Babcock-Webb

 Wednesday, April 30rd

    Try to visit Babcock-Webb at least once a month. The slash pine-palmetto palm habitat at Babcock is favored by Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Bachman's Sparrows.

The Bachman's Sparrow is a very sulky species and are best located while they are on territory, basically around April when the males are singing. But observations at Babcock this past month were very rare this past month.  So where did the sparrows go? April is probably the best time to find Bachman's but virtually no one were reporting these birds.  I made three trips in April myself.

A FEW PICS

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Northern Bobwhite

Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule

Baby Gator

Gray Catbird

Anhinga

White-winged Dove

Purple Gallinule

 Monday September 16th 

Babcock-Webb bird list

Today is part of a four-day white-tail deer archery hunt at Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area in Charlotte County. Why go birding during a hunt, because the gates are unlocked. In the past year the property's management has closed the roads in the eastern half of the property. Probably to reduce the expense of maintaining of several miles of roads. During hunting season, the gates are opened for the hunters' access and to birders too.  For several years the gates had been left open allowing access to all motorized visitors. 

Sherman's fox Squirrell

The best birding of the day was enjoying a family of Purple Gallinules feeding right alongside of the road. Two adults and four very young chicks.

Pineland Chaffhead

Sandhill Crane

Babcock-Webb

 Thursday March 24th

Red-cockaded Woodpecker seen on nest tree near to the nest hole,
 were, presumably, the female is seen

Arrived a bit too late to find a calling chucks-will-widow, as the sun was brightening up the day already. But did find two different active Red-cockaded Woodpecker nest sites. Took a little longer but singing Backman's Sparrows were heard.  And calling Bobwhites, Meadowlarks and Eastern Towhees as well.

Purple Thistle with a sweet bee

Limewater Brookweed

Carolina Ruellia

Netted Pawpaw

Purple Thistle, Leavenworth's Tickseed, Netted Pawpaw and Limewater Brookweed are in bloom. I like to check out the thistle for opportunities to photograph any butterflies feeding on the blossoms.

Corn Snake

Best observation for the day was a coyote.  I haven't seen them here in quite a while. This guy looked pretty healthy and had a blackish tail. It won't let me get close enough for a photo. Lots of deer today too.  Including dawns. The alligators were sunning themselves and a corn snake and a garter snake were spotted catching some sun too as they stretched out on the road.

Eastern Garter Snake

American White Pelicans

At the eastern end of Tuckers Grade, the impoundments are drying up. Here was a concentration of shorebirds including numerous Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitchers, plus a pair of Wilson's Snipes. What got your attention was the forty American White Pelicans resting at the site.

Greater Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs

Great Blue Heron

Pine Warbler

Purple Gallinule

Boat-tailed Grackle

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

 Sunday February 21st

Neotropic Cormorant

For several years now, the only reliable venue to look for Neotropic Cormorants is at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach in Palm Beach County. The bird is nested here and has young in the nest.

This venue is owned and operated by the Palm Beach County Utilities as a water reclamation project for the processing of treated waste water. The marsh they created acts a natural filter as these waters are returned to the environment. It is also open to the public to enjoy the great array of Florida wetland wildlife attracted to the marsh. Gators, turtles and green iguanas are common and the huge numbers of wading birds are on present and nesting within feet of curious visitors.

Believe this is an offspring of the Neotropic and a Double crested Cormorant

Nesting Wood Stork

Nesting Wood Stork

Nesting Wood Stork

Double-crested Cormorant on the nest

Male Anhinga sporting his breeding plumage

Male Anhinga sporting his breeding plumage

Female Anhinga

Green Iguana

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Gray-headed Swamphen

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Purple Gallinule

Glossy Ibis

Sailfin Mollies are a food source for many species here

Purple Martins have arrived

Great Blue Herons on a nest

Everglades Ag Area

Tuesday July 27th

Fall Migration is starting to kick and in late July and into August, its time to check out the flooded sugar cane fields and sod farms in the Everglades Ag Area south of Belle Glade.

 

Yesterday I made the trip from Ft Myers. 

 I'll usually make a stop at the Levee Park at Clewiston, which I found was not accessible.  This was due to renovations to this section of the Herbert Hoover Dike. The dike was constructed and reconstructed starting at a time because deadly hurricanes that drowned thousands of people almost a hundred years ago. The dike was a boon for agriculture and storm control to protect peoples lives.  But on the negative side these water control features cut off the natural flow of water into the Everglades, seriously effecting the health of the everglades ecosystem, plus issues with rising salinity in Florida Bay, which is an important nursery for fish stocks.  And because the waters from Lake O are blocked from going south, we now have them draining west through the Caloosahatchee River and to the east via the St Lucie Canal. Due to the high nutrient loading effecting Lake O being discharged through these man-made drainages system we have had a few very serious algae blooms along the east coast and into the Gulf of Mexico here at Ft Myers. These algae blooms are being studied to determine how they might be effecting the health of the people  as well as the awful and devastating fish kill.  

Salt-marsh Mallow

Next was a drove south along the Miami Canal.  Seen that it was too early to spot any of the swallow species that will arriving here soon. Was able to see a couple Common Nighthawks and a Bobwhite

Common Nighthawk

Then moved east along the Bolles Road Canal.  Again not very birdy.  Lots of rabbits though and a couple of rats too. Checked out one of the pumping stations were a Barn Owl did flew off.  Had a Gull-billed Tern up the canal. Also had an adult Purple Gallinule with a chick. The adult was running around with a dead frog.  Never saw that before

Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule Chick

Purple Gallinule with her frog

Near the intersection of State Road 880 and Brown's Farm Road, which is just south of Belle Glade is a is a Cave Swallow roost. Lots of Cave Swallow, plus Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows.  

Some scruffy cowbirds

Didn't pick up any Upland Sandpipers at sod fields at 8 Mile Bend.  Just some Killdeers. The uppies should be be arriving soon. Will have to return in a could weeks.

Went looking for flooded fields along Brown's Farm Road. Had some success.  Had well over hundred Roseate Spoonbills at this location, a couple of Fulvous Whistling Ducks, several Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mottled Ducks, lots of Black-necked Stilts with young, about three dozen Least Terns, a half dozen Gull-billed Terns and a lone Black Tern, Not many wading birds or sandpipers. Only spotted a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers and a few Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.  Again I suspect August will be more rewarding

Had to have been hundreds of Brown-headed Cowbirds, plus Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings and Boat-tailed Grackles. Spotted more Barn Swallows, Common Nighthawks, both Night-herons and a couple of Laughing Gulls.