Down to Key West

June 20th and 21st

Roseate Tern seen in Marathon
Photo by Bob Pelkey

Day One

Bob Pelkey and I headed down to The Keys to look for several specialities that make a home in the Keys. Also hoping that we could come across any vagrants from the West Indies. Like the Antillean Short Eared Owl or the Bahama Mockingbird recently sighted in Key West. 

 Actually we are at least a month late for the best spring-time birding. But logistics delayed us till late June. One positive was that June is a slow time for tourism making travel a lot easier. 

We arrived in Key West at sunrise to the sounds of crowing chickens and calling White-eyed Vireos. Ft Zachary Taylor State Park was our first stop were we quickly tally White-crowned Pigeons, Magnificent Frigatebirds and a Great White Heron ( the white morphed form of the Great Blue Heron).  A short-eared owl had recently spent some time here was now long gone and a recently reported Bahama Mockingbird was also not located.  Just saw a report that the day following our visit a smooth-billed ani was seen. 

We then made several stops in the lower Keys to find and photograph several Black-whiskered Vireos, Gray Kingbirds, more White-crowned Pigeons and the famous diminutive Key Deer, a sub-species of the white-tailed deer.

At Bahia Honda State Park we added Least Terns, Black-bellied Plovers, Wilson's Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers Ruddy Turnstones and a trio of Killdeers.

By the early afternoon we had arrived in Marathon and located a flock of a least twenty beautiful Roseate Terns in their best breeding colors. Bob noted in his photography that several were banded. I noticed a strange little lizard that I found was a Northern Curly-tailed Lizard which originally came from the Bahamas.

After a muched needed break we later regrouped at the Marathon Airport to await the arrival of a pair of Antillean Nighthawks. Before their arrival we watched several birds working the wet areas at the west end of the air strip.  They included Laughing Gulls, Black-bellied Plovers, a dozen Short-billed Dowitchers, a trio of Black-necked Stilts, White Ibis, a Glossy Ibis, Grackles and Starlings.

Day Two

From Marathon we headed back toward home with stops at Long Key State Park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson State Park. Not much new was added with these stops except for Bob's success in photographing a Mangrove Cuckoo, which later review turned into a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, at Dagny.  I dipped on the cuckoo as it flew of before I could get a look.

We tried to investigate the mangroves at the Card Sound Road tollbooth for cuban yellow warblers, but the deer flies drove us to quickly  retreat to Bob's car. In Homestead we added Mynah birds. At this point we bailed on heading over to the University of Miami campus for parrots and other exotics.  Instead we took a quick run over to the Lucky Hammock area outside of the entrance to Everglades National Park. Here we added Swallow-tailed Kite, a sleeping Common Nighthawk resting on a telephone line and a calling Northern Bobwhite sitting in a tree.

Here we ended the trip and headed back to Ft Myers. Our over-all count, as expected for this time of year, was low, but we did find all but one of our target birds on this trip. Plans are to repeat again next year in May and to add a trip out to the Dry Tortugas. 

The Red-eyed Birders and the White-tailed Tropicbird

Sunday May 19th

Today, Bob Pelkey and I,  participated in the pelagic trip sponsored by  the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet, Florida.  The event was lead by Michael Brothers, director of the Marine Science Center and is a fund raising function as well as a great opportunity to go out into the Atlantic after pelagic bird species we rarely see near land. Today's trip would take us across the Gulf Stream, to about 100 miles out, to the  deep water canyons in an area they called the tuna grounds.

The Pastime Princess

This was a long, long day with the boat, The Pastime Princess,  leaving the dock at  three in the morning.  Bob and I left Ft Myers at eight o'clock and arrived at the dock by midnight. Extra travel time had been allotted to avoid any possibility of missing the departure. With this spare time,  we attempted to grab a bit of sleep. 

It looked like we had forty-nine participants.  Some folks I was familiar with, including Bob Hargrove from North Ft Myers., but most  were not familiar faces. Like Bob's friend and fellow bird photographer Robert Doiron of New Brunswick, Canada.

The first leg of our trip really was challenging. Three hours of rain as we headed east  into the Atlantic. Ended up soaked to the skin as did Bob. Robert was lucky as he ended-up in a cozy spot in the cabin, which was already full before the rains started.. The misery would be abated hours later after clearing the weather, having our clothes dry off in the sun and passing a long bird-free stretch of ocean. We did have a few land birds check out the boat early-on in the darkness and rain. A small flock of Red-necked Phalorope - lifer approached twice as did a warbler, probably a blackpoll, and a thrush.

In the following hours we had some nice contacts with some good birds. They were not  numerous but a nice variety. The star was a fly-by of an adult White-tailed Tropicbird. Lifer!!


White-tailed Tropicbird
photo courtesy of  Michael Brothers

Other birds seen were Arctic Terns - Lifer, Sooty Terns, Bridled Terns, Audubon Shearwater - Lifer, a single Cory Shearwater,  Wilson's Storm-Petrels - Lifer,  several  Black-capped Petrels, a Brown Booby and a Pomarine Jaeger.  I see that other participants reported a sooty shearwater, red phalaropes, and leach's & band-rumped storm-petrels. We're checking Bob's photos to see if we captured these as well.

Black-capped Petrel
photo by Bob Pelkey

Other sightings included the mates landing a wahoo and had earlier hooked and lost a blue marlin. A leatherback turtle was sighted but few of us actually saw it. We missed on any pelagic dolphins or whales, but one interesting sight was seeing a large ray breech and leap three times.  Not sure what species it was. Maybe a manta or an eagle ray.

Arrived at the dock just before 9 pm. Very tired and feeling the effects of bouncing on the waves for eighteen hours in the rain and sun. Would I do it again.  Maybe next year.

Mr Brothers Birdbrain report-

49 stalwart adventurers joined us for a pelagic trip out of Ponce de Leon Inlet in Volusia County that started out at 3:00 a.m. in rain. Eventually the rain left us and we began to find a great assortment of pelagic birds.  At about 90 miles out, we began to find a lot of action, with Black-capped Petrel, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, Arctic Tern, then the show-stopper of a fabulous adult White-tailed Tropicbird!

Despite times of no bird activity, we found a good assortment of pelagic species:

Black-capped Petrel  12
Audubon's Shearwater  15
Cory's Shearwater  2
Sooty Shearwater  1
Wilson's Storm-Petrel  6
Leach's Storm-Petrel 1
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel  5
Brown Booby   1
Arctic Tern  5
Bridled Tern  8
Sooty Tern  74
Pomarine Jaeger  1
Laughing Gull  2
Red-necked Phalarope  12
Warbler sp.  1
Thrush sp. 1

Loggerhead Turtle 1
Leatherback Turtle 1
Sailfish  1
Wahoo  1

Special thanks to all of the great leaders that helped me out:
Mark Berney
Wes Biggs
Dave Goodwin
Sea McKeon
Mitchell Harris
Ed Kwater

John Murphy
Roberto Torres
Murray Gardler

The next trip will be in July.

Michael

Michael Brothers
Marine Science Center
Ponce Inlet, FL

Spring Migration - II

So far, weather conditions in Southwest Florida have been very favorable for migrants passing over Florida on their way north. Few had cause to visit our locale as the winds pushed them along. Last Spring we experienced some great birding as a weather front held the migrants here for several days. We have seen some migrants who stopped by, but their numbers were very thin.

Screech Owl nesting at Sanibel Lighthouse



Gopher Tortoise seen along the trail at
Caloosahatchee Regional Park near Alva

Sanibel Lighthouse has been a popular migrant trap and I did visit a couple of times, but I almost daily visited Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve. Had no grosbeaks, orioles or tanagers. Did have one Worm-eating Warbler, several Black-and white Warblers, several American Redstarts, a few Black-throated Blue Warblers, a few Cape May Warblers, a single Tennessee Warblers, one Magnolia Warbler, a few Blackpoll Warblers, an Ovenbird, a Prothonotary Warbler and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. But we do have tons of Bobolinks passing through right now. So did have a nice variety but it took a lot of work

Some migrants seen by others included Blue Grosbeak, Cliff Swallow, Blue-winged Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Orchard Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Summer Tanager, Eastern Kingbirds and a Gray-cheeked Thrush.

Spring Migration I

Friday April 12th

 

April is when Spring Migration kicks-in here in South Florida. We do experience some movement in March like with shore birds such as a few Pectoral Sandpipers.  But April is the time to be checking any migrant traps. Weather plays a big part in what kind of activity we may experience. If the winds and weather are favorable for the birds they will fly past us and may come down in more northerly parts of the state. But sometimes weather conditions force them to down in our vicinity. Back around April 22nd last year we had such conditions and were able to enjoy a very nice variety of neotropic birds in our backyards.

 

Least Terns have begun to arrive and should begin nesting on Ft Myers Beach soon. But aside from a nice wave of migrants around the 7th we haven't had too much action yet. I personally missed that wave, due to making a living, but made it out to Sanibel Lighthouse to check on any stranglers, yesterday.  Nope. It was very quite. Stopped at Bunch Beach on the way home were I did add my FOS Least Terns and Semipalmated Sandpipers

 

So today I checked out Ft DeSoto in Pinellas County to see if any stranglers remained. Bird sighting reports and weather conditions did not seem too favorable for me today, but logistics pretty much narrowed me down to this date.  So off I went.

 

Made a quick stop at The Celery Fields in Sarasota on the drive up. Here I was able to find several Limpkins and Cormorants. Also had Black-belled Whistling Ducks, a few late Blue-winged Teal, a Purple Gallinule, Common Gallinule, Swamp Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Rosette Spoonbill, Sora (heard), Marsh Wrens (heard) and Anhingas.

 

At the Tierra Verdi Ponds north of Ft DeSoto Park the duck population has shrunk down to a lone Lesser Scaup, a lone Redhead and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers.

Spent five hour birding at Ft DeSoto Park.  I wasn't alone as a large number of disappointed birders, many from out-of-state were busy trying to find birds. I personally only located three warblers. A Prothonotary at the mulberry trees in the company of a couple of Orchard Orioles, plus several Gray Catbirds and Starlings. My other warblers were a pair of Palm Warblers at the North Woods Picnic area. Just yesterday hooded warblers and tanagers were still here, but they had to have taken advantage of the strong southerly winds were we experiencing. A fresh wave of birds should move in this weekend because of a strong cold front moving in which should block their progress.

We did have plenty of sea and shore birds at hand. Counted a minnium of ten Magnificent Frighetbirds, large numers of Willets, Marbled Godwits, Dunlins, Short-billed Dowitchers etc. The Long-billed Curlew

Long billed Curlew and Willet at Ft Desoto in 2012

Dead Shrike caught in a tangle of fishing line.

was entertaining as it seemed to have some kind of issue with one particular godwit. Also had several Least Terns, Sandwich Terns, Royal Terns, Brown Pelicans, American Oystercatchers, Reddish Egrets included a white-morphed bird and Laughing Gulls in breeding colors. A trio of American Avocets in breeding colors was also observed near the entrance to the park. Counted twenty-two Nanday Parakeets in flight as well.

Gave a little help to a ranger who was collecting a sick pelican at the fishing pier,  He was talking the bird to be checked out.  But sadly just after leaving the pier I noticed a dead Loggerhead Shrike hanging from a knot of fishing line I suspect they brought it in for a nearby nest. Another shrike, which I presumed was its mate was sitting very close by.

 

Well after leaving the park I was not done yet. Headed over to Cockroach Bay Preserve hoping to find a gull-billed tern, eastern kingbird or a gray kingbird. Missed on them but find  several Rosette Spoonbills, White, Glossy Ibis, Blue-winged Teal, Black-necked Stilts, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, a Solitary Sandpipers and Long-billed Dowithers (grapefruit backs).

 

As my trip was wrapping up I made final stops in Cape Coral for the Florida Scrub Jays, Eastern Meadowlarks and Burrowing Owls at the Festival Park area and more Burrowing Owls and Monk Parakeets at the Pelican Boulevard baseball fields. A Cooper's Hawk was added too.

 

 

Bird List for Today (90) -

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, Muscovy, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Stork, Magnificent Frigatebird, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret (white-morphed), Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, Cooper's Hawk, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Swallow-tailed Kite, Sora, Purple Gallinule, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Limpkin, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, American Oystercatcher, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Least Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Skimmer, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Burrowing Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Nanday Parakeet, Monk Parakeet, Loggerhead Shrike, Florida Scrub-Jay, Fish Crow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, House Wren, Marsh Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Prothonotary Warbler, Palm Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole

Eurasian Wigeon

Thursday March 21st

Eurasian Wigeon found in Cape Coral
Photo by Dr Jose Padilla-Lopez



Photo by Bob Pelkey

Last month I had dipped on getting the Eurasian Wigeon wintering at Merrit Island and did not expect another shot till next Fall. Until I found where Vince McGrath had posted about a sighting of the species in Cape Coral. We only see a very few of the species in Florida and having one appear in our backyard was a very unusual occurrence. Can only speculate where he came from and what is he doing here. Seems Ruth Parks came across the bird yesterday and who knows how long it'll hand around.  So following Vince's directions I easily located the bird. It was sharing a small pond with some mallard hybrids and Mottled Ducks.



Photo by Bob Pelkey

My friends Dr Jose Padilla-Lopez and Bob Pelkey were able to photograph the wigeon a short time after my visit. Hope it sticks around a few days.

Merritt Island NWR & Tampa Bay

Monday February 25th


North Florida Trip - Day 3

Northern Shoveler seen on Blackpoint Drive
Photo by Bob Pelkey

Bob Pelkey and I arrived at Merritt Island NWR about 8:15 and headed directly to the Blackpoint Drive. Here we were immediately greeted by a busy crowd of waders including Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks feeding behind the pay station. (MINWR is no longer a free venue). The first few stops were active with Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, more waders including Reddish Egrets. Noted a few Hooded Mergansers as well.

 

As Bob concentrated on his birding photography, I took the time to walk the road toward stop #3, which is were a cinnamon teal has been wintering. I dipped on the cinnamon teal but was able to observe a Sora, plus diving Forster's Terns, Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaups, at least one Greater Scaup, Reddish Egret, a few Blue-winged Teal and American Coots.

Lesser Scaup in Flight along the Blackpoint Drive
Photo by Bob Pelkey

 

The stops were peeps and shore birds were expected only offered  more yellowlegs. Did have a hand full of gulls and terns though. Caspian, Forster's and Royal Terns plus Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls and a lone Black Skimmer

 

Stop #7 is the place for waterfowl. Most of the ducks were in the distance and the lighting was terrible. Mostly had Lesser Scaups and Coots. American Wigeons could be spotted as well. However it was very impossible to try to discern any eurasian wigeons in the poor light.

A refuge employee put us onto the Peacock Pocket Road, so we headed there next. Here we finally a large concentration of American Avocets, plus Long-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers, lots of Coots, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaups, a few Green-winged Teal and a lone Northern Pintail. We again dipped on another cinnamon teal often seen here.

Northern Pintail, Lesser Scaup and Blue-winged Teal along the Peacock Pocket Road
Photo by Bob Pelkey

 

I talked Bob into making a run along Bio Lab Road as he was anxious to move on to the Tamps Bay Sunshine Skyline Bridge to search for the Black-legged Kittiwake wintering at the fishing pier. So after a pit stop at the refuge headquarters, were a beautiful male Painted Bunting entertained the visitors at the feeders, we headed over to Bio Lab Road.

Bio Lab was kind of dissapppointing. We did find several shore birds including Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlins, Willets, soaring American White Pelicans and swimming Red-breasted Mergansers. On another fresh-water pond we added more Hooded Mergansers.

From here we made the drive across the state back to the Gulf of Mexico to seek the Kittewake. Our stop was at the South Fishing Pier of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. We arrived with about an hour of sun light left for the day and actually thought we had missed our target. So as we were heading back to the car the Black-legged Kittewake was finally spotted. It spent most of the time we were there resting on the closed off section of the old bridge. So Bob got his shots.  When my daughter and I visited here earlier in February, Common Loons were everywhere and I I had a very unsatisfying look at what could have been a razorbill. So no razorbill today, but I managed to spot a group of five loons swimming toward the new bridge. Other birds using the fishing pier included Browm Pelicans, Snowy and Great Egrets, Ruddy Turnstones, lots of Rock Pigeons, Royal, Sandwich and Foster's Terns, Herring, Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls.

As the sun set we headed back to Ft Myers to end our three day road trip. It was a very good trip. Bob landed a lot of Lifers and took a few thousand pics. We did dip in virtually ever speciality I had targeted, but that just makes it necessary to plan a return to the panhandle next year.



Trip List (126) -

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Black Scoter, Bufflehead,  Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Wood Stork, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, American Avocet, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed  Dowitcher, Black-legged Kittiwake, Bonaparte's Gull, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Skimmer, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Brown-headed Nuthatch, House Wren, Sedge Wren, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Common Yellowthroat, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Painted Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle and American Goldfinch

St Marks NWR

Sunday February 24th

Day 2 - North Florida Bird Trip



St Marks Lighthouse
Photo By Bob Pelkey

It was a bit disappointing to hear from the fella we ran into at the pay station at St Marks NWR. Apparently we arrived a bit too late in the season. Our new friend from Georgia advised that  the birds were already thinning out.  Bob Pelkey and I will  just have to see for ourselves.

Song Sparrow seen at Lighthouse
Photo by Bob Pelkey

We began exploring the forest around the visitor center and had four woodpecker species in five minutes. Along with the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker and Red-bellied Woodpecker we had Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Towhee, House Wren, Carolina Wren, American Robins, Yellow-throated Warbler, Eastern Phoebe and Tree Swallows.  

Our scheduled visit at Florida Caverns State Park being dropped due to bad weather was disappointing as I had hoped on seeing brown creeper, golden-crowned kinglet, winter wren and rusty blackbird.  These guys can be seen here at St Marks and we did look for them. But will have to return another time.




Eastern Towhees were plentiful
 Photo by Bob Pelkey

As birdy as our first stop was, they were mostly in the canopy making it difficult for Bob's photography so we moved on. We were able to find a few sparrows - Swamp, Song and Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, Eastern Bluebirds and the usual waders that would pose for us.

The impoundments were virtually waterfowl free.  In deed the ducks were gone. Had a flock of American White Pelicans and a couple of Lesser Scaup. Our friend Vince McGrath recommended looking for white-faced ibis at Stoney Bayou. Stoney Bayou was empty. No ibis of any kind.  The most numerous bird were Yellow-rumped Warbler, which were found everywhere in the refuge. Did have rail pop-up,  think it was a Virginia Rail.



American Bittern at Headquarters Pond
Photo by Bob Pelkey

Finally at Headquarters Pond we had some activity. Pied-billed Grebes, American Coots, Common Gallinule, a Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets and other waders. Bob was busy photographing a couple of Sora feeding to the right of the observation deck and an American Bittern  on the left. Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers here plus a Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Towhee and Tufted Titmice.

Finally reached the lighthouse about noon. Lots of Buffleheads in the surf, plus Red-breasted Merganser, Horned Grebe and Common Loon. Tried searching for any scoters or goldeneye in the surf. May of had some present, but needed a spotting scope. The Lighthouse Ponds were productive. Had a lot of Lesser Scaup here. Several Ruddy Ducks were present, a couple of Canvasbacks, at least one Ring-billed Duck and a lone Gadwall. Clapper Rail could be heard in the salt marsh. Searched the salt grass for any sharptail or seaside sparrow, did find Savannah and Song Sparrows instead.

Canvasback at Lighthouse Pond
Photo by Bob Pelkey

From here we retreated from the refuge ahead of the rain and headed to the Atlantic coast and Merritt Island NWR.