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...

Fledgling Killdeer

Two days of jury duty. At least I didn't make the cut. However, I did have to go into the work to see what I could get caught up on. First, I always need to check the water for anything of interest. The alligator is back. Not much else.

I turned around in the parking lot to head back to work when something caught my attention. Killdeer were down in the creek that delivers water to the pond. Even better, one of them was a recently fledged chick!



The adults were only a short distance away and keeping watch.



The young Killdeer is growing quickly and I have found some even younger in the past but it is always nice to find data for the BBA.



Time to clock in. Maybe I will check back if I am not working into the night.

Work Birds

Work is crazy busy right now. Still doesn't keep me from staring out the large window right in front of me and 'birding' as I work. Makes me a little jumpy, though.

One thing I have been trying to confirm here is that Least Terns could be nesting atop one of the buildings here in the complex of industrial buildings. A couple days ago I found a happy sight right after work. I was always thinking the birds might be on a certain rooftop but that night I found a flock of terns circling and landing on the roof across the street! At last I had a confirmation and a single Least Tern flew over my smiling face.



A few minutes later, as I headed out towards home, a Killdeer stood on the grass next to a very full ditch. The rain was stopped for now but the area was about flooded. This is the first Killdeer I have seen here. Wonder where they might be nesting?



Another surprise this week was the small flock of Common Nighthawks that began zig-zagging past the buildings. Very exciting. Made me leap from my chair and try for some shots. Man, they are fast.



It is all I could do to even get a bird in focus in the distance. I loved hearing them calling as they pick off insects before drifting out of sight.



All kind of interesting birds fly by to break up the grind and it's not often one can bird in the air-conditioning. These days, that is very enjoyable.

Looking for More Migrants

By now, you can tell I have been spending a lot of time around Lake Lancaster. Still there every morning on the way to work and most evenings on the way home. Will be until the migrants clear out. Need to keep track on things like the fact that I once had the one Solitary Sandpiper but now there are at least 3. This guy wasn't here yesterday.



The different Yellowlegs are still in the same location, striding back and forth.



Across the lake is the Great-blue Heron rookery. I keep trying to see any young birds in there but I can't tell.



Scanning down back to the closer shore I find the Mallard family relaxing in the shallow water. Ducklings are getting more grown up.



Moving to the left revealed a Killdeer walking the shoreline in the golden morning sunshine.



Another leftward shift and I find another Yellowlegs in the shadows trying to be invisible.



Suddenly, a rapid movement to the right sent me spinning around and taking aim. A Muscovy Duck wings its way underneath the heron rookery.



Panning back to the left and I find a pair of Wood Duck zooming along in the opposite direction.



On the way out of the neighborhood I found one more Solitary Sandpiper. This one displayed its distinctive barred tail as it fed around the now exposed fish beds.



Back home in the afternoon I stepped out back to see if anything was around. Not too much but I did find a female Black-throated Blue Warbler sneaking around in the branches.



Nice. Haven't had one of them in the yard in a long time. I get a day off and should take a ton more photos. I am sure my first stop will be Lake Lancaster, again.

Killdeer Begin Again

Seems like after the (apparent) failure of the last brood the Killdeer are trying to start at a new nesting site along the banks of Lake Davis.

I walked down to see where they were seen a day ago and found one of the birds bathing in the water.



A closer search led to the discovery of the other of the pair seemingly sitting on a new nest spot.



The bathing bird noticed my discovery and quickly ran up to tell me to back the heck off.



The other bird held its ground and made an alarm call. I snapped a couple of shots (all of these using the zoom so I wasn't THAT close) and let them be and wished them luck.



Wishing them well. Another watch begins.


UPDATE: A couple days later I drove by to discover that the city ground workers were in full bore trimming and mowing down near the shore. This pretty much destroyed the nesting area. Great. Maybe next year...

Killdeer Watch, Day 12/Green-winged Teal

Another new duck for our tiny neighborhood lake!

As I was driving the boys to school I noticed a small bird in the lake right near shore. It definitely had a shape I was not familiar with on this lake.

I returned to the lake a few minutes later and decided to make a check on the Killdeer nest first.

Just near the nest area, the Peacock owned by a resident across the street wandered by.



There was a heavy rain yesterday so I didn't stop to check on the nest but was more surprised to see no evidence at all of the Killdeer. No parents. No eggs.

Further investigation found a single egg shell near the nest but what of the other 3?



More checking will have to be done later. Maybe the foxes got them? Maybe they hatched and are hiding out? Hmmmm...

So, I figured I would try to get some other bird shots. First stop was the large Mallard brood. The one definite difference was there were now only 9 out of the 15 original ducklings.

"Psssst. Don't look now, but there is a guy taking our picture!"



Spotted the small bird I noticed earlier out near the 'bird island' near a few Mallards. Much smaller than them. Maybe half the size. Lighter in color, too. It was slowly heading toward the northern shore and I made my way around the lake to try and intercept it.

Luck was with me. The duck waded ashore and fed along the shoreline. It was in heavy shade but there was a tell-tale sign. A glint of green from under the grey-ish feathers. I was hoping for something more rare but it seems like a Green-winged Teal hen has found our humble lake.



This would be a first sighting of this species on these lakes in all these years. The light here reflects the color as a blue at this angle.



A pretty little duck.



Though she seems to be keeping an eye on overhead threats.



Not to worry. Only an Osprey looking for a meal in the shallow waters of Lake Davis.

The new bird sightings keep getting more interesting.