Mountain Bluebird

Monday, March 2nd

Had been aware that a Mountain Bluebird had taken up a winter residence on Trilby Road in Pasco County. Its very unusual for this species to be found in Florida. It's normally a western bird that winters a thousand miles away in southwestern United States and Mexico.

Mountain Bluebird

Trilby Road, Pasco Road

March 2020 

So today, I used the well documented stack of information on ebird and was able to travel right up to the bluebird.  Nice.. Other sightings in the vicinity included a pair of Burring Owls at rest on the fence line, plus American Kestrel, Eastern Meadowlarks, Northern Harriers, and Tree Swallows.

About four years ago, we did have a  mountain bluebird, visit the Big Cypress National Preserve's Oasis Visitor Center, near the Everglades.

Mountain Bluebird

Big cypress National Preserve  -  Ochopee. Florida

November 2015

Another site to check out in Pasco County is Auton Road near Dade City. It can be good sparrows. Found several Vesper and Savannah Sparrows today.

Vesper Sparrow

Earlier, on the drive up from Fort Myers, made a quick stop at the Celery Fields and Ackerman Park in Sarasota. 

Added Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Common Gallinule, Purple Gallinule, Purple Martins, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Nanday Parakeets

Purple Martins

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Nanday Parakeets

Brown-headed Cowbirds

Some Wildflowers seen along Trilby Road

Drummond's Phlox

Wand Mullein

Hastate-leaved Dock

Visiting an Oasis

Monday November 11th

The Vermilion Flycatcher is such a vibrant bird and always a pleasure to find. They are very uncommon, as winter visitors to Florida. I've traveled to the Panhandle and down to the Everglades in the past to see one.  St Mark's NWR, in the Panhandle, as been very reliable in the past as a host and currently has a pair wintering there today. But recently another flycatcher has shown up in Collier County.

Mountain Bluebird at the Oasis Visitor Center 

on November 17, 2015

Florida Gar

This bird is hanging out at the parking lot at the Oasis Visitors Center in the Big Cypress National Preserve along the Tamiami Trail. Today I went down there to catch up with this young male.  Many of my friends have already made the trip and I was glad to have able to get down there today.

Made a point of sharing the unusual sighting with the tour guide from an Eco Tour group, but they weren't much interested.  Seems this group was made up of European tourist who found the alligators seen from the board walk a bigger draw. Lots of gators, a few cormorants, anhingas and herons as well. Plus lots of fish were also  gathered in the canal. Gars, bass, oscars, cichlids and sail backed catfish.

Four years ago this location also hosted a much more uncommon bird to visit Florida. A  species from the far West, a Mountain Bird, which spent a couple weeks in this same parking lot.

Cichlid

A Visit to the Celery Fields and Big Cypress

Tuesday, November 17

Today, with Bob Pelkey behind the wheel, we had planned a stop at the Celery Fields in Sarasota. Then the reports came out about the Mountain Bluebird being seen at the Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress Preserve. So a stop was planned for there as well.

Mountain Bluebird

We arrived in early afternoon and easily spotted the Mountain Bluebird. It was sitting on its spot on a fence near the parking lot. Very unusual to have this western bird in the Everglades. The bird is reported to be a juvenile female and is a lifer for me. Hasn't been reported here since about the 20th.

Some other species seen at the visitor center.

American Alligator

Tricolored Heron

Great Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

American Crow

The Celery Fields - Sarasota

Bob and I arrived at dawn and spent the morning mostly around the south cell. Soras could be heard calling and Marsh Wrens heard babbling. Least Bittern was hiding in the flag weed and Purple Gallinule were active as well. Rosette Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis and Wood Storks were flying over head. Limpkins were calling and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were just hanging around. Calling Nanday Parakeets and a flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds too.

Loggerhead Shrike

Savannah Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Limpkin

Marsh Wren

From here traveled about a mile up Palmer Road to Palmer Lake were we added Northern Shovelers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Glossy Ibis, Laughing Gulls, Forster's Terns Long-billed Dowitchers and a Crested Caracara