaching Stone Bayou we found a quartet of American avocet, a single black-necked stilt, and also willets, greater yellowlegs, more coots, least & western sandpipers, sb & lb dowitchers, wilson's snipe, eastern meadowlarks, least Scaup and bufflehead.

Drake Northern Shoveler

At the headquarters pond we had at least a dozen black-crowned night-herons, American wigeons, blue-winged teal, gadwall, ring-necked ducks, a sora, a bald eagle. purple and common gallinule and more waders.

Onto the lighthouse pool. There were hundreds of ducks including more a wigeons, northern shovelers, canvasbacks, redheads, lesser Scaup, and ruddy ducks.  At the sea grass zone along the beach we found nelsons sparrows, a suspected salt marsh sparrow. swamp sparrow, and a brief look at a sparrow sporting yellow head and breast markings. Heard clapper rail in the salt marsh east of the lighthouse. Off shore were common loons, horned grebes, bufflehead, least scaup, brown pelicans, ring-billed gulls, a royal tern and an active dolphin.

Eastern Phoebe

On the way out, we found the numbers of shorebirds had greatly increased at Stone Bayou. Hiked the dike road to the back of the bayou and added wood stork and american white pelicans

St Marks NWR is an awesome birding venue and a real jewel for birding in Florida.

American Wigeon

American Avocet

Nelson's Sharptail Sparrow

Fruiting Prickly Pear seen near the lighthouse boat launch

Merritt Island NWR & Tampa Bay

Monday February 25th


North Florida Trip - Day 3

Northern Shoveler seen on Blackpoint Drive
Photo by Bob Pelkey

Bob Pelkey and I arrived at Merritt Island NWR about 8:15 and headed directly to the Blackpoint Drive. Here we were immediately greeted by a busy crowd of waders including Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks feeding behind the pay station. (MINWR is no longer a free venue). The first few stops were active with Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, more waders including Reddish Egrets. Noted a few Hooded Mergansers as well.

 

As Bob concentrated on his birding photography, I took the time to walk the road toward stop #3, which is were a cinnamon teal has been wintering. I dipped on the cinnamon teal but was able to observe a Sora, plus diving Forster's Terns, Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaups, at least one Greater Scaup, Reddish Egret, a few Blue-winged Teal and American Coots.

Lesser Scaup in Flight along the Blackpoint Drive
Photo by Bob Pelkey

 

The stops were peeps and shore birds were expected only offered  more yellowlegs. Did have a hand full of gulls and terns though. Caspian, Forster's and Royal Terns plus Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls and a lone Black Skimmer

 

Stop #7 is the place for waterfowl. Most of the ducks were in the distance and the lighting was terrible. Mostly had Lesser Scaups and Coots. American Wigeons could be spotted as well. However it was very impossible to try to discern any eurasian wigeons in the poor light.

A refuge employee put us onto the Peacock Pocket Road, so we headed there next. Here we finally a large concentration of American Avocets, plus Long-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers, lots of Coots, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaups, a few Green-winged Teal and a lone Northern Pintail. We again dipped on another cinnamon teal often seen here.

Northern Pintail, Lesser Scaup and Blue-winged Teal along the Peacock Pocket Road
Photo by Bob Pelkey

 

I talked Bob into making a run along Bio Lab Road as he was anxious to move on to the Tamps Bay Sunshine Skyline Bridge to search for the Black-legged Kittiwake wintering at the fishing pier. So after a pit stop at the refuge headquarters, were a beautiful male Painted Bunting entertained the visitors at the feeders, we headed over to Bio Lab Road.

Bio Lab was kind of dissapppointing. We did find several shore birds including Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlins, Willets, soaring American White Pelicans and swimming Red-breasted Mergansers. On another fresh-water pond we added more Hooded Mergansers.

From here we made the drive across the state back to the Gulf of Mexico to seek the Kittewake. Our stop was at the South Fishing Pier of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. We arrived with about an hour of sun light left for the day and actually thought we had missed our target. So as we were heading back to the car the Black-legged Kittewake was finally spotted. It spent most of the time we were there resting on the closed off section of the old bridge. So Bob got his shots.  When my daughter and I visited here earlier in February, Common Loons were everywhere and I I had a very unsatisfying look at what could have been a razorbill. So no razorbill today, but I managed to spot a group of five loons swimming toward the new bridge. Other birds using the fishing pier included Browm Pelicans, Snowy and Great Egrets, Ruddy Turnstones, lots of Rock Pigeons, Royal, Sandwich and Foster's Terns, Herring, Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls.

As the sun set we headed back to Ft Myers to end our three day road trip. It was a very good trip. Bob landed a lot of Lifers and took a few thousand pics. We did dip in virtually ever speciality I had targeted, but that just makes it necessary to plan a return to the panhandle next year.



Trip List (126) -

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Black Scoter, Bufflehead,  Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Wood Stork, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, American Avocet, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed  Dowitcher, Black-legged Kittiwake, Bonaparte's Gull, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Skimmer, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Brown-headed Nuthatch, House Wren, Sedge Wren, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Common Yellowthroat, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Painted Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle and American Goldfinch

Cinnamon Teal at the Celery Fields

Wednesday January 18th

Today was a hunt for a lifer. The elusive cinnamon teal at The Celery Fields in Sarasota had been seen several times.  I had visited a week or so ago and missed on it, but I heard were several folks including Stan Damen and Vince McGrath had recently seen it. Had to try again.

First stopped at Akerman's Park, hoping for some ruddy ducks.  Just lots of Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler and Lesser Scaup. Plus Great Blue Herons, Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, Common Gallinules, Ring-billed Gulls, Cattle Egrets and White Ibis.  Had flock of about twelve Monk Parakeets fly in.

Monk Parakeets at Ackermans Park

At The Celery Fields the Cinnamon Teal was very easy to find because a dozen birders were already on it. Met John Whitehead and his neighbor Bill along with a group lead by a very knowledgeable leader named Owen.  Sure enough we had great views of the teal.  A Lifer!!!  Other birds here included Hooded Mergansers, Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebes, a Wilson's Snipe, lots of cormorants and Anhings.  Had a chance to watch a young Bald Eagle harass an Osprey for its freshly caught fish. Can add a Belted Kingfisher, Red-winged Blackbirds, Wood Storks, Glossy Ibis, White Ibis, a Northern Harrier, Cattle Egrets, Boat-tailed Grackles and Tree Swallows. Spent some time looked for a reported purple gallinule, but missed on it.

Great Egret at Ft DeSoto

Next checked out a pond, I heard about, at a nursery at Fruitville and Tatum Roads were several Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were found.  Then onto the ponds at The Founders Club were I was joined By John and Bill.  Here we successfully located the Common Goldeneye wintering here, but did not see its bufflehead partner.  Other birds here included Hooded Mergansers, Lesser Scaup, Ring-billed Ducks, Grebes, Mottled Ducks and Blue-winged Teal.

Redheads and Lesser Scaups at Tierra Verde ponds

Moved onto Ft DeSoto in Tampa Bay to look for a lark sparrow. But first stopped at the ponds at Tierra Verde were a greater scaup had been reported. There were thousands of birds, mostly Redheads. Picked out Lesser Scaups, Northern Shoveler and floating gulls including a first year Herring Gull.

Spent some time at the fishing pier at Ft DeSoto, were several seabirds including a pair of Forster's Terns, Herring Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls, Brown Pelicans, Red-breasted Mergansers and a Common Loon. Also had a small flock of Nanday Parakeets, large flocks of Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings and a half dozen House Sparrows. Then moved onto the Gulf Pier to look for the lark sparrow, but lightening changed these plans.  So headed for home.

Herring Gull



Brown Pelican

Forster's Tern

Laughing Gull

Nanday Parakeets

Purple Martin

Harns Marsh

Spent about two hours this morning birding Harns Marsh in Lehigh Acres. Harns Marsh is usually a dependable location for two of Florida's specialities, that being Snail Kites and Limpkins. Both feed on the apple snails found here. However, the unusual rains we have been experiencing lately have kept the water levels higher than normal at the marsh, which effects the numbers of snails available for the kites and limpkins.

On past visits I had been able to count as many as ten kites working the marsh. Today I could only locate a lone female. Limpkins continued to be readily available though. The most prevalent species today were hundreds of Tree Swallows and American Coots. Tryed to see if any rough-wing swallows were mixed in with the tree swallows, but I could not managed that. But I did have my FOS Purple Martin. It won't be long till the swallow-tailed kites return as well. As for the waterfowl, we had hundreds of coots, a hand-full of Mottled Ducks, about six Lesser Scaups, about 5 Blue-winged Teal and a sole Hooded Merganser. Also found a mixed flock of warblers including Palm, Yellow-Rumped and Yellow-Throated Warblers, plus a Ruby Crowned Kinglet and several Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers.

From here drove over to Alva to locate Red-headed Woodpeckers.

The days list - Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Wood Stork, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Snail Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Limpkin, Rock Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Palm Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Boat-tailed Grackle, Mourning Dove, Red-headed Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, European Starling, American Goldfinch

More Common Loon

A Common Loon



On the way home from work I did a little birding with the idea of maybe finding a Grasshopper Sparrow in the brush and fence lines along Domestic Street, which is off of Alico Road in San Carlos Park. I hadn't found any Grasshopper Sparrows yet this year, but last year I did find some at this location. Toward to end of the dead end street exists several man-made ponds, probably for water control. Currently they host a few grebes, coots, Mottled Ducks, lesser Scaups and occasionally Ring-necked Ducks. But today I found a lone common loon working the middle pond looking for breakfast. While attempting to get a few poor quality pictures I could hear a faint loon call, as I had heard many many years ago up in Minnesota. Because it was so low I suspect it actually came from a buddy in another nearby pond. Seems to me that it is very unusual to find these birds here as they would normally be expected in salt-water bays while they visit Florida.

Hopefully it'll stick around till tomorrow so I can start the 2010 Bird Count with a Common Loon. maybe Grasshopper Sparrow as well.





One of the ponds










+List from this location include -Lesser Scaup, Common Loon, Brown Pelican, Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, American Coot, Mourning Dove, Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark