Looking For Sprague's Pipit

Wednesday December 10th
Day Four - North Florida trip

Today was to be a travel day.  But our first leg was to head south through the Apalachicola National Forest to reach the Apalachicola Municipal Airport to search for Sprague's Pipit. Then onward to Lake Apopka

Site of  the former Ft Gadsden

Bob Pelkey and I traveled along the Big Bend Scenic Byway through the national forest making frequent stops in search of any thing of interest. One stop was at a the National Historic site of Ft Gadsden situated at prospect bluff along the Apalachicola River. The site was originally constructed by the British during the War of 1812 and was the scene of a horrific battle between American forces and free-Blacks and Native Americans in 1816. I sense the Ft Gadsden is probably a haunted place.

Another stop made at the intersection of BBSB and Bloody Bluff Road, in what is the Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area (WEA), we found to be quite birdy. We immediately found several sparrows here, but could only identify Swamp Sparrows. As we searched the brush for more birds the sounds of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers could be heard and were quickly found. A trio of the woodpeckers hung around for a while and were joined by another trio of Brown-headed Nuthatches. Red-shouldered Hawks and Eastern Towhees were also added here.

A view of the Apalachicola River from the historic fort location

Another stop along Sandy Beach Road brought us out onto a fish pier on the river were a Clapper Rail was briefly seen and refused to be coaxed out to get its picture taken.

We arrived shortly after noon at the Apalachicola airport.  The young man on duty was very friendly and helpful, giving us permission to enter the airport property in our search for Sprague's Pipit . This small song bird is a rare bird to Florida were just a few can usually be located at this airport in the winter.  It is a bird of the short grass plains of the northern United States and Canada, and migrates in the fall to similar habitats in south-central United States and northern Mexico. So those wintering in the Florida panhandle are on the extreme eastern edge of their range.

We were warned that the airport had three one-mile long air stripes and this would amount to a lot of territory to search for one or two tiny birds. Bob and I tried.  Things seemed promising as we quickly were investigating a flock of Savannah Sparrows. But after two hours we had run out of time and had only found Meadowlarks and Killdeers. Maybe someday we can try again or perhaps just search for them in Texas or Minnesota.

From here we retraced our travels through the village of Apalachicola, without taking time to sit down to a meal of fresh caught seafood, and along the shoreline of the northern Gulf of

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

White-tailed Deer at Bloody Bluff Road

Mexico. As the trip to Lake Apopka was expected to take four hours we also dropped a stop at Alligator Point, were a search of the waters should have revealed all three species of scoters, common golden-eye, common loon and is the most reliable location to find any red-throated loons in Florida. So from Apalachicola we headed directly to Lake Apopka, were Grove-billed Anis were reported.

Tallahassee Birding

Tuesday December 9th
Day Three - North Florida Trip

One of my target birds on this trip was to find a white-breasted nuthatch. This species rarely ventures any further south then the Red Hills of Tallahassee. Its reported that there are many reliable venues in and around the state capital. 

Marsh observed along nature trail at Tall Timbers

I had an interest in checking the Tall Timbers Research Station s private facility located just south of the Georgia border. We found the staff to be friendly and helpful.

Spent a couple of hours searching the nature trail. We managed to locate several brown-headed nuthatches along with a loud white-breast nuthatch. We also added ruby-crowned kinglet, carolina & house wrens, eastern bluebirds, eastern towhee, chipping sparrow, tufted titmice and pileated woodpecker.

Next stop was a pond on Biltmore Avenue,in Tallahassee to seek a couple more targets. Geese. 

The pond is home to around a hundred canada geese and a lone snow goose. Other species present here included ruddy ducks, shovelers and dunlins. We were informed by a lady walking her dog that they were hopefully that the pair of whooping cranes that wintered here last winter would return any day.

Our state bird - the Northern Mockingbird

As we still had some sun light left, Bob wanted another try at getting some additional photography at St Marks. Yesterday's precipitation slowed him down a bit. We had a couple of hours of day light and revisited some of the same stops as yesterday. 

Canada Goose

Snow Goose

Geese in Tallahassee

St Marks

Monday, December 8th
Day Two - North Florida Trip

St Mark's Lighthouse

While camping at the yurt in Torreya State Park Bob Pelkey and I found that our smart phones clocks were bouncing back and forth between CST and EST. Seems we were sitting near t to the border of these time zones. The confusion got us a late start so that we didn't arrive  St Marks till 9:30.

Lesser Scaup at Lighthouse Pool

The day was overcast, chilly and drizzly. But we still found good birds. We would dip on a few targets that had been recently reported such as Ross's goose, Virginia rail, vermilion flycatcher and white-faced ibis

Started off with Eastern Phoebe and yellow-rumped warblers at the visitor center. Further down lighthouse road we added green-winged teal, coots, common gallinule, red-breasted merganser, swamp and savannah sparrows, eastern towhee, pied-billed grebes, belted kingfishers, northern harrier, red-shouldered hawk and the expected waders.

Reaching Stone Bayou we found a quartet of American avocet, a single black-necked stilt, and also willets, greater yellowlegs, more coots, least & western sandpipers, sb & lb dowitchers, wilson's snipe, eastern meadowlarks, least Scaup and bufflehead.

Drake Northern Shoveler

At the headquarters pond we had at least a dozen black-crowned night-herons, American wigeons, blue-winged teal, gadwall, ring-necked ducks, a sora, a bald eagle. purple and common gallinule and more waders.

Onto the lighthouse pool. There were hundreds of ducks including more a wigeons, northern shovelers, canvasbacks, redheads, lesser Scaup, and ruddy ducks.  At the sea grass zone along the beach we found nelsons sparrows, a suspected salt marsh sparrow. swamp sparrow, and a brief look at a sparrow sporting yellow head and breast markings. Heard clapper rail in the salt marsh east of the lighthouse. Off shore were common loons, horned grebes, bufflehead, least scaup, brown pelicans, ring-billed gulls, a royal tern and an active dolphin.

Eastern Phoebe

On the way out, we found the numbers of shorebirds had greatly increased at Stone Bayou. Hiked the dike road to the back of the bayou and added wood stork and american white pelicans

St Marks NWR is an awesome birding venue and a real jewel for birding in Florida.

American Wigeon

American Avocet

Nelson's Sharptail Sparrow

Fruiting Prickly Pear seen near the lighthouse boat launch

Florida Caverns State Park

Sunday, December 7th

Day One - North Florida Trip

Winter Wren at Florida Caverns State  Park
Photo provided courtesy of Bob Pelkey

I have been anticipating making this trip to Florida's Panhandle for some time. Have been looking forward to birding here for several wintering birds that normally only migrate to this corner of the state. They include horned lark, golden-crowned kinglet, brown creeper and winter wren.  To find these you need to visit Jackson County, primarily Florida Caverns State Park in the winter season.

Vesper Sparrow on Concord Road

Therefore, after a long overnight drive with Bob Pelkey at the wheel we arrived at Florida Caverns a bit early as the gates were still closed.  So being early be elected to visit a sight on Concord Road, east of Malone, to shirt-tail reports of horned lark and purple finches.  Both of these birds rarely venture any further south than this point. We scoped the barren peanut and cotton fields along Concord. No larks or finches at the time, but had several Killdeer, Savannah Sparrows, a Vesper Sparrow a Kestrel and American Crows

So onto Florida Caverns State Park. The site is  fascinating and very unique to Florida. Though the Karst topography that creates the cave system is found throughout half of Florida, its climate/ecology is the most southern point for the temperate forests of the Appalachian chain. Besides the avian species that are a part of this ecology we find rare to Florida  flora like some personal favorites as Bloodroot, Mayapple, Trillium

The park rangers gave us directions to the best place to find our targets. An area known as the Sink, by the canoe put-in parking area on the Chipola River. Here we did have success.  Got our lifer sightings of Winter Wren, plus several Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a sole Golden-crowned Kinglets, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice and a couple of Hermit Thrushes.  The brown creeper was a no-show.

We moved onto the horse carrel location were we had a lot of Yellow-rumped Warblers, but also a couple of Pine Siskins, a Chipping Sparrow, a Cedar Wax-wing, American Robins and lots of Eastern Bluebirds.

Easter bluebird

We missed visiting the caverns, but would like to return on another occasion to see them.  A summer visit couple be enjoyable in locating breeding Mississippi Kites and Broad-winged Hawks

But noe was time to head about an hour south to Torreya State Park, along the bluffs above the Apalachicola River in Liberty County. This would be our base of operations for a few days as we're staying at the campgrounds.  Ever heard of a Yurt?  Nice way to camp.

Torreya Tree Decline


Torreya Guardians

Yurt Camping

Inside

Fire pit

Catching-up on November

Wednesday, November 26th

Its been difficult recently keeping current with my postings
So today I've chosen to  just post some pics from recent outings.

These Purple Swamphens are common at Chapel Trail on Sheridan Road, Pembroke Pines

About the only exotic species seem on a recent trip to the south Miami Area were these Muscovy Ducks

One of a pair of Bald Eagles often seen at Harns Marsh

This Merlin was recently seen at Bunche Beach

Blue-winged Teal are growing in numbers at Harns Marsh

A pair of Ring-necked Ducks at Harns Marsh

An enlarged photo of a Purple Gallinule at Harns Marsh

An uncommon Franklin's Gull found recently on Bonita Beach

A herd of Sanderlings playing tag with the surf.

A very uncommon, to Florida, Long-billed Curlew, but frequent visitor to Bunche Beach
This individual has been seen here over the course of several years

A White-morphed Reddish Egret seen at Bunche Beach

This Piping Plover, tagged as P69, was found recently at Bunche Beach.
More information on this individual is pending.

A Coopers Hawk seen this past Tuesday at the fishing pier at Ft DeSoto Park in Tampa Bay

Myakka State Park, near Sarasota, can be a great place to look for wintering waterfowl,
 such as these Northern Pintails and Mottled Ducked

Several Black-necked Stilts were also observed at Myakka State Park

Wild Turkey observed road-side at Myakka State Park

The Flooded Tomato Field on Oil Well Road

Monday, November 10th

Lately a particular tomato field along Oil Well Road in Collier County, floods for a few weeks from late October till about mid-December.  This temporary waterfowl oasis has produced excellent water fowl observations in the past and today is no exception.  So today I tried out my new spotting scoping scope and found first-of-the-year sightings, for me, of American Avocets and Gadwalls.

Rosette Spoonbills

Arriving about 9:30 in the morning, note that dawn or just before dusk are best times for viewing, I still managed to find lots of awesome birds. Such as Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Mottled Ducks, American Coots and a pair of American Wigeons. The fly-over Bald Eagles would put these flocks to flight every few minutes, thus rearranging the individuals I'm checking. As counted over eighty Rosette Spoonbills and just a couple of American White Pelicans.  Others seen included both night-herons, Greater Yellowlegs Snipe, Common Gallinules, Red-shouldered Hawks, Red-tailed Hawk, Ospreys, Palm Warblers and a Prairie Warbler. 

Gadwall hen

A couple of years ago Vince Lucas introduced several of us to this location and since then we have also found Ruddy Duck, Green-winged Teal, a Cinnamon Teal, Wood Duck and Black-belled Whistling-ducks.  So it would be worth a return visit before the field dries up.

Blue-winged Teal

Snowy Egrets and Pied-billed Grebes

Northern Shovelers

American Avocets

Harns Marsh has Purple Gallinules

Sunday, November 9th

Occasionlly reports in Lee County, of a sighting of Purple Gallinules come in. But not very often They just haven't been commonly seen around here.

A Purple Galinule

Recently, Ron Bishop of Lehigh Acres, has found a family of Purples Gallinules residing in Harns Marsh, not far from the parking area.  Well it took me three tries, but finally found a single bird foraging in the Flag Weed. And recently King rails have been in the same location. Seems the best time for viewing is dawn or dusk.

Ron also has heard the Sora calling from somewhere on the other side of the lake. Hopefully these great birds will remain, unlike the dwindling population of Snail Kites.

Some of the other species encountered at Harns included, American Bittern, Redheads, Ring-necked ducks, Limpkins, A Snail Kite, Northern Harrier, Northern Rough-winged Swallows and a Bald Eagle. Others have reported Ruddy Duck as well.

Bald eagle surveying the marsh