January Birds

 Saturday January 31st

Painted Bunting at my house

Vermilion Flycatcher at Pahokee, Florida

Lesser Nighthawk at Lakes Park, Ft Myers

Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Palm Beach County 

Common Eider at Lovers Key State Park

Nanday Parakeets at my house

Brown-headed Cowbird at the Celery Fields, Sarasota

Eastern Phoebe 

Purple Martin at the Celery Fields, Sarasota

Everglades

 Tuesday January 9th

Vermilion Flycatcher at Lucky Hammock

Spent a couple of days birding around the Everglades and at Lucky Hammock.

 

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
C-111 Canal

Day One was a very blustery day, which does handicap your birding experience as the birds seek sheltered and often secluded locations to get out of the winds. This was so obvious while making a stop at the C-111 Canal venue outside of Everglades National Park where the expected Scissor tailed Flycatchers were using the cover within the trees and shrubs.

Was greeted here with a Swainson's Hawk soaring close overhead. Counted seven Scissor-tailed Flycatcher hiding from the winds in an oak tree. Had a western kingbird too. The female Vermilion Flycatcher was staying low too. A surprise of a Yellow-headed Blackbird spotted feeding with a large flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds. The expected Tropical Kingbird was also present.  

Swainson's Hawk
C-111 Canal

Moved onto Lucky Hammock, but not much was observed here today because of the weather. Lots of Gray Catbirds. and a Northern Harrier were seen. Then entered Everglades National Park with ever little to be seen. Because of the weather, passed up a planned return to the Lucky Hammock area at sundown, for least nighthawks and barn owls.

Vermilion Flycatcher
Lucky Hammock

Returned to rebird the C-111 and Lucky Hammock the next morning with much better success. Easily found my target birds. White-tailed Kites, Short-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Tropical Kingbird, Western Kingbirds, Savanah Sparrows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

Vermilion Flycatcher
C-111 Canal 

eBird Trip Report See complete bird lists for the trip

Zebra Longwing
Lucky Hammock

Western Kingbird
C-111 Canal

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Lucky Hammock

 

Red Shouldered Hawk
C-111 Canal

Great Egret
Lucky Hammock

New Year

 Sunday January 9th

River Otter

Ventured out to build a fresh list for a new year.  Visited venues throughout the area looking for interesting birdlife. At Torrey Island at Belle Glade saw that the Vermilion Flycatcher was still active as were a pair of River Otters.  Was told that it was suspected that the otters were being fed as they showed little concern with the walkers and birders.

Went back out to the cane fields to look for the raptors seen recently. Succeeded in relocating the White-tailed Kite, Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, American Kestrels, Peregrin Falcon, Barn Owl and Red-tailed Hawks. Dipped on finding swainsen's hawk.

American Kestrel at Belle Glade Marina

Peregrine Falcon

Northern Rough-winged Swallow at Belle Glade Marina

Bald Eagles

Lots of the shorebirds and seabirds located at Bunche Beach and Fort DeSoto. 

Snowy Egret at Fort DeSoto Park

Red Knot at Fort DeSoto

Banded Piping Plover at Fort DeSoto

Red-breasted Merganser at Fort DeSoto

Caspen Tern at Fort DeSoto

Black-bellied Plover at Fort DeSoto

Brown Pelicans at Fort DeSoto

American Oystercatcher at Fort DeSoto

Limpkin at Six-Mile Cypress Slough Reserve

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Sunday, May 29th

When my work shift ends at 7 AM on Sunday mornings, I like to take my time heading for home. That is because the world is so much quieter and finding interesting birds is so much easier.

My birding actually started upon my arrival at work when I sighted our resident Barred Owl. Every year, just during the rainy season though, a barred owl, and sometimes two, will spend part of the evening in a hunt for beetles and mole crickets around the yard lighting. At sunrise, I could hear the 'peet' calls of Common Nighthawks. Then the Common and Boat-tailed Grackles start to descend on the property. Today a fledgling common grackle, not even fully feathered yet, was sitting in the middle of the parking lot with the adult birds surrounding the baby. Had to shoo the young bird  out of the way before it could be run over.  We also have a resident Red-shouldered Hawk that appears at dawn and the morning also brings the Snowy and Great Egrets passing overhead.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Just outside the front gate can be heard a calling White-eyed Vireo in the clumps of Brazilian Pepper.and today I succeeded in spotting it.  Usually its skulking manners made it almost impossible to see. Further down the road were the usual Mourning Doves and calling Northern Cardinals and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. But was also found was a pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallows. Hadn't seen any swallows around here for awhile. On Airport-Haul Road I added a pair of Eastern Bluebirds and at the drainage ditch at the intersection of Alico and Airport-Haul was a lone juvenile Wood Stork.

White Ibis

Close to home, I checked out both Domestic and Lee Roads north of Alico Road. Well on Lee, just a bit north from the intersection with Alico Road, was found a family of five Burrowing Owls.  A sixth owl was sighted in a lot along Domestic Street. Also found here were a couple of Eastern Meadowlarks, a flying Green Heron, ten Purple Martins, more grackles and a Red-winged Blackbird, a lone Cattle Egret,  and about two dozen more Mourning Doves. The drainage ditch along Alico held  several Mottled Ducks and a pair of Common Moorhens. The ponds along Domestic Street are very empty of the coots and ducks seen over the winter.  Today was a single Anhinga, a single Double-crested Cormorant, and pair of Mottled Ducks and a pair of very late American Coots. Loggerhead Shrikes occupied the wires as well.

Closer to home the neighborhood had the usual species including more mourning doves, Eurasian Collared Doves, Fish Crows, grackles, another Red-shouldered Hawk, Blue Jays and Northern Mockingbirds. 

Swallow-Tailed Kites - A Trip with Caloosa Bird Club

Monday March 1st

Caloosa Bird Club Trip - Green Cay Wetlands, Wakodahatchee Wetlands, & STA-1W

On Monday, March first I joined with members of the Caloosa Bird Club on a trip across Florida to Palm Beach County to visit Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach, Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach and Stormwater Treatment Area 1W. The trip was fully booked at fifty-two people, as that filled the bus.  It was certianly nice not to have to do the driving this time.

We left Ft Myers about 6:30am and arrived at Green Cay about 9:30am. Had a pit stop in Clewiston. Picked up a few birds there - Greater and a Lesser Yellowlegs and a few Brown-headed Cowbirds. One objective here was to see if anyone could find a common myna.  Not today. The best sighting on the trip over was a FOS sighting of a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites. The reappearance of the kites are much atticipated as the start of the spring migration, plus they are the favorite bird for a lot of people.  Including my daughters. Other interestings sightings along the way included a flock cedar waxwings, a couple Crested Caracara and a Northern Harrier. One species that was missed were sandhill cranes.

 My Clewiston list - White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Crested Caracara, American Kestrel, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Pileated Woodpecker, Fish Crow, American Robin, Boat-tailed Grackle

Green Cay Wetlands - Boynton Beach

One reason I was keen on this trip was the rare bird alerts for a black-throated gray warbler that been seen regularly in the Green Cay parking lot. So I made a quick survey of the lot, without any luck, as usual, before joining the others inside.

Green Cay Wetlands is a facility owned by Palm Beach Utilities for the treatment and disposal of treated wastewater. It is open to the public and is very popular.  Lots of walkers as well nature lovers. Lots of bird life on hand.  All of the waders were here, plus hundreds of Coots and Moorhens. A Limpkin was found or rather heard. Had four differnt swallows on hand. Lots of Purple Martins, Tree Swallows, Northern Rough-Winged Swallows and a sole Barn Swallow.

After a first circle of the boardwalk, I returned to the parking lot to seek-out the black-throated gray warbler. Gave it a good search. The only warblers were a few Yellow-Rumped Warblers, but no lifer today. However, I was in luck with a light-morphed Short-Tailed Hawk circling the lot. Seems that I was the only observer. Returned to boardwalk till it ws time to go.

Mottled Ducks



Anhinga on guard



Boardwalk at Green Cay



My Green Cay List - Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Wood Stork, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Limpkin, Royal Tern, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle

Wakodahatchee Wetlands - Delray Beach

After lunch, we rode  over to the nearby Wakodahatchee Wetlands, also a part of the Palm Beach Utilities system. We were greeted right at the start with a Purple Gallinule. The wetlands had a great many nesting Anhingas, Cormorants and Great Blue Herons. Lots of big gators, as well as, lots of snowbirds. Mottled Ducks, Blue-wing Teal, Coots and Moorhens were very numerous. Also found a could of Hooded Mergansers and a couple of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks too. A Forster's Tern was very busy in patroling the wetlands for its lunch.

Momma Anhinga with chick



Great Blue Heron on nest



Hooded Mergansers and Mottled Ducks

The wetlands in profusion

American Coot

My Wakodahatchee Wetlands list - Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Wood Stork, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Purple Gallinule, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Forster's Tern, Mourning Dove, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle

Stormwater Treatment Area 1W

STA-1W was last stop of the day before a nice buffet dinner at the Clewiston Inn in Clewiston. Time was short so I stay here was also short. The best sightings here was probably the Black Skimmers and a Purple Swamphen. Lots of Coots and Moorhens again. Aside from Blue-winged Teal and Mottled Duck, most of the other ducks were hard to identify due to bad lighting. Ruddy Duck and Lesser Scaup were noted. A few American White Pelicans were on-hand, but a great many could be seen in flight in the distance. Palm Warblers were also entertaining with their flitting about.

My STA-1W list - Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Killdeer, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler

Conclusion

Arrived back in Ft Myers around 9pm very tired but satisfied with the trip. My day count was 67.  Not a bad start for a new monthly count.

Sanibel Lighthouse Hawk Watch

Had been looking forward to the Audubon of Southwest Florida's Sanibel Lighthouse Hawk Watch for some time. Because of work I missed last year's event, but showed up the very next day to take a try on my own. Luckily I ran into Vince McGrath who had lead the prior day's hawk watch. This one-on-one was a great learning experience for me. We had well over 100 American Kestrels, a few Merlins, Peregrins and Ospreys. had a number of Sharp-Shinned Hawks and many Swallows. I think we even had a Bald Eagle.

My list for October 13, 2008 -Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Egret, Black Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Black-bellied Plover, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Palm Warbler, Brown-headed Cowbird

So this year, we had a very nice cold front arriving right on time for this years scheduled hawk watch on Sunday October 18th, 8am - 10am. My debate was to show-up for the scheduled event or come on my own the following like last year due to the fact that I was getting off of work at 7:00am Sunday morning. Because of the potential bird fallout from the cold front was such a great opportunity I elected to struggle with my constant bane of sleep derivation and headed over to Sanibel Island on Sunday straight from work. The weather was very windy and chilly by Florida standards. But those strong winds had actually blown the birds away from southwestern Florida. Turns out Miami and Key West had outstanding birding that Sunday. So our birding was very slow. Very few song birds were on hand. Our first hwak arrived at 9:45am - a Sharp-Shined Hawk. By the time I left at 11am we had about 16 American Kestels, a dozen Sharp-Shinned Hawks, a couple of Broad-Winged Hawks and a few Ospreys were present. Also had about 6 Merlins with one individual we found very entertaining as it was aggressivelly interacting with another Merlin and the other hawks present. Prehaps those birders still on hand managed an outstanding sighting like a mississippi kite or something like that. You just never now when something exciting might show up. But not for me. It was time for some sleep for me.

My list - Brown Pelican, Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Rock Pigeon, Chimney Swift, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Prairie Warbler, Palm Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Boat-tailed Grackle