Lake Wales Ridge WEA

 Tuesday November 17th

At the time of the Pleistocene Epoch, the sea level around what is now Florida fell and rose several times as the North American Ice Sheets variously grew and melted.  At one point, some two million years ago, the Florida peninsula was almost completely submerged. This event left exposed only a series of small islands, which are the Sand Hills and Florida Scrub country found in central Florida today. Geologically, the zone is referred to as the Mid-Florida Ridge, or as the Lake Wakes Ridge. 

Florida Scrub Jay at Lake Wales Ridge WEA

The surviving, much has been lost to development,  Florida Scrub ecosystems are very unique with some flora and fauna found nowhere else. The most well known example is our only endemic bird, the Florida Scrub Jay. The Lake Wales Ridge also features endemic lizards in the Sand Skink and the Florida Scrub Lizard. And lots of endemic and some vey rare flora. 

Faey's Palafox

Yesterday I visited the Lake Wales Ridge WEA - Lake Placid Scrub Tract, which is near Lake Placid and an excellent example of Florida Scrub. Was greeted by a pair of Florida Scrub Jays at the trail head.

Florida Scrub Lizard

Florida Scrub Lizard

Some of the flora found in this ecosystem included Sand Live Oak, Florida Scrub Oak, Scrub Palmetto, Sand Heath, Scrub Hickory, Rusty Lyonia, Sand Pine, Florida Scrub Bluecurls, Highlands Scrub Hypericum, Fringed Star Grass, Fringed Jointweed and Sandhill Wireweed

Sand Live Oak

Florida Scrub Oak

Scrub Palmetto

Sand Heath

Scrub Hickory

Rusty Lyonia

Sand Pine

Highlands Scrub Hypericum

Florida Scrub Bluecurl

Fringed Star Grass

Fringed Jointweed

Sandhill Wireweed

Down to the Beach

 Wednesday November 11th

Haven't done very much birding lately, being stuck at home. Mostly just keeping an eye on the yard.  But with Tropical Storm Eta, or sometimes as a Hurricane Eta, lingering in the Gulf of Mexico there maybe an opportunity to encounter some pelagic birds being blown toward shore. 

An Aberrant Laughing Gull

Ended up checking on the action on the Sanibel Causeway Islands. While still under a Tropical Storm Warming, a Tornado watch and a Storm Surge watch, expected to find sea birds sheltering on the bay side of the islands, because the high winds and a high surf were crashing the gulf side.  

Lots' of Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, some Common Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, Willets, Sanderlings, Brown Pelicans, Cormorants, plus Semipalmated Sandpipers, a Black Skimmer, a FOS Dunlin, Black bellied Plover  and a Snowy Plover. The only pelagic was a single Magnificent Frigatebird.

Snowy Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Willet

Royal Terns

Common Tern

Fall Migration

 Wednesday October 7th

Sighted this Whimbrel at Siesta Key 

Great Crested Flycatcher

So far Fall Migration, as we in beautiful SW Florida are experiencing it, has been a bit so.  No great fall outs, but there recently has been some fun birding at Rotary Park in Cape Coral.

Swainsons Thrush

Veery

Palm Warblers are just now showing up with American Redstarts being the most commonly encountered migrating warbler.  Ovenbirds, Yellow-throated Warblers, Black-and-White Warbles, Summer Tanagers and Swainsons Thrushes have been reliable. For me personally, I can add Scarlet Tanagers, Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Baltimore Orioles, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, Northern Waterthrush & Chestnut-sided Warblers, Eastern Wood-Pewees and Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Baltimore Oriole

 

Oh, and the Gray Catbirds have shown up.

Rookery Bay Estuarine Preserve

 Tuesday September 29th

The other day, my friend Bob Pelkey reminded me that I was over due on a fresh post.  I do get out almost daily and have now gone beyond just making birding observations. I can say that I'm a generalist on things natural. But have been negligent with updated posts.

On September 15th, my daughter Katie joined me to explore along Shell Island Road at the Rookery Bay Estuarine Preserve located near to Marco Island. The birding on this day was not very exiting. lots of Mockingbirds, Northern Shrikes and Mourning Doves. Best bird of the day was a pair of Spotted Sandpipers seen at the end of road where it meets the bay.

We also observed a few interesting wildflowers and flora. Like Golden Leather Ferns, Jamaican Capertree, Catclaw Blackbead, Colicwood, Mangrovevine, Green Buttonwood, Red & White Mangroves, Dahoon Holly, Sea Ox-eye, Everglades Squarestem, Beach Bean, and more. Had a few mushrooms of interest and a snail called the Mangrove Periwinkle. 

Jamaican Capertree

An unknown species of mushroom

Catclaw Blackbead

Beach Bean

Golden Leather Fern

Everglades Squarestem

Green Buttonwood

Southern Live Oak

Ocean Blue Morningglory

Mangrovevine

Oystercatcher

 Tuesday August 11th

American Oystercatcher

I had recently moved a bit further away from the beach, looking for a more affordable place to live.  So I have not visited the beach as much as I used to.  I've also been dipping on spotted on some of the birds you'd expect to locate. American Oystercatchers had been a nemeses bird for me these past couple of years. Just haven't seen them as often these days. Today was my FOS sighting for 2020, at Bunche Beach.  Too hot to stick around long. But did have a nice variety of birds available to enjoy.  Reddish Egrets, Red Knots, Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers etc.

Common Nighthawk

Yesterday was a return visit to the Everglades Ag Area.  Lots of American Avocets on the flooded cane fields as well as Long-billed Dowitchers.  Also had Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks,  Common Nighthawks, Black Terns, Gull-billed Terns, Stilted Sandpipers, Petrol Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, Black Skimmers, Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Yellowlegs, Cliff Swallows, Cave Swallows, Barn Swallows, Common Yellowthroats, a Caracara, a pair of Barn Owls and a King Rail. Lots of baby Black-necked Stilts and Common Gallinules

Stilt Sandpiper

What was missing yesterday, were Upland Sandpipers, Wilson's Phalarope or Brown-headed Cowbirds. Had hundreds of these cowbirds two weeks ago.

Lots of Common Gallinule chicks

Long-billed Dowitcher with a Stilt Sandpiper

Black-necked Stilt. Had many stilt chicks present

Common Guava growing along a canal

Crested Caracara at the Miami Canal

Wood Stork

Sleepy Orange Butterflies