Rotary Park

 Sunday October 20th

Coming to the end of the fall migration season.  I headed over to Rotatory Park in Cape Coral to see what's up. Here, Eary Warren was kind enough put me on the location to spot Mangrove Cuckoos and it was a success with an individual seen within a few feet.  Nice!!

Mangrove Cuckoo

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Other migrants seen today included Ovenbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, American Redstarts, Cape May Warbler, Northern Parula, Rose-breasted Grossbeak, Indigo Buntings and Scarlet Tanager

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Ovenbird

Scarlet Tanager

Monarch Butterfly

Fort DeSoto Park

 April 23rd

Nanday Parakeet

Spent the day looking for interesting birds at Fort DeSoto Park, which is located south of Tierra Verde in Tampa Bay. The park can be a great venue for birding during spring migration. So, a springtime visit is almost mandatory. 

eBird Checklist - 23 Apr 2023 - Fort De Soto Park - 54 species

Some of my better pics

Brown-headed Cowbird

Least Sandpiper

Cape May Warbler

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Swainson's Thrush

Willet

White Ibis

Swainson's Thrush

Ovenbird

Veery

Laughing Gull

Hammond's Flycatcher

Sunday January 19th

Hammond's Flycatcher at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary 

Why is a Hammond Flycatcher hanging out at Lettuce Lake at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary?  It should be wintering in Mexico. It's a western bird. And its a lifer for me.  Lots of birders have twitched after this small bird, which can be cooperative by posing close by occasionally. 

Will staking out the Hammond's a nice variety of birds were seen busily feeding close by.  Tufted Titmice, Blue-headed Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Black-and-White Warbler, a male Black-throated Green Warbler and Palm Warbles, Downy Woodpeckers, a raccoon, gators and a basking Banded Water Snake. 

Ovenbird

At the Bunting House feeder we had a male Painted Bunting, an Ovenbird, Mourning Doves, Catbirds, a Red-shouldered Hawk and an unexpected female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Other sightings included a Purple Gallinule, Brown-headed Cowbird, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Carolina Wrens, Black-crowned Night-heron, American Redstarts and Common Yellowthroats.

Northern Cardinal 

Painted Bunting

Banded Water Snake

Tufted Titmouse

A Wild Orchid

A wild Orchid high up in a tree near the Lettuce Lake

Wild Turkeys are often seen feeding on the property adjacent

 to the Sanctuary's parking area

Several White-tail Deer were also feeding in the same yard as the Turkeys

Some Birds in March

Friday March 30th

Thought I'd share some of my better birding pics for March


GALLARY

Yellow-throated Vireo seen at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Ovenbird seen at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Piping Plover sporting fresh breeding plumage.

Should be heading north in the next few weeks

March and early April tends to be the best time for sighting

Cedar Waxwings in this area

Limpkins have moved into the Six-Mile Cypress Slough,

were they are now actively breeding

Prairie Warblers are resident birds here,

their population will increase during migration

Tufted Titmice also are common residents at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

Common Yellowthroats -  a winter residents at Six-Mile Cypress Slough

A few Scissor-tailed Flycatchers will winter in Florida,

but will be heading back toward Texas soon

A pair of Barred Owls are currently nesting close by the boardwalk at Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.  That section of the boardwalk is now closed to protect the birds from any stress.

Several pairs of Sandhill Cranes are currently nesting at Harns Marsh

Snail Kites were formerly an easy find at Harns Marsh, but recently the population has declined. Speculation is that changes to water levels at the marsh have made finding apple snails more difficult for them.  Probable have been relocating to areas with better habitat

Black-and-White Warblers are often seen throughout the area at this time of year

Blue-headed Vireos winter here,

but will soon be heading north to nest

Birding in September

Tuesday, October 2nd

Ovenbird

Ovenbird

The Birding this September along the boardwalk at Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve has been quite rewarding. Were not seeing any great fall-outs, but there has been a steady movement of birds passing through. Acadian Flycatchers and Eastern Wood-Pewees are seen almost daily. But perhaps one those Black-billed Cuckoos or Yellow-bellied Flycatchers or a Philadelphia Vireo may yet stop by. They are unusual sightings along the Florida peninsula, but are being reported at migrant hotspot to our North.

One recently seen, but infrequent species to observe here were multiple sighting of  a couple of Canada Warblers. 

Baltimore Oriole
Photo courtesy of Tammy McQuaid

The earlier arriving species like Louisiana and Northern Waterthrushes have been passing through as have Ovenbirds, 

Black-and-White Warblers,

Yellow Warblers, 

Worm-eating Warblers, 

Summer Tanagers, 

Bobolinks, 

Yellow-throated Vireos, 

Red-eyed Vireos,

Yellow-billed Cuckoos, 

Hooded Warblers, 

Northern Parulas, 

Prairie Warbler, 

Yellow-throated Warblers and 

Prothonotary Warblers. 

The Prothonotary Warblers were seen in very good numbers in August, but have become uncommon lately. 

Louisiana Waterthrush

We're now enjoying sightings of Blackburnian Warblers, 

Tennessee Warblers, 

American Redstarts, 

Veery, 

Swainson's Thrush, 

Coopers Hawk, 

Baltimore Orioles, 

Blue-winged Warbler, 

Bay-breasted Warbler, 

Chestnut-sided Warbler, 

Black-throated Blue Warbler, 

Black-throated Green Warbler, 

Magnolia Warbler, 

Pine Warbler and Palm Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Eastern Wood Pewee

Canada Warbler

But perhaps one those Black-billed Cuckoos or Yellow-bellied Flycatchers or a Philadelphia Vireo may yet stop by. They are unusual sightings along the Florida peninsula, but are being reported at migrant hotspots to our North. 

American Redstart

This Bobolink was photographed at Harns Marsh,
but they can heard as they fly over Six-mile