2015 New Year's Day Hike, Part 1

Happy New Year! Sometimes I like to find a new place to hike on the first day of the year. Today I hiked part or the Lake Apopka Loop Trail. I wanted to try and see some new birds that were being reported which I figured would take me a few miles. I didn't count on the 13 miles I actually ended up walking.



The morning was totally overcast the entire trip. The best shot of one of the many Eastern Phoebes was pretty gloomy.



Not long after the first turn I noticed a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher flitting about the shrubs.



A lot of other birders were down the road searching for the same birds that I was but none were showing right now. Over in the marsh a few Glossy Ibis searched for breakfast.



A couple mile down the trail I reached the Orange County line.



A Killdeer called and flew back and forth across the road and finally posed for me by the picnic shelter.



Around the next turn, a Great Egret watched me carefully.



I thought I would be able to see Lake Apopka by now but the trail just kept turning back and forth. I came to a large canal and thought I would just keep going until I did reach the lake shore.



Down in the canal, a large Alligator was deciding to come up the bank. Big boy!



Just when I though the lake was in reach, the trail switched back again. Dang. At least I had a few Savannah Sparrows to keep me company.



There were many signs of mammals around but I wasn't finding them. Just scat up and down the roadway.



There were signs along the trail every now and then. I didn't notice until I took the photo that they were milage signs. They marked the distance from the other end of the trail near Magnolia Park but I was not going that far. Just to the lake. I hope.



A couple Bald Eagles passed overhead as I stubbornly walked down the trail despite by now aching feet.



At last! The edge of Lake Apopka. No real number of birds around. Definitely not on the water. I did finally hear a flock of Fulvous Whistling Ducks but they kept back in the marsh so I couldn't get a photo. It was one of the birds I was after, however.



I continued to a more open spot on the lake and could see the Pumphouse in the distance. This was as far as I would go before turning back. Going to be a long haul.



One thing you, hopefully, learn as a birder is to keep an eye on the ground. Anthills are all over and the last thing you want is to be so interested in a bird that you stand on one by mistake. It is a quick lesson.



Back near the trail switchback a pair of Anhinga chased one another.



The broke through the clouds for a couple of minutes and gave me a good view of one of the many Little Blue Herons I saw today.



At the canal, the big Alligator had reached to bank and I noticed it brought along a friend. I wanted a better shot but I figured I would not have enough energy for escape if I got too close.



In another canal I found another Alligator with a better profile.



Finally! A mammal!! This Raccoon was busy checking the vegetation for a morsel until it noticed me about to take its picture.



Nearing the Picnic shelter a spotted a Red-shouldered Hawk having a meal. I could not tell what it was eating.



When I reached the shelter I noticed a mass up ahead next to the road. A little closer and I could tell it was another mammal. A Bobcat. Resting. Until I got a few feet closer.



A juvenile Little Blue Heron kept an eye on me as I trudged past.



A good sign. Back into Lake County which meant I was only a couple of miles from the car. Not going to Clay Island today. I did that hike a few years ago on New Year's Day.



I was still hoping to add a couple more interesting birds for the day. But those will keep until the next post. Man, my feet hurt...

St. Pete CBC, 2012

That time again. Time for the big kick-off of all of the state's Christmas Birds Counts. I help out my friends on the Gulf Coast every year. It is nice to get back over to the Gulf side and see some birds I don't see on a regular basis and try to grab some important species for the cause.

I arrived at War Veteran's Memorial Park ahead of the gang to try and get some Screech Owls and locate the Great-horned Owls before dawn. After a long walk to the ranger's house I managed to get one Screech Owl calling back to my recorded calls but no Great-horned. Seemed they were all the way back by the parking lot where I found Rocky Milburn and Mike Judd looking up in the dark at our pair. Jim Wells soon followed just ahead of our leader for the day, Charlie Fisher.

With the owls on the list, we began to scan to water at dawn. Here, the crew is at the end of the boat ramp docks as the Sun begins to rise.



Looking back from the dock, adult Brown Pelicans light up nicely in the new day's rays peaking over the horizon.



We tallied up the pelicans, Oystercatchers and thousands of Fish Crows and headed to Joe's Creek as the fog dropped in over the area. Can't seem to get away from the fog the past couple of weeks. Bad thing about fog is that birds don't like to fly much in it. So, I had to settle for finding birds in the marsh like a Marsh Wren and this Swamp Sparrow.



As we turned around to head off, we found another reason the birds weren't flying. A Red-shouldered Hawk was perched silently behind us.



Up near the baseball field, a Common Ground Dove flushed from the grasses and settled on the fence.



At the dead-end at the back of the property, an Osprey scans the surroundings.



We added a lot more species before we left the area and I came away with a nice souvenir. A discarded or forgotten machete that had seen better days but an interesting discovery. On the way out of the area we stopped by the treatment plant and located a few more species, including a Black-crowned Night Heron.



We headed off to the next stop and added Snipe, Mergansers, and American Coots to the list.



Hunger got the best of us and we settled in for a regroup and then went straight for a nearby parking lot where we added a much needed Ring-billed Gull. Pretty as this bird was, it seemed to be mute. It made calling motions several times but no sound came out.



Off to our left, Wood Storks gathered. I felt like making this a black and white version for some reason. We headed back to War Veteran's Memorial Park to have another look around in the daylight.



One of our golas here was a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. There used to be one that lived in a certain spot and was easy to find. Not so much today. I made a big loop through the mangroves and park of the park as the Charlie and Rocky scoped the water. Before that we did find a female Black Scoter!) It was very quiet and all I could find was a Great Blue Heron up in a pine tree, of all places.



Back down at the water I found a couple of Ruddy Turnstones out on the rocks but no other birds near shore. Instead, I found mating Horseshoe Crabs along the beach.



I headed back to the point to meet back up with the guys. As I waited I found myself in a feeding flock of Myrtle and Palm Warblers. I stood still and watched as several Palm Warblers formed a crude line 30 yards away from me and began foraging toward me. Eventually, a gorgeous Eastern Palm Warbler was mere feet away and allowed a nice shot.



One last stop before the end of the day. We headed next door to the Veteran's hospital. We scanned the water and came away with a few more herons and an Egret. We headed out and decided to check the cemetery. Nothing there but we heard a sweet, loud call nearby and got out to search. The last bird of the count for us: Black and White Warbler.



Over 80 species for us today and the total for the count area ended up being a respectable 162 species. Might try to do more than one CBC next year. Just need a little more planning. Now I have to finish planning for Christmas.