Sunday December 31st
Hurricanes Ian and Idelia certainly did some damage these last couple years. So much of our ecologically valuable mangroves took a big hit, as did much of our other coastal and inland habitats. One interesting plus was the influx of American Flamingos that were blown across the Gulf Coast and inland as far as Ohio, by Idelia. My friends, the Warrens, trekked through flooded salt marsh at Estero Bay State Park to witness a large flamboyance of Flamingos.
Many folks mistakenly believe that the flamingo is Florida's state bird. Its actually the mockingbird. Flamingo sightings are uncommon to rare. There is 'Pinky' a lone American Flamingo living a solitary life at St Marks NWR in the Panhandle for the past few years. I saw Pinky back in January during my annual north Florida birding trip. On this trip I got a lifer in the White Wagtail that had wintered in Tallahassee. Other sightings included Wilson's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Seaside Sparrow, Rusty Blackbirds and Brewers Blackbirds.
| Large-billed Tern |
Another journey checked off my bucket list in September was a visit to Santa Cruz Island, along with some exploration around Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. I encountered numerous lifers, including both of California's endemic bird species: the Island Scrub-Jay and the Yellow-billed Magpie.
Back in June a couple of very rare-to-the-United States, Large-billed Terns showed up in Florida. Their
normal range is in South America. Was lucky to get this lifer near Ava Maria in Collier County.
Another trip was to the Everglades and Florida Keys. In late spring Antillean Nighthawks and Roseate Terns arrive in the Keys. Plus visits to Key West and Tortugas National Park looking for Masked & Brown Boobies, Sooty Terns, Magnificent Frigatebirds and Brown & Black Noddies bb.
| Key Deer Big Pine Key, Florida |
| Island Fox Santa Cruz Island - Channel Islands National Park |
| California Ground Squirrel Santa Barbara, California |
2023 Year List and Gallery (328)
| Killdeer Carlos Pointe - Ft Myers Beach, Florida June 2023 |
| Killdeer Carlos Pointe - Ft Myers Beach, Florida June 2023 |
| Fledgling Killdeer Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County, Florida May 2023 |
| Boat-tailed Grackle St Marks NWR - Florida January 2023 |
| Boat-tailed Grackle Harns Marsh, Lehigh Acres, Florida March 2023 |
| Fledgling Boat-tailed Grackle Fort Myers Shores, Florida May 2023 |
| Great Blue Heron Wakodahatchee Wetlands - Delray Beach, Florida January 2023 |
Great White Heron - Ardea herodias ssp. occidentalisFort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National ParkMay 2023 |
| Great Blue Heron Ding Darling NWR - Sanibel Island October 2023 |
| Greater Yellowlegs Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County, Florida January 2023 |
| Greater Yellowlegs Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County, Florida May 2023 |
| Eastern Phoebe Harns Marsh, Lehigh Acres, Florida March 2023 |
| Eastern Phoebe Everglades National Park January 2023 |
| Painted Bunting Lake Apopka North Shore, Florida January 2023 |
| Painted Bunting Fort Myers Shores, Florida February 2023 |
| Painted Bunting The Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida March 2023 |
| Double crested Cormorant Six-mile Cypress Slough - Ft Myers, Fla February 2023 |
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| Glossy Ibis Lake Apopka North Shore, Florida January 2023 |
| Blue-winged Teal Harns Marsh, Lehigh Acres, Florida March 2023 |
| Blue-winged Teal Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida November 2023 |
| Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve - Fort Myers, Florida May 2023 |
| Gray-headed Swamphen Harns Marsh - Lehigh Acres, Florida January 2023 |
| Grey-Headed Swamphen The Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida December 2023 |
| Red-winged Blackbird Palm Beach County, Florida February 2023 |
| Red-winged Blackbird Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County, Florida July 2023 |
| Palm Warbler Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Snail Kite Harns Marsh - Leigh Acres, Florida March 2023 |
| Snail Kite Harns Marsh - Leigh Acres, Florida May 2023 |
| Northern cardinal Naples, Florida March 2023 |
| Northern Cardenal My Yard, Fort Myers Shores, Florida May 2023 |
| Female Brown-headed Cowbird The Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida November 2023 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird The Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida December 2023 |
| Loggerhead Shrike Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County, Florida August 2023 |
| Island Loggerhead Shrike Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands NP September 2023 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County, Florida January 2023 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County, Florida March 2023 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs Browns farm Road, Belle Glade, Florida August 2023 |
| Long-billed Dowitchers Palm Beach County, Florida January 2023 |
| Long-billed Dowitcher Myakka River State Park, Florida March 2023 |
| Least Sandpiper Babcock-Webb - Charlotte County, Florida March 2023 |
| Least Sandpiper Fort DeSoto Park - Pinellas County, Florida April 2023 |
| American White Pelicans Merritt Island NWR, Florida January 2023 |
| American White Pelican Ventura, California September 2023 |
| Black-bellied Whistling Duck My Yard -Ft Myers Shores, Florida May 2023 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler Ft Myers Shores, Florida March 2023 |
| Yellow-rump Warbler Sweetwater Wetlands - Gainesville, Florida January 2023 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler Ft Myers Shores, Florida March 2023 |
| Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Lucky Hammock - Florida City, Florida January 2023 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher Rotary Park - Cape Coral, Florida September 2023 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher Lucky Hammock - Florida City, Florida January 2023 |
| Savannah Sparrow The Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida March 2023 |
| Savannah Sparrow Ventura Harbor, California September 2023 |
| Cedar Waxwings Lake Apopka North Shore, Florida January 2023 |
| Cedar Waxwing Fort Myers Shores, Florida February 2023 |
| Black-crowned Night-heron Babcock-Webb WMA - Charlotte County, Florida May 2023 |
| Ruddy Sheldrake flock is living on a pond in Ocala County, Florida horse farm country. January 2023 |
| Brewers Blackbirds gathered at a pasture. Jackson County, Florida January 2023 |
| Brewers Blackbird Ventura Harbor, California September 2023 |
| A very distant view of a very rare-to-Florida, White Wagtail Tallahassee, Florida - January 2023 |
| Common Yellowthroat Fort Zachary Taylor State Park - Key West Florida May 2023 |
| Common Yellowthroat Fort Zachary Taylor State Park - Key West Florida May 2023 |
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| American Avocet Browns Farm Road, Palm Beach County, Florida July 2023 |
| American Avocet Browns Farm Road, Palm Beach County, Florida August 2023 |
| American Flamingo Fort De Soto Park -St Petersburg, Florida September 2023 |
| American Flamingo (Peaches) Fort De Soto Park -St Petersburg, Florida September 2023 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch Mt Pinos, Los Padres NF, California September 2023 |
| Reddish Egret in transition Carlos Pointe, Ft Myers Beach - Florida June 2023 |
| Reddish Egret Ding Darling NWR - Sanibel Island, Florida August 2023 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull Carlos Point, Fort Myers Beach March 2023 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull Fort De Soto Park -St Petersburg, Florida September 2023 |
| Sanderling Turner Beach - Captiva Island, Florida August 2023 |
| Sanderling Turner Beach - Captiva Island, Florida November 2023 |
| Piping Plover Ponce Inlet, Florida January 2023 |
| Piping Plover Fort De Soto Park -St Petersburg, Florida September 2023 |
| Western Sandpiper Carlos Pointe - Ft Myers Beach, Florida |
| Western Sandpiper Bunche Beach - Fort Myers, Florida September 2023 |
| Monk Parakeet Monk Parakeet Nest at the Pelican Blvd Ball Fields Cape Coral, Florida March 2023 |
| Nanday Parakeet dining on loquat Tice, Florida January 2023 |
| Nanday Parakeet Fort DeSoto Park - Pinellas County, Florida |
| Coopers Hawk seen resting in the shade while keeping a watch on the bird feeders. The Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida March 2023 |
| American Oystercatcher Carlos Pointe, Fort Myers Beach March 2023 |
| A Fledgling Oystercatcher Ft DeSoto Park - St Petersburg, Florida June 2023 |
| Tricolored Munia Belle Glade, Florida March 2023 |
| Tricolored Munia Belle Glade, Florida March 2023 |
| American Redstart Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| American Redstart Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker Six-mile Cypress Slough Preserve North - Lee County, Florida March 2023 |
| Common Nighthawk Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Common Nighthawk Palm Beach County, Florida August 2023 |
| Magnificent Frigatebird Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Louisiana Waterthrush Fort Desota Park - Pinellas County, Florida April 2023 |
| Tennessee Warbler Rotary Park - Cape Coral, Florida May 2023 |
| Tennessee Warbler Rotary Park - Cape Coral, Florida May 2023 |
| Scarlet Tanager Rotary Park - Cape Coral, Florida May 2023 |
| Scarlet Tanager Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Least Tern Carlos Pointe - Fort Myers Beach May 2023 |
| Least Tern Carlos Pointe - Fort Myers Beach May 2023 |
| Least Tern Carlos Pointe - Fort Myers Beach May 2023 |
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| Eastern Wood-Pewee Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
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| Bay-breasted Warbler Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Masked Boobies use Hospital Key - Dry Tortugas National Park the only breeding colony within the United States May 2023 |
| Brown Boobies seen with Masked Boobies on Hospital Key - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Black Noddy, a rare visitor to the United States Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Sooty Tern Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Sooty Tern Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Fledgling Sooty Tern Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park May 2023 |
| Bank Swallow Palm Beach County, Florida July 2023 |
| Bank Swallow Palm Beach County, Florida August 2023 |
| Great-tailed Grackle A western species rare in Florida Northshore Park - St Petersburg, Florida June 2023 |
| Great-tailed Grackle A western species rare in Florida Northshore Park - St Petersburg, Florida June 2023 |
| Large-billed Tern Mega-Rare Visitor from South America - Ava Marie, Florida June 2023 |
| Pectoral Sandpiper Browns Farm Road, Palm Beach County, Florida Jully 2023 |
| Pectoral Sandpiper Fort De Soto Park -St Petersburg, Florida September 2023 |
| Black Tern Gandy Beach - Tampa, Florida July 2023 |
| Black Tern Bunche Beach - Fort Myers, Florida September 2023 |
| A Neotropic Cormorant in the company of Double-Crested Cormorants Ocala, Florida - July 2023 |
| A Mississippi Kite soaring above Paynes Prairie Gainesville, Florida - July 2023 |
| Prothonotary Warbler Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary - Naples, Florida September 2023 |
| Black Turnstone Ventura, California October 2023 |
| Island Scrub-Jay Santa Cruz Island - Channel Islands NP, California September 2023 |
| White-crowned Sparrow Santa Cruz Island - Channel Islands NP, California September 2023 |
| Yellow-billed Magpie Zaca Station Road - Santa Barbara County, California October 2023 |
Other Neat Observations
| Wavy Turban Santa Cruz Island - Channel Islands National Park |
| Coyote Santa Barbara County, California |
| Mt Pinos Lodgepole Chipmunk Mt Pinos - Los Padres National Forest, California |
| Key Deer Big Pine Key, Florida |
| Island Fox Santa Cruz Island - Channel Islands National Park |