Florida Lifer

I was just at Mead Botanical Garden and really wasn't in a hurry to get back but then the word got out that a rare bird was seen for more than a day in a row. So, there was a good chance it would still be there this morning. Guess I have to drag my self outta bed. Sigh.

Just after I got there I ran into Ian. He used to band birds with us out at Wekiwa Springs back in the day and we hung out for a bit and searched for birds. When I first saw him he was training his lens on one of the resident Barred Owls resting over the creek.



Once we arrived at the spot where the rare bird was being seen there were several photographers canvasing the area. They were all jockeying for position, sticking their lens into branches and clicking and flashing constantly. Just the kind of scene I don't like. They weren't even sure the bird they taking photos of was even the bird being sought. Just clicking and flashing at anything moving.

I saw the bird with my binoculars. I still decided to take a walk and let the human activity die down and come back later for a photo. Glad I did. Just behind the Education Center was a Blue Grosbeak feeding on seeds. Sweet.



Not much around the perimeter of the property so I wandered back to the bridge. It was down to just two over-active photogs so I posted up on the bridge and waited. I had 6 Magnolia Warblers today. That is the most I have ever seen on one day. They were not in the mood to pose for a very pretty shot.



There were a couple of warblers flying back and forth that had me confused for a awhile. Once I got the photos on the screen I came to the conclusion that they were simply Pine Warblers and nothing as exotic as I was hoping.



I finally decided it was time to get a shot of the rare bird since the other guys drifted off, still clicking and flashing at everything. It took me a couple of minutes but I found the bird again and it soon darted out of the gloom and out toward the creek. There was my first Florida Wilson's Warbler.



The Wilson's Warbler looked around the air for another bug, tilting its head from side to side before bounding back into the bamboo.



A juvenile male Black-throated Blue Warbler was oblivious to us humans and flitted around feeding for 30 minutes, at least. Juvenile males are told by the white on their throats.



The Wilson's Warbler made one more quick advance toward the edge of the bamboo and, although I don't like the small branch traversing the shot, I was happy to get a full ID shot showing the darker hood before it vanished again.



Blackpoll Warblers are easier to see in the Spring but they are all over these past few weeks but still hard to get shots of. Those legs don't lie, though.



I headed home by walking near the creek again but all I could see was several Western Palm Warblers that are flowing into the state. They are grabbing all the low flying bugs in the muck and landing around everyone who happens to be walking by.



It is always fun to bird watch during the peak of migration but we have had some amazing warblers all over Mead this month. they are not showing up in closer locations, like my banding site, but it is nice to have them so close on a regular basis and are giving many birders new Life Birds and others something fun to keep track of. For me, it will be back to banding on Sunday.

Mead Cruising

Another month has flown past without much birding. Sigh. Job hunting has been more interesting and I had a couple of interviews in the past couple of days so I figured I owed it to myself to hit Mead Botanical Gardens today to relax. Interviews seemed to go well. We shall see how things turn out. Meanwhile, out to get some fresh air.

I was thinking I might not find too much today. Things were quiet and on my first stop just inside the gardens I found a Red-shouldered Hawk perched near a reliable birding spot. There would not be any warblers around here for a while.



Soon, I was at the cement bridge and was starting to hear more birds. I quickly had a male Black-throated Blue Warbler right in front of me but he would never leave the shade for a better shot.



Farther up the trail I got to the wooden bridge and was happy to see an approaching female Black and White Warbler. She raced around the tree limbs and paid little attention to me as she hunted some morsels for breakfast.



I moved along up the creek and started hear something in the trees but I could not locate the source. I was not even paying attention to the closer side of the creek when I realized that I was standing next to a juvenile Anhinga. Like, 6 feet from me! I had to back up to get this shot with the zoom.



Usually, Anhinga fly off when you get as close as, say, 40 feet. This bird was just afraid of me at all. I have never had that happen before. I got a few more close-up shots and then thanked my new friend for the opportunity to hang out for a few minutes before I headed up the trail.



Nothing else caught my attention up along the boardwalk or through the the Butterfly Garden so I decided to head home. I took a slight detour toward the pavilions and was totally surprised by a flash of black and white. A Red-headed Woodpecker swooped up in front of me and landed on a nearby tree. Too bad the light was in the wrong spot.



I tried to maneuver into a better spot for a shot when a Red-bellied Woodpecker zipped in and chased the other bird away. What to do? Take a shot of the new arrival, of course.



Nice to have an unexpected bird this morning. I will be sure to start making more bird runs soon. Starting to feel more secure. I am sure one of the interviews will pay off and then I will have a lot less birding time during the weeks. Having a job, though, is still Priority 1. I will take the birds where and when I can for now.

Warblers Now Arriving

There was a nice front sweeping through last night and it finally brought in some new warblers to Mead Garden. I was looking for the Northern Waterthrush when I noticed something else way back in the underbrush. It is hard to see but it is a Worm-eating Warbler. It never would come out from that spot. Must have had plenty of food back there. It was hanging out with an American Redstart and a Common Yellowthroat.



An Ovenbird was trying to hide in the shadows and only allowed me a rear-view before it vanished across the paths.



As we were about to wind things down, several folks found a Black-throated Blue Warbler. Just then, the maintenance crew decided to start mowing, again, and scared off the birds in the tree. I was able to relocate it a few minutes later.



Finally some new species flowing South. Of course, the real fun is still a couple weeks away.

New Life

Once I found all those warblers Saturday I reeeeeeally wanted to band Sunday. I left the house at 4:45 Am and within 2 blocks of the house the rain began to fall. The online radars showed no rain anywhere near us. Yet it rained and rained. I called off the troops and went back to bed. By 8 AM it was a beautiful blue but very windy.
Oh, well.

I eventually decided I still needed a Nature fix so I headed over to Mead Garden to see if there was any bird action there. Not much but there was a sudden appearance of a large family of Wood Ducks that caught the rapids in the creek. They were moving so fast that I couldn't get them all in frame before they were gone. There were at least 10 ducklings with Mom.



Up near the pond, the male whistled to stay in contact before joining them.



Out on the opposite side of the pond a Great Egret fished along the swollen creek. Note the light that is on the property across from Mead. That used to be all dry land.



I soon met up with fellow birder, Marcus, and we headed around Mead looking to migrants. As we got to 'warbler corner' I wondered if I was seeing young or adult Northern Cardinals darting into the branches. Marcus just said offhandedly that a nest was in the tree. This was no Cardinal nest I had ever seen. It was made mostly of Spanish Moss and was shaped like a circle. Interesting.



The Cardinals were chipping away but flying from trees to tree, seeming to be feeding. I almost wandered off when I spotted something just above me. A fledgling!



Mom was now hopping on the ground in front of me searching for food and then would eventually fly up to the young bird to feed it.



I could hear another young bird in the trees across from the nest but could not see it. I looked back at the nest because I had earlier noticed that some of its construction included plastic wrapping. I wanted a closer look and spotted something that was not visible just a couple minutes earlier. Another fledgling!!



Soon, Dad flew in with a bill full of mushed up bugs.



Junior asked...



...and received.



Once Dad flew off, Junior took a big stretch before settling in again.



Moments later, Mom flew in and delivered another snack. Three different babies had the parents very busy.



Circling around the pond we found a couple turtles drying on a log.



Above, the first warbler heard today was busy singing and feeding. This beautiful male Northern Parula was riding the limbs as the winds gusted over and over.



We found several Gray Catbirds, American Redstarts, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Black-and-White Warblers, and finally a few Black-throated Blue Warblers



So, I didn't get to band but I got some excellent Cardinal photos and some relaxed time with a friend. Not going to complain. Just better not rain next Sunday!

Black-throated Blue Warblers Return

A quick trip to the woods across from the office were in order again. There was not a lot of stuff flying but you never know. I waded into the underbrush and stopped from time to time to listen. Only Cardinals were calling. Suddenly, a dragonfly came buzzing through the palmettos, circled me several times before finally landing on a branch thinking itself out of view. I was able to sneak up a bit and get a shot. My friend Paul IDs it as a Prince Baskettail.



There was a little bit was activity as I was about to make my way out. Titmice were calling. A Downy Woodpecker zipped from tree to tree. A Pairie Warbler refused to be photographed. Then I noticed a bird behind a set of branches. Feeding with a Northern Parula, a male Black-throated Blue Warbler appeared. Then two! They are on their way home.



Quality, not quantity. Perhaps we can see more during the next banding session.

In Between Cub Scout Nature Walks...

I was volunteered to give Nature Walks for groups of Cub Scouts and their parents through parts of Mead Garden all day today. Despite having my camera slung over my shoulder for over 8 hours, I barely took any shots. I was too busy pointing things out to take many photos.

However, I did have a few minutes during lunch and a few minutes once the walks were over and actually got more things on the card than I thought I did. In fact, I almost forgot that my fellow Mead birder friends pointed out a bird to me as I was making my way back for the next group. The first Eastern Wood Pewee of the season. Not the best shot but it counts!



During my lunch break I found my sandwich in the cooler beset by ants. Sigh. Off to circle the lake. More walking instead of relaxing but I can't resist the urge to find something while I am out. At the amphitheater I saw a bird dart into the Virgina Creeper berries. Turned out to be a female Summer Tanager. From below...



It didn't take long, though, for a bunch of Red-eyed Vireos to fly in and chased the Tanager away. Then they stood watch for a bit.



Down by the lake, a few Ibis, Titmice and herons rested along the shoreline and in the shrubs. I liked this pose of a Tricolored Heron up on the old dead tree over the water.



I headed around the shore and was surprised by a movement at my feet. It was a frog. More surprising was that it did not hop directly into the water as most frogs do. I had to do a little research and discovered this is a Florida Leopard Frog. Neat. I love the way the skin looks painted.



This little fella even let me get up close and personal for a more interesting view. It never even tried to move any further.



On the far side of the lake (OK, so it is really a large pond...) a number of Red-eared Sliders were sunning on the logs. Most jumped back into the water as kids ran by but the largest paused to look me over.



On the way back to get some more checklists for the next group of Cubs I saw the only raptor we would see all day. A Red-tailed Hawk circled high above and then off into the distance. Didn't even hear a Red-shouldered Hawk today. Weird.



I was being distracted most of the day by some birds that were enjoying the Beauty Berry shrubs on the first part of the Nature Walk. Just inside the shade where the shrubs were growing, warblers and thrushes scattered every time we walked through. It was driving me crazy because I knew I could get some shots if it weren't for all the humans in tow.

So, at the end of the day I packed up and made a quiet walk back to the spot. The light had changed so it was all shade but who can complain when you can hangout with Black-throated Blue Warblers enjoying an afternoon snack?



My feet were killing me by the end of the day but a bunch of warbler shots certainly give me enough lift to make it back home.

Things from Mead I Forgot

As I was reviewing my latest post from Mead Garden I started thinking, "Hey, didn't I have a bunch of other birds on that card from that visit?" and when I got a chance I dove back into the folder. Oh, yeah. A few more birds that deserved mention. Just as well, that post was getting long enough.

So, here are those other (almost) forgotten birds from a few days ago.

In the oaks next to the azaleas by the pond, a group of us enjoyed watching and listening to a Yellow-throated Vireo. Though it was way up there, you could still feel the cute raining down on you.



Don't know how I forgot to post the Common Yellowthroats. They were the reason I headed down along the creek in the first place. You could hear them back in the woods and when I neared the creek bank they were swarming as thick as the insects they were devouring.



Problem with hungry warblers is that they move even faster than they normally do. Getting clear shots was a fun chore.



Both sexes and all ages were represented in the feeding flock. We have been banding a lot of them the past two weeks out at Lake Lotus.



Dropping in from above were several Yellow Warblers. A couple began to feed at eye level along the Southern Elderberry bushes. I got a few OK shots (and I will probably never best the ones from last week) but I like this shot of one nibbling away on the flower stalks. Different, at least.



Finally, in between American Redstart sightings I had another nice surprise. A shadow moved along the creek and stopped pretty close to me. It was a female Black-throated Blue Warbler! I followed her as she fed among the branches for a several minutes. I pick this shot for show-and-tell.



I apologize to all of you beautiful birds I somehow overlooked in my post the other day! Won't happen again.