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

At Babcock

 Monday, April 4th

Another visit to Babcock-Webb, in Charlotte County, today.

Northern Bobwhite

Got there early enough to see and hear a couple of Chuck-wills-widows. And again, saw lots of activity at drying up wetlands hosting American White Pelicans, lots of Wood Storks and Yellowlegs. Added a pair of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and heard several Bachman's Sparrows. Other birds included Swallow-tailed Kites, Eastern Towhees, Northern Bobwhites, Meadowlarks, Eastern Bluebirds, White-eyed Vireos, a Hairy Woodpecker, Pine Warblers, Gray Catbirds, Rosette Spoonbills, Black-crowned Night-herons, lots of White & Glossy Ibis and Common Yellowthroats.  Dipped on brown-headed nuthatch. It also appears that the palm and yellow-rumped warblers have pulled-out for their long flights north.

American White Pelicans

American White Pelicans

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Lesser Yellowlegs

Island Glass Lizard

Lots of white-tailed deer and alligators, plus spotted an Island Glass Lizard sunning itself on the road.

Island Glass Lizard

Baby Gators

Baby Gators

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

Babcock-Webb

Monday June 1st

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Northern Bobwhite

Currently public access to Babcock-Webb Wildlife Manage Area in Charlotte County has been restricted to only Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Mondays from 8am till 5 pm. Folks wanting to use the Gun Range has to call ahead for an appointment. All this is due to the troubles with the Covid-19 pandemic.

 These restrictions have ended,  Full access as of June 5th

Not being able to access the venue till well past day break, a birder will miss the opportunity to be on-site to witness the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers as they exit their nest holes in the morning.  But today I was lucky to catchup with a pair of the woodpeckers that were seen working the slash pine near the colony site along Oilwell Grade. 

Phaon Crescent

Pickerelweed

Heard several singing Pine Warblers and  Bachman's Sparrows also, plus Eastern Meadowlarks, Eastern Towhees, Common Nighthawks, nesting Eastern Bluebirds, a large covey of Northern Bobwhites, Common Ground-doves, Blue Jays, Limpkin, Northern Flicker, Loggerhead Shrikes and Tufted Titmice. Not many wading birds on-hand even though the water levels were improving 

Other observations included alligators, a Florida Box Turtle, a Florida Garter Snake,

Rose Rush

Plus Zebra Swallowtail, Phaon Crescent, Queen, White Peacock, Twin-spotted Skipper Butterflies, Coffee-loving and Bella Moths

Been paying attention to what's been blooming at Babcock-Webb.  Some of todays blooms included Dark-eyed Susans, Spanish Daisies, Pineland Heliotrope, Tarflower, Common Axil-flower, Rose Rush and Pickeralweed

Alligator Lily

Tarflower

Pitted Stripeseed

November

December 2nd

Just a few photos taken while birding during the month of November.

GALLERY

'See what I got'

Brown-headed Cowbird seen in Highlands County

Florida Garter Snake was sunning its self in the road 

at Babcock-Webb on a chilly morning

Hooded Merganser seen in Punta Gorda

I believe these maybe called Snowberries.  

Seen along the Shell Mound Trail at Ding Darling on Sanibel Island

Myrtleleaf St John's-wort blooming at Babcock-Webb WMA

Red Knot

Snowy Plover seen on Ft Myers Beach

Roseate Spoonbill stretching it 's wings at Harns Marsh

My First-of-the Season Ring-billed Gull

One a pair of banded American Oystercatchers that had handing out on Bonita Beach

Red-cockaded Woodpecker from Babcock-Webb WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Eastern Phoebe

Palm Warbler

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

A very late American Redstart found at Six Mile Cypress Slough

The Dunlins have arrived

Least Sandpiper found at Bunche Beach

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher seen along Church Road in Hendry County

Red Shouldered Hawk

Brown Thrasher

Black Racer seen sunning itself at Harns Marsh

Crescent Butterfly 

White Peacock Butterfly

Climbing Aster 

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher