2014 CBC in St. Pete, Part 1

That time of year again. Christmas Bird count in St. Petersburg, FL for another year. This time it would be at a new location for me and I was put on a team with Professor Elizabeth Forys from Eckerd College and Becki Smith, one of my volunteers from the Wekiva Basin Banding site. We started before dawn trying to locate some owls or Rails but were unsuccessful.

So, we headed to the water for a search for shorebirds at sunrise. We parked and hit the small beach right at dawn.



Even in low light we could quickly make out birds such as Short-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers, and American Oystercatchers. It was the first time I have seen a juvenile (left) foraging with an adult.



Out in the open water we could see nearly a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers searching for breakfast by dipping their heads just under water to look for prey and then paddling off to a new spot.



Back near the bridge, a Herring Gull stood on the sea wall and was lit up by the rising Sun.



Soon, a pair of Ruddy Turnstones inched their way toward me until the first was right below my camera before scooting past to examine the beach again.



Before we left, I took note of the view to the South. The Sunshine Skyway bridge was jutting up in the morning glow



Making our way to Isla Del Sol, we parked along the road and searched the area for anything we could add to our growing list of birds. Monk Parakeets flocked by and landed on wires while an Osprey flew past with a morning meal.



Not far behind, a Wood Stork traversed to wires over the intersection for a feeding spot across the road.



I noted aloud the ever increasing stands of Brazilian Pepper everywhere we traveled today. Getting worse all the time.



We added a few more species before we moved along. House Wrens and Catbirds were playing hide-and-seek while a Northern Mockingbird proved to be not so shy.



Our next stop was Eckerd college. Becki and I ticked Northern Cardinals and another Catbird while Beth searched for Muscovy Ducks. I had to duck under several Spiny Orb Weaver webs along the way.



Near Beth's office, Myrtle Warblers were flocking in large numbers but I was drawn more to a spot that sounded like a larger bird thumping on tree trunks. It turned out to be a smaller bird tapping palm fonds. A Yellow-throated Warbler. It posed for a few seconds before disappearing into the gloom again. Nearby, we added a Black and White Warbler.



As we rounded the corner of a building we could hear a soft call from one of the palm trees. A Red-shouldered Hawk bolted out on approach and flew over to a nearby pine.



A couple of minutes later the Red-shouldered Hawk swooped to the ground to examine something int he grass. I was sure it had captured something but all it did was tap the ground a few times before flying off to another lot.



Immediately to my left, a Brown Pelican dove into the water and was followed by two more quickly afterward. The latter two flew off but the first drifted by to give me a once over.



We were about to leave this spot when we started hearing a strange call out in the pines. A short detour took us to a stand of trees where we finally found the source of the calls. A pair of Loggerhead Shrike. Don't usually hear that noise as Shrikes tend to be more solitary.



Beth said we should start finding more ducks in the next set of ponds and as we got to the next section of the campus we did find our first Winter ducks of the day. A trio of Ring-necked Ducks.



We then spent a while counting Mottled Ducks and a variety of hybrids in this pond. Seems they come in so many varieties. I need to delve into the full range of mixes soon but we don't get that many Mottled Ducks in Orlando proper.



In the next post I will conclude our discoveries. It was a faily short day but full of photos. Too many for one comfortable blog post. Part Two to follow soon!

First Bird Photo at New Work

Yesterday I got to watch a rocket launch from the new workplace and as I left for the day I got a chance to photograph my first bird encounter at this location. I was pulling out of the parking lot and noticed a Loggerhead Shrike flying in from above toward the ground. It then flew up to a spot next to me and proceeded to thrash a newly captured caterpillar into submission before it swallowed it down.



I love Shrikes and it was nice to have one as my first bird here at my new job. Birding has actually been pretty quiet this year for some reason but I hope to start getting more photo ops as I figure out this new landscape.

2014 Jay Watch, Part 1

I headed out for the next Florida Scrub Jay count called Jay Watch for the 7th year? Loosing count by now. I have been there since the beginning. I was split between two sites this year and the first was at Buck Lake near Mims just North of Titusville, Florida. This area has had over 8 inches of rain in the past month and was wetter than any previous counts I have helped with.

Once the sunlight broke through the clouds the humidity was nearly overwhelming. Luckily, we found our first, and only, group of Scrub Jays at our first point. At least three birds were in this group and we began to try to get band colors as the sweat began to soak our clothes.



The Florida Scrub Jays were not too cooperative and flew into and out of the oak nearby. Getting the birds in any good lighting was a chalenge.



Finally, one of the Florida Scrub Jays came out to the edge of the branches and provided a good look for us to get a verify Green/Green/Dark Green/Silver on this adult bird.



One more quick look before they all headed back into the branches and then we were off again to our next stops.



We found no other Scrub Jays on our route today but that is how it goes from time to time. Other groups had some birds in their areas. On one of our last points I walked deeper into the scrub to try to locate other birds. Instead, I nearly stepped on baby Gopher Tortoise wandering through the landscape.



I was drawn even deeper into the scrub in hopes of getting a shot of the calling Bob White Quail I was hearing when a Loggerhead Shrike also honed in on the calls to investigate. Appears to me it was a juvenile checking out the noise.



One of the members of today's watch managed to get a group shot of the bunch before we all left for the day. That's me in the green shirt with binoculars. I had been wearing my Jay Watch shirt for the past two years but I wore that one totally out. Back to my banding outfit.



I couldn't resist the chance to get over to Black Point Drive in Titusville on the way home. I hadn't been there in ages. I had forgotten that they now charge a fee to get in there now. Had to dig around for the five dollars left on me. Not the best time of day or year to visit, but... Without many birds in view, I had to settle for a shot of flowers like the Gallardia blooming all along the Drive.



Midway along the drive I found a pair of Reddish Egrets bickering over feeding spots. Nice to see them again.



Trying to hide among the mangroves, a female Anhinga watches as I cruise by in the backstretch of the area.



The most seen species at Black Point today was the Red-winged Blackbirds. Females were flying here and there but the males were up and calling from spots all along the property.



Tomorrow I head back to the other Jay Watch area, Lake Monroe Conservation Area and hope to find more Florida Scrub Jays to add to the count. I also find other interesting discoveries there from year to year. We shall see.

Hike at UCF

The wife had committed to helping at the Scouting event at UCF today and talked me into tagging along with the caveat that I could go, literally, "take a hike" while she worked. I planned on just walking the campus but ended up finding the nature trail and quickly realized I was wearing the wrong footwear. Flip-flops and scrub trails are not the best mix, BTW.

It took quiet a while to find any birds so I was taking photos of flowers to ID for a long time. I might do a post about the flowers all on their own at some point as I found a ton of good plants and flowers. However, I finally heard a long-missed sound erupting from the scrub and soon found a female Eastern Towhee that I had to get closer to despite the fear of stepping on any snakes as I headed off-trail.



As I got closer to the neighborhood near the edge of the trail I began to hear the familiar sound of Chimney Swifts sweeping overhead. There was enough of a breeze to slow them a bit for a shot as they cruised over the pines.



The farther along I walked, I started finding more birds but was surprised as an Eastern Bluebird flew in to perch for a few seconds ahead of me.



High overhead, a flock of Double-crested Cormorants flew past quickly.



Besides the Bluebird, I was even more surprised to start hearing Brown-headed Nuthatches. I had to look hard but finally got a view of a juvenile calling to the adults as they gathered food to feed them.



It waits patiently...



...while an adult Brown-headed Nuthatch plucks a pine seed to work into the lunch menu.



Nearby, a Common Ground Dove dropped in to preen and take a break from foraging near the Nuthatches.



I continued to walk the trail and walked out into the open to get around the ponds and make my way back to the stadium. A police helicopter was flying in and it seemed that they were curious as to why I was there. It circled many times and I noticed volunteer staff walking toward me to see what I was up to.



I began to make gestures that I thought would signal that I was just a bird watcher and not some threat and, eventually, the helicopter landed near the ball field and the volunteers backed off. Don't know who was in it, but they did take their time to get settled in as if it might have been some VIP. My complaint is that is scared off most of the birds I was tracking.



Once the noise subsided, the Eastern Bluebirds dropped back down before heading off into the woods.



I got closer to the stadium where I had started and noticed a flock of Fish Crows exploring something on an island in a retention pond. They were not alone. A pair a Loggerhead Shrikes were defending territory from the crows and gave me some good looks as they chased the crows out of the area.



Just before I finished my walk I could hear another familiar sound in Central Florida. Sandhill Cranes were squawking in the distance and they took flight as I rounded the curve.



Back to base and we finished the day with a lunch provided by the Scouts before heading out. An unplanned hike that provided some nice birds that I had no idea were in that spot. Can't complain.

Latest LaCosta Wetlands Sightings

Back to check out LaCosta with fingers crossed. Has to be something out there. Right? Well, a little. Just across the first bridge I spotted a Prairie Warbler bouncing from branch to branch.



While I was trying to get a good angle on the Prairie Warbler I noticed another warbler deeper in the shadows. A male American Redstart was moving faster, but lower than the Prairie Warbler, after bugs.



That was the end of the migrants, though. The rest of the trek around the place was filled with local birds as usual. Still, it is always fun to see juvenile Northern Mockingbirds hanging around in the shrubs.



Back in the parking lot I was greeted by an adult Northern Mockingbird singing loudly on the wires.



Nearby, a Loggerhead Shrike flew in to scan the area for its next meal.



A little excitement. I could stand a little more.

Man, It Is Hot!

How hot? So hot that I did not want to even be out there in direct sunlight. I got a later start to the morning and the shade is just about non-existant where I was headed.

I stopped at LaCosta Wetlands first. I walked about 100 yards down the sidewalk and turned around for fear of combusting. At least there was a Loggerhead Shrike just outside the van.



I knew there would be some shade at Demetree Park and it is on the way home. Maybe there could be warblers. Nope. Too hot for birds, too. The best I could do was watch a male Downy Woodpecker forage up and down some branches by the path.



Back to the AC. I will try to get out earlier next time.