Springtime and Access

Sunday May 3rd

Gray Kingbirds have returned 

to summer and nest in Florida

Our local and state governments are slowly re-opening access to public places in actions to try to return some normalcy.  Here in Southwest Florida access to beaches and preserves have severally restricted during the height of the Spring Migration.  Very frustrating to those of us who enjoying our birding hobbies. For awhile I had some interesting activity around the feeders and fruiting ficus in my yard. But the not the activity that our spring migration hot spots offer.

So just in the past few days access has been opening up.  Places like Rotary Park in Cape Coral and Pinecraft Park in Sarasota are offering some birding activity.

Summer Tanager at Rotary Park

Bay-breasted Warbler at Rotary Park

Female Blackpoll Warbler at Rotary Park

Birding at Home

Saturday, April 10th

Mangrove Cuckoo 

was very reluctant to pose for the camera

With the beaches, parks and preserved closed to enhance social distancing, birding during Spring Migration has become very frustrating.  Locally the wildlife drive at Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Island  remains open and one can bird by car.

I recently did bird from the Ding darling Wildlife Drive and was rewarded with a with a few interesting birds. Not much in the way of any neo-tropical migrating birds though on that day.  Did spot and heard a Mangrove Cuckoo, plus a soaring Broad-winged Hawk and several Red-breasted Mergansers were still present.

Lots of Cedar Waxwings dining on figs

House Sparrow

At home I have a couple of feeders set up under a huge, old and fruiting Laurel Fig tree.  Cedar Waxwings are a constant these days, feeding on figs and several Gray Catbirds have been hanging around, plus numerous European Starlings are preparing nesting sites in that big, old tree. But, again not much in the way of interesting migrants yet. The feeders are very popular with the expected resident birds.

Northern Cardinal

Gray Catbird

Brown-headed Cowbird. 

Only a single cowbird visits these days, but in earlier days flocks of 30 or 40 were common visitors

Starlings

Common Ground Dove

Common Ground Dove

Blue Jay

Starling

Eurasian Collared-dove

Boat-tailed Grackles don't visit the feeders very much

Gray Catbird

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

Purple Thistle

Tuesday February 25th

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Today was a visit to Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area in Charlotte County. It wasn't very birdy on this visit, but the flowering Purple Thistle were hosting numbers of butterflies and other insects. Black Swallowtails, Palmetto Skippers and Whirlabouts were very active on these flowers and would pose nicely for the camera. Other butterflies present included Gulf Fritillaries, White Peacocks and Zebra Swallowtails

Twin Spot Skipper

Whirlabout

Palmetto Skipper

Aside from the purple thistles other wildflowers today included Limewater Brookweed, Horned Bladderwort, Spanish Needles, Spanish Daisies, Cowpea, Axilflower, Wild Petunias, Daisy Fleabane, Marsh Fleabane, Southern Cattails, Pitted Stripeseed, Blackroot and Leavenworth's Tickseed

Palmetto Skipper

American Bumble Bee

White Peacock

Carolina Wild Petunia

Daisy Fleabane

Blackroot

White Waterlily

Pitted Stripeseed

Netted Pawpaw

Flooded Gum Trees

Peninsula Axelflower

What Kind of Crow is This?

Friday February 7th

House Crow x Fish Crow hybrid seen at Lovers Key in December 2018

Had posted this photo on iNaturalist.com as an example of a Fish Crow.  The photo was taken December 14, 2018 at the Lovers Key State Park parking area next to New Pass, without taking a real go look at pic.  Fish Crows are the predominate crow species at the beach. I have, as well as other birders, been reporting on hearing an American crow calling in this area on occasions.  I now believe that the calls were coming from this bird.

House Crow seen at Nokomis Beach in May 2018

Reviewers had disagreed that this picture was of a Fish Crow just by the heavy bill.  There was some initial speculation that it was an exotic species, like a Cuban Crow.  But we've now decided that it is fact a hybrid of a House Crow and a Fish Crow. Based on the calls, the bill and faint gray coloration draping the back, neck and breast.

Fish Crow seen at Nokomis Beach May 2018

A very tiny population of House Crows have been living up at Nokomis Beach.  With speculation that they have been nesting with Fish Crows So a hybrid being seen and heard is a real possibility. 

House Crow Facts