Common Eider Visiting Sanibel

Saturday, December 21st

Common Eider seen on the Sanibel Causeway
Photo courtesy of Bob Pelkey

Our little corner of Florida is an excellent place for birding.  We have the sea shore, swamps, marshes and woodland environments. Sometimes we get that special uncommon or rare bird sighting. Last spring we a nice Eurasian Widgeon spend several weeks on a small pond in Cape Coral. We could add the Razerbill invasion last winter as well. 

Currently a young female Common Eider (284) has settled-in along the Sanibel Causeway. This is very unusual to have these ducks so far south of their normal wintering zone. So Bob Pelkey and I headed over yesterday and succeeded in locating her just before dusk. A Lifer for both of us and for many other observers. 

Bob hard at work observing the eider

Saltmarsh Sparrow

Sunday, November 17th

We recently have been fortunate to have Master Birder Vince McGrath locate both a Nelson's and a Saltmarsh Sparrow in a location adjacent to Bunche Beach Preserve, called the Salt Flats. I was lucky to be with him on an occasion to relocate these birds. Both Lifers for me and very unusual to see in Lee County. Dr Jose Padilla has provided this photo he recently took of the Saltmarsh Sparrow.

Saltmarsh Sparrow at Bunche Beach Salt Flats.
 Photo Courtesy of Dr Jose Padilla

Say's Phoebe

Friday, November 15th

Yesterday I headed up to Desoto County to chase after a reported Say's Phoebe. This is a very rare bird to find in Florida and is drawing a late of interest. It is among several Western birds that have shown up in the Sunshine State this fall. A Sulpher-bellied Flycatcher made a very brief stop in Naples two weeks age. A second record in Florida of a Townsend's Solitaire showed up at Honeymoon State Park for several days before disappearing. At the same time a Varied Thrush was seen and photographed in Pinellas County for just one day.

Say's Phoebe seen on Four Mile Grade.
Photo courtesy of Dr Jose Padilla who saw the phoebe on the 11th.

 

The Say's Phoebe (281) was found at a pole barn location on four Mile Grade a few miles east of Arcadia in Desoto County.  Arcadia has a very interesting history.  Back in the late Nineteenth Century is was a rough Cow Town, who's cowboys could rival any from the West in skill and character.

 

This location offered hosted many bird species of the prairie and pond. Crested Caracaras and American Kestrels were very common along with Eastern Meadowlark, Sandhill Crane, swallows, Blue-winged Teal, Mottled Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, American Widgeon, Long-billed Dowitchers, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs and a very late Pectoral Sandpiper

 

It was a productive venue, but I did draw the attention of a local. Was questioned on what I was doing.  He offered concerns about strangers hanging around as they had experience some recent theft.  So its best to respect the No Trespassing signs and stay on the road.

Small gator at Ollie's Pond

 

Today I rose early to chase after a reported Surf Scoter.  Spent an hour at the Bayshore Live Oak Park along the Peace River in Port Charlotte looking for the bird. No doubt it was present in a large raft of birds floating in the middle of the river.  lacking a scope, the best I could distinguish were a few Black Scoters. Later in the day I read a report that another birder noted the surf scoter was mixed in with some American Widgeons. Plus a great many lesser scaups and black scoters. Other birds I did see included Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, a Spotted Sandpiper, Dunlin,  White Ibis, Cormorants, Laughing Gulls, Sandwich Terns, Royal Terns and a Forster's Tern.

 

As it was very close I elected to add a stop at Ollie's Pond Park on Avon St.  Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Eastern Phoebe.  The pond held many Common Gallinules, Pied-billed Grebes and Blue-winged Teal.  Also present were Lesser Scaups, Hooded Mergansers, Mottled ducks, a Northern Shoveler, a Green-winged Teal and an American Widgeon.  Also had a Cooper's Hawk pass over head.

 

Need to head back to the Peace River soon but with someone who owns a scope.

Fall Migration for October

Thursday October 31, 2013

Black-and-White Warbler. Photo by Bob Pelkey

 
The local bird population is now reflecting our typical winter mix of species. The House Wrens and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have arrived. Along with Gray Catbirds, Northern Harriers, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed Vireo, Wilson's Snipe, American Kestrels and notably large numbers of Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers. The American White Pelicans and Dunlins have arrived on the shore along with all the expected shorebirds. Common Loons and Red-breasted Mergansers will arrive in a few more weeks. Bald eagles and Ospreys will be nesting soon and our winter ducks and sparrows will be along soon as well.
 
So with the arrival of cooler days we are seeing the end of the neo-tropic fall bird migration and we can reflect on what we encountered in our corner of Florida for October.  We did have some very good days.  Over all it wasn't great, but we did have some samplings of the neo-tropical birds heading south. we did have a few larger than usual sightings of on Golden-winged Warblers ( a nemesis bird for me ), Nashville Warblers and Swanson's Warblers.

Northern Waterthrush. Photo by Bob Pelkey

 
Probably the most commonly seen warblers seen here were Ovenbirds, Common Yellowthroats, Northern Waterthrush, Worm-eating Warbler, American Redstart, Black-and-White Warble, Yellow-throated Warbler, Northern Parula and Black-throated Green Warbler. we also had samplings of Bay-breasted warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blue-winged warbler ( rare this season ), and Hooded Warbler ( also rare this season).
 
Eastern Kingbirds were passing through and a Western Kingbird and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher were seen at the Sanibel Lighthouse.  Other samplings of neo-tropical passing through included Eastern Wood-Peewee, Bobolinks, Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, a Philadelphia Vireo (seen on Sanibel), Blue Grosbeak, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Broad-winged Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Barn swallows, Cliff Swallows and Swanson's Thrush.
 
Short-tailed Hawks have become more numerous and can be often found soaring over Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. Swallows have thinned out, but it won't be long till thousands of Tree Swallows return to entertain us with their swirling flocks moving about as a living tornado of birds. As for sparrows we mostly see Savannah, with a few Grasshopper, Chipping and Swamp Sparrows. Just this past Monday I was fortunate to  observe, near Bunche Beach, Nelson's (279) and a Saltmarsh Sparrow (280) located by local Master birder Vince McGrath. These were Lifers for me and very rare to our area. Thanks Vince.

Best Places for birding the Fall Migration in Lee County are
Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve
Sanibel Lighthouse
Bunche Beach Preserve

Fall Migration

Monday, September 30th

The quality and quantity of the Fall Migration action is very weather dependent in our corner of Florida. And the winds and weather fronts have been very favorable for the birds to make their dash to the tropics. With the conclusion of September, I would have to say that migration here has been so-so. Still have a few more weeks to go and we should have some good opportunities yet.

 



Northern Waterthrush on the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Photo by Bob Pelkey

 

I have spent many hours birding one of our local hot spots - Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve -  this past month. Probably walked twenty-five miles on the boardwalk listening for Tufted Titmice, because our best results for seasonal migrants were in finding mixed flocks of warblers, gnatcatchers and titmice.

 

Right now Six-mile Cypress Slough has been featuring Ovenbirds, Northern Waterthrushes, Black-and-White Warblers, Yellow-Throated Warblers, Common Yellow-Throats, Prairie Warblers, Northern Parula,, Palm Warblers (just arriving), and  American Redstarts. Other migrants seen sporadically include Swanson's Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Tennessee Warbler, Veery, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swanson's Thrush, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Summer Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Red-eyed Vireo. Missing so far as I know have been any sightings of Hooded Warblers, Kentucky Warbler or Yellow-Throated Vireos.  Short-tailed Hawks have returned and have been seen regularly soaring above the preserve. A lot of variety here but numbers have been very low so far.

 

Sanibel Lighthouse and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary are addition hotspots not to be ignored in the coming days.

Heading to Dade County

Thursday September 19th

Eastern Kingbird photographed By Bob Pelkey at "the Annex"

  Today I joined with Bob Pelkey - wildlife photographer and expedition leader - on a day trip across the state to visit birding hotspots in Miami-Dade County. It was a long, hot day starting for us about four-thirty in the morning. As we headed east, a goal of a one hundred count day was set and we soon had our first bird of the day with a Limpkin calling in the pre-dawn darkness as we passed through Collier County.

 

Bob Pelkey in Action

  Just a few days ago our friends Dr Padilla and Master Birder, Vince McGrath had made the same trip and had a very good experience at our first stop at "The Annex" on Aerojet Road within the Frog Pond WMA, which is just east of the entrance to Everglades National Park. Of special interest here besides migrating warblers were the reports of continuing alder flycatchers and a willow flycatcher.

 

Bob and I arrived about seven-thirty and encountered a large crew of workers armed with machetes assembling at Lucky Hammock. We learned that they were employed by the South Florida Water Management District to clear out exotic foliage, so moved on down the road toward The Annex for the flycatchers. But first we were stopped at the gate by an employee for SFWMD. We'd have to leave the car there and walk the site. The location was being closed off due to folks using the remoteness to conduct non-wildlife viewing activities.

 

We spent a couple of hours here and dipped on the flycatchers, In fact birding wasn't to exciting. Lots of Eastern Kingbirds were present, did get a female Black-throated Blue Warbler and a Northern Parula. A flock of migrating Bobolinks was observed passing overhead and White-eyed Vireos and Cardinals did call from the dense foliage. Only swallows recorded all day were seen here with seven Purple Martins perched on the wires and a lone Barn Swallow flying overhead. As we were leaving we added a Merlin, several Eastern Meadowlarks and Killdeer in the plowed fields. Added Common Myna in Florida City.

Common Myna in Florida City

 

  From here we moved onto Matheson Hammock County Park in Coral Gables. We found very little activity in the picnic area or along the service road area. We did manage a nice male Black-throated Blue Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, a Peregrine Falcon and a Yellow-throated Vireo (265). A lady riding her bike told us of a large flock of birds near the swimming beach, which turned out to be a large number of Wilson's Plover and Ruddy Turnstones, plus a lone Least Sandpiper.

 

Graylag Geese in Kendall

  From here we checked out the nearby University of Miami Campus were we had good success with exotic birds last year, but with the campus busy with the purpose of education, we left for A.D. Barnes Park. Finally at Barnes, near the pool, we found some birds.  Over the coarse of several hours we encountered American Redstarts, Tennessee Warblers, Ovenbirds, Northern Parula, Red-eyed Vireos, Acadian Flycatchers (266), Worm-eating Warbler, Black-and-White Warblers, a pair of White-crowned Pigeons, a Peregrine Falcon and a Common Hill Myna (267).

 

Egyptian Goose at Kendall

At a  stop at the Kendall Baptist Hospital campus Bob tried  getting pics of the Mitred Parakeets in flight, but they were just too fast on the wing. Had to have been at least sixty parakeets on hand. At the pond we added a pair of Egyptian Geese, scores of feral Muscovy Ducks, Pekin Ducks and Graylag Geese. As we headed for home and enjoying urban traffic conditions we sighted several Monk Parakeets, a few White-winged Doves, Eurasian Collared Doves, Rock Pigeons and the usual city bird life. More Muscovy Ducks and another Egyptian goose.

It was a good trip, but we come up short on our hundred count goal. Looking forward to seeing Bob's pics.

                                                                                       Day Count (70) -

Feral Muscovy Ducks

Egyptian Goose, Mottled Duck, Mallard (Domestic type), Muscovy Duck (Feral), Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Limpkin, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Gallinule, Wilson's Plover, Killdeer, Ruddy Turnstone, Least Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Rock Pigeon, White-crowned Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Monk Parakeets, Mitred Parakeet, Acadian Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow,  Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, Common Hill Myna, Common Myna, European Starling, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Bobolink, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle and Boat-tailed Grackle

Animals - Red Fox and Raccoons (A D Barnes Park)

 

King Rails - EAA

Friday August 9th.

King Rail seen in the Everglades Ag Area. Photo by Bob Pelkey

An hour before dawn Bob Pelkey picked me up for the two hour drive out to the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Belle Glade in West Palm County. I was on a return trip to bird the flooded sugar cane fields and sod farms for the migrants returning to Florida from parts way-up-north. Such as Upland Sandpipers, Wilson's Phalaropes and Gull-billed Terns.

First stop was at the 6-Mile Bend Sod Farm, which again had little activity. Basically seen were Barn Swallows, Killdeer and a pair of Black-necked Stilts. Next stop was a side road off of Sam Senter Road were got excellent views of a pair of King Rails. Barn Swallows were everywhere.

Our best stop was a flooded field about three miles down Brown's Farm Road. We dipped here on any stilt sandpipers, which had been very numerous on an earlier visit to this spot.I believe that the water level had risen just enough to dissuade many of the shorebirds seen here back then. We had far fewer Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs. But we did add  a Pectoral Sandpiper, Least and Western Sandpipers, a Belted Kingfisher, Wood Storks, more Barn Swallows, Roseate Spoonbills, Glossy and White Ibis, several Gull-billed, Black and Least Terns, Laughing Gulls, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Mottled Ducks, Common Nighthawks, a Least Bittern, Green Herons, Great Blue Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets, Yellow-crowned Night-herons, Starlings, Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Our visit to the sod farms along Rt 27 did not offer much.  Best bird was a lone Tree Swallow, as we dipped on any uplands sandpiper. And at the nearby Bolles Canal, at a distant flooded field, requiring a spotting scope, we added  American White Pelicans as well as everything already seen.

On the way back to Ft Myers we added Swallow-tailed Kites, a Pied-billed Grebe and Crested Caracaras. But Bob wanted to introduce me to a venue I hadn't visited before. It was Dinner Island Ranch WMA. It is southwest of Clewiston in southern Hendry County and Bob had thoroughly enjoyed visiting back in April. We drove the main road encountering several bow hunters here for a four day bow hunting season. Here we added Sandhill Cranes, Northern Bobwhites, Red-shouldered Hawks, a Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Meadowlarks, American Crow, a Limpkin and a Purple Gallinule.

Our Day List - (66) 

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Mottled Duck, Northern Bobwhite,  Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Stork, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, American White Pelican, Least Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Snail Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, King Rail, Purple Gallinule, Common Gallinule, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Least Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Black Tern, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Common Nighthawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Sparrow