Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area

 Wednesday January 29th

Scott's Oriole feeding on some jelly

https://ebird.org/checklist/S211139040

I was unfamiliar with the Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area near Lake Linsey in Hernando County. But a rare to Florida avian visitor is wintering here. It's a Scott's Oriole. A western species and is way outside of the species normal range and a Lifer for me.

Chipping Sparrow

 This conservation area is managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife and has an outstanding bird feeding station at the nature center featuring water features and several feeding offerings including a feeder offering jelly.  Orioles and other species enjoy fruits and jellies and that is where anyone wanting to experience this rarity must wait. The Scott's Oriole was making very short visits to the feeder and my not return for as long as an hour. 

A Pine Siskin bathing with a House Finch

While waiting a nice variety birds came in and offered some nice photography opportunities

Carolina Chickadee

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow Palm Warbler

American Goldfinches

Pine Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

House Wren

House Finch

Red-winged Blackbird

Pine Warbler

Grey Catbird

Sandhill Crane

Tufted Titmouse

Northern Cardinal

Birding From Home

 Saturday March 11th

A Short-tailed Hawk showed up in my yard,
 were it made a meal of a dove.

At my home, in Fort Myers there is a huge ficus tree. iNaturalist identifies it as a Chinese Banyan and
it's been dropping ripening fruit for the past couple of weeks. This can be quite messy, but this year all this fruit has attracted a lot birds. Large flocks of Cedar Waxwings, plus American Robins and Gray Catbirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers, a one day only visiting Summer Tanager was seen, dozens and dozens of yellow-rumped Warblers were actively eating the fruit, as were Starlings and Fish Crows

Other birds attracted to the feeders are Brown-headed Cowbirds, Northern Cardinals, Common Grackles, Muscovy Ducks, Morning, White-wing, Eurasian and Common Ground Doves, Blue Jays, Painted Buntings and a Indigo Bunting.

Additional we had Northern Parulas, Palm Warblers, a Yellow-throated Warbler, Great Crested Flycatcher a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk and a Crested Caracara roosting in a neighbor's tree.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Even had a Short-tailed Hawk grab a dove in my yard. Not a bad couple of weeks.  The fruit is about spent, so most of these species will start departing to other interesting places and will be heading north soon on the Spring Migration

Short-tailed Hawk

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Cedar Waxwing

Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker

Gray Catbird

American Robin

Mourning Dove

Yellow-rumped Warbler

American Robin

Blue Jay

Muscovy Duck

Common Grackle

Yellow-rumped Warbler

European Starling with a fig

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Brown-headed Cowbird

Palm Warbler

Mountain Bluebird

Monday, March 2nd

Had been aware that a Mountain Bluebird had taken up a winter residence on Trilby Road in Pasco County. Its very unusual for this species to be found in Florida. It's normally a western bird that winters a thousand miles away in southwestern United States and Mexico.

Mountain Bluebird

Trilby Road, Pasco Road

March 2020 

So today, I used the well documented stack of information on ebird and was able to travel right up to the bluebird.  Nice.. Other sightings in the vicinity included a pair of Burring Owls at rest on the fence line, plus American Kestrel, Eastern Meadowlarks, Northern Harriers, and Tree Swallows.

About four years ago, we did have a  mountain bluebird, visit the Big Cypress National Preserve's Oasis Visitor Center, near the Everglades.

Mountain Bluebird

Big cypress National Preserve  -  Ochopee. Florida

November 2015

Another site to check out in Pasco County is Auton Road near Dade City. It can be good sparrows. Found several Vesper and Savannah Sparrows today.

Vesper Sparrow

Earlier, on the drive up from Fort Myers, made a quick stop at the Celery Fields and Ackerman Park in Sarasota. 

Added Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Common Gallinule, Purple Gallinule, Purple Martins, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Nanday Parakeets

Purple Martins

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Nanday Parakeets

Brown-headed Cowbirds

Some Wildflowers seen along Trilby Road

Drummond's Phlox

Wand Mullein

Hastate-leaved Dock