Bar-tailed Godwit

Monday, January 6th



Had an awesome day birding with friends. Was invited to join with Stan Damon, Vince McGrath and Dr Jose Padilla to head up to Tarpon Springs today to twitch after the Bar-tailed Godwit.

Bar-Tailed Godwit at Fred Howard Park - Tarpon Springs, Florida
Photo Courtesy of Dr Jose Padilla

We started out very early on a cold, foggy morning to reach Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs by low tide, about 9:30 am. I did not know if I'd get a chance to sight the rare to Florida bird. So with the invitation to join the guys, I had high hopes for success. 

The Bar-tailed Godwit should be no where close to Florida, or even in North America this time of years. It is a species of renown migratory feats. Alaskan birds were tracked flying non-stop from breeding grounds in Alaska to New Zealand in just nine days, covering 7,145 miles. The species breeds across  arctic regions of Europe, Asia and Western Alaska. The Eurasian birds winter along the Western coasts Europe and Africa. The Siberian and Alaskan birds travel across the Pacific Ocean to Australia and New Zealand. So were did this godwit come from? 

We did arrive on time for the low tide and started exploring the park. Hopes of locating the target early on were unfulfilled. We settled in for a stack-out of the mud flats. Here we observed many Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, Common Loons, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, Double-Crested Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, Willets, Sanderlings, Dunlins, Semipalmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Fish Crows and Red-breasted Mergansers. As we waited the weather deteriorated with dropping temperatures and gusting winds. As the stack-out continued we observed a Merlin, then a Bald Eagle flush the resting birds into flight. A couple of large flocks of Lesser Scaups passed over head.  Other ducks observed included Buffleheads, Hooded Merganser, Mottled Duck, and a Mallard-Mottled Duck hybrid drake. Wilson's and Piping Plovers appeared along with a very unhappy Reddish Egret, an American Oystercatcher.

We were purposefully tracking arriving Marbled Godwits with the understanding that the Bar-tailed Godwit  would also in their company.  Then at 12:30 pm, another observer, Alex Harper, made the first sighting of the bird. A smaller, paler version of the Marbled Godwits began to actively feed just yards away from our location. Hundreds of photos were taken before we were satisfied to move on, especially as the weather was not improving.

We opted to continue the day with birding in eastern Pasco County along Auton Road. Here, we were immediately greeted by several  Vesper and Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Phoebe and Palm Warblers. One farm field at least a hundred American Pipits, plus scores of Killdeer, Brown-headed Cowbirds and four Sandhill Cranes.  Nearby Withlachoochee River Park yielded a nice mixed flock consisting of Pine, Black-and-White, Northern Parula and Yellow-throated Warblers, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Blue-headed and White-eyed Vireos and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. 

From here we headed back home very satisfied.

Group Trip List ( 91 ) 

Mottled Duck, Mallard x Mottled Duck (hybrid), Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead,  Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Brown Pelican, White Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Reddish Egret,  Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture,  Osprey, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, American Oystercatcher, Black-bellied Plover, Wilson's Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Piping Plover, Killdeer, Willet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull,  Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Skimmer, Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Merlin, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Blue-headed Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin,  Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, American Pipit, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler,  Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

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)