St. Pete CBC

My 9th Christmas Bird Count in St. Pete was windy and chilly and overall counts were down not only on the coast but all over Florida. Warm weather seems to have kept most migrants North but we venture out to count every species we can every year in hopes that the data will give us some insight of bird populations and movements.

Every year is different. Sometimes warm, sometimes freezing, but always interesting and I like getting over to the coast to see birds I don't always see in Central Florida. But, honestly, there were nota lot of birds that I couldn't find anywhere else this year. However, 9 hours walking all over Pinellas County is still fun.

We started our day out at Joe's Creek Preserve and first heard and then discovered a Great-horned Owl nest but never saw the bird.



As the Sun continued to rise I spotted a Red-shouldered Hawk searching for breakfast in the distance and tried to get as close as I could before it flew off.



I didn't realize I had walked right by an Apiary until I turned around. It had not been here in the past few years that I was here. Hmmm.



On the other side of the mound, a few Eastern Phoebes were feeding and perching around and on many trees.



Birds were beginning to move about and we had a few Roseate Spoonbills flying over.



We drove over toward the water treatment plant and were surprised to find a big feeding flock of warblers. Most of them were Pine Warblers.



I don't think I have ever seen so many Pine Warblers at one time before this morning. They were everywhere!



Taking a pause from trying to get a shot of the warblers (in bad light) I glanced upward and spotted a nice Circumzenithal arc overheard.



Just before we left that spot we found a Blue-headed Vireo joining in on the feeding frenzy.



Brazillian Pepper has been encroaching many areas in the state but I was amazed by how much they are taking over in this county.



We had to make a stop for gas and I took the chance to walk behind the store to a check of the canal. Good thing I did. A Mottled Duck was drifting by.



Heading over to Veteran's War Memorial Park we hoped to find some shorebirds but there were not a lot of them. I had to settle for a couple of Willet feeding near the shore.



How can I resist a shot of a Brown Pelican flying by?



One of the birds we always hope to find here is the Great-horned Owl. We thought it might be hard to get since we missed it the past couple of years but as we stepped out of the van...



Another view of the sleepy Great-horned Owl.



Heading back to the shore we were greeted by a few nice birds to add to the list, including a quick moving Yellow-throated Warbler.



Suddenly, a flock of American Goldfinches came in to view and began feeding on



As much as I liked watching the Goldfinches, I was also focused on another bird flitting about. A Prairie Warbler.



Then quickly back to an American Goldfinch stuffing his face.



Nearby, we stopped at a strip mall to check a pond that usually holds interesting birds. Today we only had a few birds but did have a Mallard hybrid with ducklings.



Our count ended and I headed out to a spot where a rare bird was sighted a few days before. As I looked for the bird I could not resist taking a shot of a Palm Warbler that posed for me too easily.



I thought I had the rare bird in my sights but after looking through the shots and enhancing I discovered it was just an Orange-crowned Warbler. Oh, well.



Another CBC under my belt in St. Pete and a good time with other birders. Next year will be a 10 year anniversary. Until then...more birds back home!

Other Birds During the Robin Frenzy

The Robin post was already long enough so I decided to show the other bird shots from the same day in a separate post. I could hear a lot of other birds around but I didn't want to leave my spot and miss the Robin shots. Here are the other birds I got shots of.

As I mentioned on the previous post, I went to the cemetery to check out the status of the Bald Eagle nest. Reports are that there may already be hatched chicks and one of the eagles could be seen from the road. So yet another successful breeding season could well be on track.



I could hear Titmice, Cedar Waxwing, and saw Northern Flicker but the first bird that came into view after the Robins was a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that stared at me for a second.



The one bird species that did surprise me was a small bird that flashed into view in a couple of directions. Chipping Sparrows.



"Chippies" show up in irregular locations in Central Florida this time of year at feeders so it is always nice to find them in the field.



Dropping down from the top canopy, a Pine Warbler spent its time browsing the Spanish Moss for insects.



Back home, I was happy to see an American Goldfinch in the backyard. They have been seen in larger numbers around this year but for some reason they haven't wanted to hang in my yard much this year. I suspect that the stray cats coming into the yard have something to do with it.



Not a bad wrap-up for a lazy Saturday.

Mead Garden American Goldfinches

I stopped by Mead Garden on the way home after an interesting day at the banding site. Not a whole lot of friends at Mead. I think they bolted to avoid all the activity. Seems the amphitheater is complete and is full of equipment for the evenings first concert.



Despite all the chaos, I did manage to see that the Rufus Hummingbird was still around and so were a bunch of American Goldfinches. However, this batch near the butterfly garden (now being transformed into a seating area) was making the birds a bit twitchy. So I headed over to the other feeders on the south side of the garden club and found a few dozen birds there willing to be in good company.



The American Goldfinches were at the feeders and in the trees all around me and I got my few minutes of Zen before heading home.



With the construction completed, maybe we can have more peaceful moments in the gardens again for a while. Perhaps the Rufus will decide to stay and we can get some good shots again.

Catching Up with Random Birds

Starting to realize that some of my photos are piling up without getting posted. Usually just a shot or two and then I get a group that feels like it needs posting first. So, before I get too behind, I thought I would just offer up a mix from the past two weeks.

I took a trip out to Demetree Park one Saturday but did not find a lot of birds that morning. I did see a few Pied-billed Grebes and I managed to sneak up close to shore while one was diving and got a couple close pictures.



The thing I like most about this bird is it appears to be a juvenile based on the bill colors. When they are born Pied-billed Grebes have mottled bills that turn gray and blue-gray as they age.



My first American Goldfinch shot of the year was taken at Mead Garden after our banding day the following day.



Back at work the next week, I took a lunch walk and found this Northern Mockingbird guarding its tree in the small stand of woods across the street.



Still waiting for a sighting of both Bald Eagles. I keep worrying that the other bird had not arrived at all but I got a report that someone got a shot of them mating so he is here somewhere. Whew.



Back at Mead a week later and I caught a brief glimpse of the Rufus Hummingbird still hanging out. If we can keep these nice temperatures then perhaps it will stay all through the Winter.



American Goldfinch numbers are increasing sine they put feeders in the butterfly gardens. They are a joy to hear but this one seemed to give me a foul stare in the shade.



The Goldfinches are feeling rather at ease around the people wandering through. They are on the feeders and all over the weedy edges below.



They all seem nicely crisp. There are a lot of females and few brighter males coming and going.



I waited for a while to get this shot. Wanted a nice profile away from the feeders. Moments later and the bird was off to feed.



Now I just need the flocks to hit my yard. I have plenty of food waiting!

Let the BirdCam Parade Begin

As promised in the last post, I slogged through thousands of BirdCam images to try and find something interesting. Going to spread them out for a while. These images begin in early April and go through recent days. A bunch of images. Another reason the spread them out for shorter posts.

So, lets go back into April. Still had some migrants around, including the Indigo Bunting and a few American Goldfinches.



A couple days later the secretive Gray Catbird even made an appearance.



I do really enjoy this Common Grackle pose even though there were several. This one just looks pretty nice.



Feeling like the Blue Jay family should be bringing in the young ones by now but nothing yet.



Most of the discarded photos are of Mourning Doves and Gray Squirrels but I have to keep a few.



Red-winged Blackbirds chicks must be hatching because the adults only start coming to our feeders when they have more mouthes to feed. This pretty female stopped by the frog feeder.



Northern Cardinals should also be nesting though I don't know exactly where this year.



Finally, White-winged Doves are back! Last year we saw a chick that confirmed breeding in the neighborhood for the first time. We wait and see if this year is a success, too.

Feeder Birds

Man, these birds have been too quiet. I know they are out there by the food going missing and fleeting glimpses of, say, the Catbird but these others should be easy to spot on a daily basis. Guess school is interrupting my mornings. That is where the BirdCam comes in!

With the returning White-winged Doves here it is interesting to see them on the smallest feeder in the area. They used to stay on the larger tray feeder exclusively.



Despite laying low, vocally, it appears that the Indigo Bunting that showed up months ago is still here.



It shows up almost daily on the cam. Stay around a while longer, please.



Another species that seems way too quiet is the American Goldfinch. Nary a peep. But if you look hard enough...?



The following day both of them joined together to feed.



Has to be more out there not chiming in. Time to hit the lakes and surroundings.