Mom's Feeders

We headed over to Mom's to sort through Dad's clothing and other belongings to see if we could recycle stuff before getting the rest to Goodwill. A somber 4 days but we managed to have some enjoyable times here and there. One of the last things Dad did before weeding and passing away was filling the feeders. If we visited and I noticed that they were empty I would head out to fill them and get water in the bird bath.

Mom mentioned that she had not filled the feeders since because she never saw any birds out there so it was not really worth it. Besides, she is busy enough. I figured I had to fill them as the rains approached to see what would show up. It rained for 4 solid days afterwards.

It didn't take long for birds to start returning to the feeders after they were loaded. Kinda like, "Where was that old guy who fed us? Yay! Food!!". House Sparrows and other birds began streaming into the yard. I enjoyed trying to examine the sparrows to see how many were juveniles like this one who was picking at grasses in between feeder visits.



Blue Jays were soon to follow and there was an entire family. Juveniles were everywhere of many species but the Jay kids were super hungry for most days.



House Sparrows have never been uncommon at the house when the feeders are full but I was amazed by the numbers on this visit. At one point of the last day there were at least 50 flocking through and perching everywhere.



Out front at feeder #2, a juvenile Mourning Dove stayed on the ground picking up the spilled food. You can tell young doves with their feathers looking more like scales instead of a smooth, uniform brown.



Even juvenile Boat-tailed Grackles joined in at a couple of times. It was difficult to get that iridescent shine in the rain but this one works for me.



Another juvenile House Sparrow perches on the feeder pole waiting for a turn to grab more food.



A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen many times but I never had the camera in my hands when she was out in the open. I had to settle for a blurry shot through the window as she rested in the Crepe Myrtle.



Despite the heavy bands of rain, once we had a small break the House Sparrows decided they needed a more thorough washing in the bird bath.



There were several other species that flew through. There were Eurasian collared doves, Red-winged Blackbirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Starlings. On the final day, a Tufted Titmouse braved the mass of birds and took a chance at getting to the feeder.



When things got too crazy, it would retreat to the Crepe Myrtle and wait for the next opportunity.



We were packing the car to head home and I put the camera in the front seat. I decided to look out back once more and a juvenile Cooper's Hawk flew in to try for a birds meal and landed in the yard. I headed back to the car to retrieve the camera hoping for the raptor to still be around. It did stay but flew up to the power lines to keep watch.



The fun part about juvenile Cooper's Hawks is that they are not afraid of much. Too inexperienced. I got 30 close-up shots before we headed back to Orlando.



So, we got through the first wave of help to clean out Dad's stuff. We also got some good birding in the yard and saw Star Trek (I recommend it). I told Mom not to worry about keeping the feeders filled. They went through 3 fillings while we were there but they are fine on their own. Clearly.

By the way, I call it 'bird bait' and not bird seed. We only use it to bring bird to us. They are just fine on their own.

Lake Apopka Drive, Part 2

Part 2 starts with me craning out of the driver's window to try and get a shot of a very busy Western Palm Warbler. One out of ten shots coming out is good enough for me.



Common Gallinules are a lot easier since they tend to cruise and peck.



I started down the next stretch when a Bald Eagle flew in and landed on a phone pole. Another photographer was ahead of me so I gave her some space and got the best shot I could before it flew off.



We traveled a bit farther down the road and spotted another Bald Eagle on another pole. Suddenly, the male flew in to copulate!



Shortly afterward he flew off into the distance while the female remained to preen a bit. I don't see that everyday.



I don't often see too many Blue-winged Teal out here so it was a nice surprise to find this pair trying to stay hidden.



The Snowy Egret, in contrast, was prancing around like crazy.



American Coot numbers are on the increase all across the state.



OK. I guess I will have to take yet another Great Blue Heron shot since he is just sitting there...



Finally! A Belted Kingfisher that didn't fly away as I got a little closer. Still pretty far out in the marsh but at least it isn't sitting on a wire.



Across the canal as I made the turn a nice-sized American Alligator was hauled all the way to the top of the berm to catch some sunlight.



Another one down in the water was even bigger.



Hope the Anhinga is paying attention to the gator as much as he was to me.



Not as many Eastern Phoebes around as the last time I was out but a couple posed for me today.



Third species on a pole today. This time it was a Double-crested Cormorant.



While down in the water a very photogenic Pied-billed Grebe glided to a stop just out the window.



If I would have been looking the opposite direction I would have missed this bird completely. Fortunately I noticed the Cooper's Hawk shaking while it preened. Thus, that lovely fluffy look.



I took a bunch more photos until it eventually gained a more refined posture.



I neared the end of the drive and noticed an American Kestrel flitting around ahead. Kestrels are even more skittish than Kingfisher so I really wasn't expecting a photo. Then it grabbed an insect and circled back to land close to me! I didn't notice until I was editing the pictures at home but I never knew they rested on their tarsus. It would be similar to sitting on your shins.



Once it finished eating breakfast, it quickly stood in an upright position that we are all use to. Interesting.



Another fun trip around the top of the lake. Who knows when I will be able to get back out. Maybe New Year's Day. Last year I hiked 14 miles out here, before the drive was open. Don't mind hiking but I think I prefer the car for these longer jaunts. Makes it easier to sneak up on the birds, too.

Local Lake Search

This season has been so slow for migrants that I keep wondering why I even take my daily lake rounds to look for them. It has been consistently disappointing. A typical year usually has hundreds of Ring-necked Duck in the area. This year the best flock is on Lake Weldona with just over 30 birds.



There must be something out there just out of sight because I am starting to see more raptors on the move. This Cooper's Hawk was trying to stay hidden in a Cypress at Lake Lancaster.



On the opposite shore, the Great Blue Herons are preparing to nest in their usual oak trees.



On to Lake Davis to look for a reported bird I haven't seen in a few years. The first ducks I found were a couple of young Muscovy Ducks that were hatched last month.



Just when I thought I wasn't going to see any Anhinga, there she was.



A small flock of Blue-winged Teal have been hanging out this season. Mostly they cling to the shore under the shade. Today I caught one in the sunlight for a few seconds.



It seemed to take a while for the American Coots to show up this Winter but they are here and there around the area now.



Rounding the last part of my lake walk I spotted the birds I was after. Northern Shovelers congregate in large numbers over on the coasts but some years they venture inland. They are another duck that stays in the shade a lot.



Northern Shoveler males get pretty flashy. This is actually the 'dull' plumage.



A few more species in the area with a little while longer to go. I have yet to see a Cedar Waxwing this season which is really odd. Waiting and watching.

Wading...Cooper's Hawk?!?

On the way home for the store I headed around my usual loop through a neighborhood to look for ducks. Only a few and they were on the opposite side of the lake. Just before I got to the exit of the subdivision I spotted something in the water. A Cooper's Hawk was actually in the lake up to its backside!



I have seen other birds wading in the shallows of lakes and ponds but seeing a hawk doing this was...weird. Perhaps it was preparing for a bath or just wanted to cool off. Bet I don't see this type of thing again soon.

Fresh Air and a New Woodpecker at Mead

Some birders are retired and have free time to go on long trips on a whim to see birds any day. Some live near great birding spots that only require a short jaunt to see fun sightings nearly any day. Some of us have Life to deal with. Like me. Kids to run back and forth to school, chores, shopping, and job searching. Leaves precious little time to bird. Sigh.

So, after two weeks of not getting out to do any 'real' birding, I decided the reports from Mead warranted a day to get some fresh air and snag some shots today. Especially since I had to miss the Philadelphia Vireo last week and there are new Woodpeckers reported and photographed out at one of my favorite local hotspots. I had gathered all of my State requested job searches for the week and decided to take a walk.

I arrived at Mead Botanical Gardens as Marcus, a fellow birder, was getting out to refill the hummingbird feeder and he pointed out a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the tree above his van that he says has been there for a while. She was busy making holes in the tree for later meal chances. Despite their name, Sapsuckers don't suck sap. They make holes in bark to allow the sap to ooze out and attract insects that they then eat.



Once we got the feeder filled I wanted to head straight over to the spot where a Red-headed Woodpecker has been taking up residence and storing acorns after drilling out a hole in a nearby dead stump. We looked around a while before the bird began chirping and lead us to discover it up in the pines.



As we were watching this bird a Cooper's Hawk swooped in and landed a few feet away. This caused the Red-headed Woodpecker to hide until the hawk headed off into the neighborhood trees. It still took 20 minutes before the woodpecker felt secure enough to head out to forage. It landed on another snag far overhead.



Red-headed Woodpeckers breed up at Wekiwa Springs and were only recorded as fly-overs here at Mead. This is the first time they have been recorded staying for any length of time. I was hoping for a closer shot but with any luck they will hang around and I can get a closer shot. The fact that they are storing acorns is a good sign that they may be expanding their range, at least for now. It would be a welcome addition to the gardens.



I was wanting to add my first season sighting of Yellow-rumped Warblers to my list and we found them down by the creek. The lighting was horrible, however, so I got no pictures of them today. They quickly dispersed and were soon replaced by Carolina Wrens emerging from the wetlands.



Another bird we found along the creek was an Eastern Phoebe. As we followed its calls a Red-shouldered Hawk glided out of the shadows and landed on a fence on a property across from the gardens.



I mentioned a Cooper's Hawk before and they are still prowling the area in silence. As I was about to leave for the morning, I spotted another near the butterfly garden but it would only pause for a few seconds before being spooked by us as we walked by.



Being Halloween, spooking would seem to be the task at hand. At least I got some treats on my one day out for now.

Death After the Rain

A little dramatic? Yes. Yet true. First...

I started out around the azaleas to look for thrushes. There were many of them but they move so fast and often so high that it is difficult to get shots. In fact, the only bird that would come out to the edge of the branches were the Northern Cardinals.



By the time I wandered over to Warbler Corner I was actually surprised that it started to rain. I am usually on top of that sort of thing. I was a long way from shelter. I stuffed my camera under my shirt and began the hike back to the amphitheater.

While the rain ebbed and flowed in waves, I continued to scan for birds. Soon, I noticed movement down the path. I guessed what it was before it made itself visible. An Ovenbird was foraging in the rain and it came a little toward me before vanishing back into the bushes.



Larry and Cleber joined me under the roof and once the rain let up we headed toward the boardwalk. I was scanning a moving branch but couldn't see the bird. Then Larry mentioned a hawk. It was off to the left of where I was staring. Indeed, a young Cooper's Hawk was behind some branches. It was also holding onto a small bird. Hard to tell from a distance but it was a male Common Yellowthroat.



For some reason the hawk dropped its kill into the water below. It then spent a while looking for it.



Soon, it relocated the warbler and hauled it out of the swampy water and flew off to the boardwalk. We slowly made our way around the walk to get a closer look. It pulled out a good amount of vegetation along with the bird but quickly picked through it to get to breakfast.



We watched for a little while and got some shots before it decided to head off to another location to finish its meal.



Circle of Life. These juvenile Cooper's Hawks are finally getting good at capturing food on their own. I have been watching them miss for weeks now.