St. Pete CBC

My 9th Christmas Bird Count in St. Pete was windy and chilly and overall counts were down not only on the coast but all over Florida. Warm weather seems to have kept most migrants North but we venture out to count every species we can every year in hopes that the data will give us some insight of bird populations and movements.

Every year is different. Sometimes warm, sometimes freezing, but always interesting and I like getting over to the coast to see birds I don't always see in Central Florida. But, honestly, there were nota lot of birds that I couldn't find anywhere else this year. However, 9 hours walking all over Pinellas County is still fun.

We started our day out at Joe's Creek Preserve and first heard and then discovered a Great-horned Owl nest but never saw the bird.



As the Sun continued to rise I spotted a Red-shouldered Hawk searching for breakfast in the distance and tried to get as close as I could before it flew off.



I didn't realize I had walked right by an Apiary until I turned around. It had not been here in the past few years that I was here. Hmmm.



On the other side of the mound, a few Eastern Phoebes were feeding and perching around and on many trees.



Birds were beginning to move about and we had a few Roseate Spoonbills flying over.



We drove over toward the water treatment plant and were surprised to find a big feeding flock of warblers. Most of them were Pine Warblers.



I don't think I have ever seen so many Pine Warblers at one time before this morning. They were everywhere!



Taking a pause from trying to get a shot of the warblers (in bad light) I glanced upward and spotted a nice Circumzenithal arc overheard.



Just before we left that spot we found a Blue-headed Vireo joining in on the feeding frenzy.



Brazillian Pepper has been encroaching many areas in the state but I was amazed by how much they are taking over in this county.



We had to make a stop for gas and I took the chance to walk behind the store to a check of the canal. Good thing I did. A Mottled Duck was drifting by.



Heading over to Veteran's War Memorial Park we hoped to find some shorebirds but there were not a lot of them. I had to settle for a couple of Willet feeding near the shore.



How can I resist a shot of a Brown Pelican flying by?



One of the birds we always hope to find here is the Great-horned Owl. We thought it might be hard to get since we missed it the past couple of years but as we stepped out of the van...



Another view of the sleepy Great-horned Owl.



Heading back to the shore we were greeted by a few nice birds to add to the list, including a quick moving Yellow-throated Warbler.



Suddenly, a flock of American Goldfinches came in to view and began feeding on



As much as I liked watching the Goldfinches, I was also focused on another bird flitting about. A Prairie Warbler.



Then quickly back to an American Goldfinch stuffing his face.



Nearby, we stopped at a strip mall to check a pond that usually holds interesting birds. Today we only had a few birds but did have a Mallard hybrid with ducklings.



Our count ended and I headed out to a spot where a rare bird was sighted a few days before. As I looked for the bird I could not resist taking a shot of a Palm Warbler that posed for me too easily.



I thought I had the rare bird in my sights but after looking through the shots and enhancing I discovered it was just an Orange-crowned Warbler. Oh, well.



Another CBC under my belt in St. Pete and a good time with other birders. Next year will be a 10 year anniversary. Until then...more birds back home!

Orange-crowned Warbler

Another day of taking the van to the repair shop. At least I always know I can have a walk home and do some bird watching along the way. By the time I got to Lake Davis there were not too many birds close by except for a large flock of Rock Doves overhead. This nearly all white one was sitting all alone and drew may attention most and made for a sharp shot.



Mallards and Coots fed near the shore while a female Anhinga dried her wings.



The early morning light was not the best for photos but I had to grab a shot of a pair of Blue-winged Teal headed towards the reeds.



A block from home I noticed some birds fluttering atop the Loquats on the corner. One had to be a Palm Warbler but the other perked me up enough to stop. An Orange-crowned Warbler.



The Orange-crowned Warbler was having little trouble finding food hiding in the seed heads high above me. Once the fruit sets later on, the Loquat fruit will be a magnet for Cedar Waxwings on their way back home and I have had success getting great shots of them in these trees though the years.



The bird flew a little closer before flying off as a Blue Jay swooped in calling. One thing I always point out to the volunteers at the banding site is the easiest way to quickly ID Orange-crowned Warblers (The males have an actual orange colored crown they flair while the females do not, by the way.) is by the dark line through the eye and especially the needle-liked bill.



Now, I wait by the phone for the news on the van problem but I got a few positive vibes for the morning.

Barber Park Warblers

On Thanksgiving morning I headed out to do my daily bird count around the neighborhood. The weather was very nice but the wind was up so there were not as many duck sightings as I would have liked. I figured I would head over to Barber Park since I haven't been in a long time and on rare occasions a duck or stray goose shows up. Nothing in the front pond except the local Mallards, Muscovy, and White Ibis today.

I almost left just then but thought that maybe I should check the plants and trees across the parking lot just because. Glad I did because it lead to nearly an hour of warblers and other birds. I thought I would be able to get a shot of one of the Palm Warblers on the lawn but I was pleasantly surprised that one of my best subjects of the morning was this Myrtle Warbler.



While other birds fled my advance on a stand of shrubby trees in a marshy area, this Myrtle Warbler (commonly called Yellow-rumps) paid me little attention as it hopped and gleaned its way around the ground and branches. It mainly stayed in the shade but I did get a shot in a small circle of sunlight.



This is a nice example of an adult male in Winter plumage. The bright yellow crown feathers are peeking through nicely and you can even see dark spots around the bird's brow. Females don't have those.



Even as he fed in the shade I was pleased to get some nice shots when he would stop for a couple seconds every now and then.



A beautiful warbler. Too bad we only get to see a few in Spring that reach their full colorful plumage molt before they fly back North.



I followed the path of several warblers that were heading out from the lot area and appeared to be heading toward Lake Barber on the other side of the soccer fields. In the trees near the lake there were dozens and dozens of Myrtle and Palm Warblers. I was also happy to see several Orange-crowned Warblers feeding, too. I get to hold them but rarely get natural photos of them.



Besides the large amount of feeding small birds in the trees, there were many larger birds in the sky. Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, Black and Turkey Vultures, many migrating Ring-billed Gulls, and few Bald Eagles took advantage of the strong winds.



I took a few minutes to ignore the warblers so I could try for a shot of this Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Turned out pretty well, no? I only saw a couple of them in this area.



Nearby, the Western Palm Warblers were a little more secure feeding here than over on the lawn. Easy for them to duck back into the bushes if needed. Every now and then they would sit out in the sunlight to strike a pose.



I probably like this shot better but there were so many to choose from today.



Soon, the birds seemed a bit sated and they settled into the leaves for some rest and I headed home. I will have to head back again soon. After all, it is in my Breeding Bird Atlas block so I will have to do more research over the next few years.