California Towhee

 Sunday October 6th 

Had recently made a short trip out to Ventura, California and birded the Ventura Harbor and Lake Los Carneros Park near Santa Barabara.

Lake Los Carneros Park bird list

California Towhee

California Towhee

Black Phoebe

Mallards

Northern Shovelers

Ventura Harbor bird list   Ventura Harbor bird list

Western Gull

Western Grebe

California Sea Lion

Great Blue Heron

Lake Apopka - Merritt Island

Saturday January 9th

Ran up to Lake Apopka on Saturday to do some birding on the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Vehicle traffic is only permitted on the weekends on the Wildlife Drive, but other trail head locations are usually open everyday to foot traffic.   

Wildlife viewing is popular here, especially for birders, in the winter months when thousands of waterfowl and other birds use the marshes to wait out the freezing weather up north.

Swamp Sparrow

Arrived early on a chilly, blustery morning. Lots of wading birds like Great Blue Herons, some standing on nests, Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, Great Egrets, White Ibis and Glossy Ibis. Didn't spot any black-necked stilts, but lots of Cormorants and Anhingas. There are thousands of American Coots and Common Gallinules to sort through to identify any waterfowl. There are a great many Blue-winged Teal and Ring-necked Ducks, plus Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teal and Mottled Ducks.  Both Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks are common year round residents here.  Other waterfowl seen today included a lone Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks and Pied-billed Grebes. Other birds today included Purple Gallinule, Limpkin, Green Heron, Swamp Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbirds, Osprey, Northern Harriers, Belted Kingfishers and American Robins. 

Dipped on spotting any American wigeons, gadwall and the ash-throated flycatcher that has been hanging out at the gate entrance to the drive.

Blue-winged Teal

American Coot

Ruddy Duck

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Ring-necked Ducks

Glossy Ibis

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Limpkin

Green Heron

After completing the Lake Apopka drive, I had options.  Either head home or extend my day trip with a visit to Merritt Island NWR. Chose to extend the trip and arrived at Blackpoint Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island just past lunch and was greeted by a mommy Bobcat with her half-grown kitten making a dash across the road ahead of me. 

The marshes and wetlands had dried down some since my last visit a few weeks ago, and the variety of waterfowl had diminished. Didn't see any pintails today, but did have a lot of Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers and a large flock of Hooded Mergansers. Also present in smaller numbers Mottled Ducks, Green-winged Teal and a couple of Redheads. The cinnamon teal that has been hanging out at stop #4 wasn't seen, but this location had lots of Dunlin, Western Sandpipers and Ring-billed Gulls.  Other species seen included American White Pelicans, American Coots, Common Gallinules, Caspian and Forster's Terns, Reddish Egrets, a Wilson's Sniped, Sanderlings, Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, Willets, Pied-billed Grebes and Killdeer. Dipped on American avocets, gadwall, the northern pintails, any rails, sparrows or falcons

Checked out the Biolab Drive, but not much happening there. Also stopped at the visitor center feeders before heading home and ended the stop with four Painted Buntings.

A large of of Hooded Mergansers were actively feeding

White Ibis

Ring-billed Gull

Reddish Egret

Armadillo

Wilson's Snipe

Greater Yellowlegs

Lake Apopka

Friday January 17th

Heading home today from the Panhandle. Did make a side trip to Lake Apopka to check out the North Shore Wildlife Drive. Had visited last month and had some good sightings like the Ash-throated flycatcher.

Ring-necked duck and American Coot

But today, a great many people have also arrived to enjoy the day, the birds and photography.  Its much more crowded  on the drive than last month. The first the first mile or so was very busy.

At one point I stopped and asked some ladies what they were doing with a Muscovy Duck. Muscovy ducks are not commonly seen here and the ladies were concerned that the bird was a lost pet.  Especially as was kept approaching. No doubt it was used to being feed. They were trying to capture the it because they believed that it wasn't going to survive in the wild. My advise was to leave it alone.  It'll be alright.  Don't know what became of the situation after I left.

Fulvous Whistling Duck

American Coot

Lots of ducks today, but like at St Marks, the counts seemed lower. Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup and a Northern Shoveler.  Lots of American Coots, Pied-billed Coots, Anhingas, Common Gallinules, Cormorants, White & Glossy Ibis and the expected waders.  Ospreys, Northern Harriers, Red-shouldered Hawks and a Peregrine Falcon too.

Made a short visit. Still had three hours of driving to get home and the crowds were annoying.

Blue-winged Teal

Best Look I had of this Northern Shoveler

Pied-billed Grebe

Ring-necked Duck

Common Gallinule

gator

Celery fields

Friday January 25th

Hooded Merganser 

Bronzed Cowbird

The Celery Fields, a mult-purpose  Sarasota County managed property,  is a popular location for birders. The Sarasota Audubon Society is doing a great job in their support with their Purple Martin houses, bird feeders, butterfly garden, volunteer naturalists and more.

Bronzed Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird is a rare bird here in Florida. It's a tropical species, which has been expanding its range, out of Mexico and into the U.S Southwestern stats and has arrived in Florida   Its numbers remain small compared the native Brown-headed Cowbird, buts seems a bit more numerous than another invasive cowbird species, the Shiny Cowbird

Male Brown-headed Cowbird

Arrived before dawn, I stacked out the barn owl spot on Center Road. No owls. Did hear killdeers and Gray Catbirds. Plus the occasional roar from the cats at the nearby Big Cat Sanctuary.

Male Brown-headed Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird at the feeders

Moved onto the Raymond Road Boardwalk. It can be a good location for Bittern, Soras, Purple Gallinules, Marsh Wrens and other rails. Plus wading birds and water fowl.
But I had to be satisfied with just a calling Sora, Northern Harrier and Blue-winged Teal. A flock of Ring-necked Ducks did pass over headed.

Red-winged Blackbirds

Nanday Parakeet at the feeders

Over at the Nature Center on Palmer Road, there was a lot activity at the feeders and Purple Martin Houses

The Purple Martins are now returning from their winter vacations.  And the feeders are busy with a large number of Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, Boat-tailed Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds and the more exotic Nanday Parakeets and Bronzed Cowbirds

Eastern Bluebird seen visiting the Nature Center - Butterfly Garden

Purple Martins

Purple Martins

Next went looking for the Ash-throated Flycatcher and Greater Scaups on the property west of the Hill.  Didn't find the flycatcher today, but the pair of Greater Scaups were seen in the company of a few Lesser Scaups and Pied-billed Grebes on the central lake. Was interesting that no Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are being seen here lately. They can still be seen, nearby, on the property of the Critter Ridge Landscapers at the corner of Fruitville and Tatum Roads.

Northern Shoveler have been 

locally uncommon this winter

Lastly, I was to check-out the berm that edges the western boundary of the property. Lots of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Palm Warblers, Plus a few Blue-winged Teal, Common Gallinules, Anhingas, Roseate Spoonbills and a lone Northern Shoveler and Hooded Merganser

Was a good visit today.  Got fifty-seven species and some nice pics.  Dipped on some of the expected and rarer species.  But that just creates an excuse to come on back