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!

Chasing (and missing) a Gull at Fort DeSoto

This will be a long post. Bear with the length to see some interesting shots and a couple cool bits of information on migrating birds.

Once Dad and I finished our looking at Redhead ducks up the road, it was time to hit the beaches of Fort DeSoto and try to find a new Life Bird. A Franklin's Gull had been reported for a couple of weeks and this was my one chance to find it. Last year, my after-Xmas present was going a bit farther South the get the Razorbills at Anna Maria Island. A new Life Bird this year would be a nice end to the year.

First, we decided to stop off at the North Beach and look for anything that might be in that area. Most of this stretch is closed for the breeding season but you can walk down much of it now. Our first bird to greet us was a foraging Reddish Egret prancing along the interior before the shoreline.



I then turned my attention to the waves and soon spotted an American Oystercatcher walking in the water. Always a striking bird.



American Oystercatchers are not a new bird for me but I have had trouble getting good shots of them on my visits. This birds did not seem to mind my presence as I approached and scanned for other birds.



Off to my left a Sanderling braved the waves and a wandering photographer (me) and probed for food under the sand.



Soon, beachcombers approached and were agitating the birds which led this Willet to fly up and land next to me. Thanks (?) beachcombers!



Time to head to the pier and search for the gull. We scanned the first flock of birds on the Bay beach but it was just a mix of local gulls and terns. Then we headed to the Gulf beach and saw a promising flock resting. Except for these two Ring-billed Gulls having a quarrel.



We examined all the gulls one by one. There were many Ring-billed Gulls like this juvenile.



Adult Ring-billed Gulls were also well represented.



Then we came to this dozing bird. Could this be our Franklin's Gull next to the Forster's Tern?



Alas, no. It was just a Laughing Gull trying to fool me.



Dad needed a bite to eat so we headed up to the snack bar before returning to the flock to do more searching. More birds were flying in and some were busy feeding along the waves like this Forster's Tern.



Suddenly, a small flock of Red Knots dropped into the waves next to us.



I soon noticed that a couple were banded! Red Knots are studied a lot as their numbers have been in decline so I made sure to get shots so I could report the band numbers later.



When I got home and processed the photos I reported them and discovered that both birds were originally banded in this area and have been migrating back and forth for many years.



I figured we had struck out on the gull we were after. All that was left to photograph was a few Ruddy Turnstones.



The clouds were finally breaking as we headed out. I always like to make sure I get some sort of flower shots while I am out and the Beach Sunflower would be just fine for the records.



On the way home we decided to make an attempt to find a Whimbrel which I was told years ago about it always being near the bridge. On the Inter-coastal side there were plenty of Red-breasted Mergansers.



I noticed a white patch on one of the birds meaning it had to be more rare bird. A Bufflehead or two were diving midway out. Thanks for the photo bomb, Herring Gull!



Nearby, a Brown Pelican remained positioned in front of a fisherman. Hoping to snatch a meal, no doubt.



Way out in the waves I could just make out a black and white bird. Turned out to be a Common Loon.



We switched our search across the road to the Gulf side but only found a few more Loons but a pair of diving Horned Grebes was a nice way to round out the visit.



So, we headed home feeling some disappointment for striking out on the Life Birds. However, we did have a fun time. Out back, a pair of House Finches were at the feeder.



Something spooked them into the tree and only then could I tell that the male was a seldom seen yellow variant. House Finch males are usually a purple-ish red but I have had yellow and orange variants at our house before.



Rain is forecast for tomorrow. Not sure if I will chase another Life Bird or not.

Smyrna Dunes

I had to drive up to a Jay Watch event north of Daytona Beach and decided to try for a couple of Life Birds on the way home. First on the list was a reported Purple Sandpiper at Smyrna Dunes. I had never been there, though I have been right near it many times in my years. I headed along the long boardwalk toward the beach and ended up taking a wrong turn and ended up on the beach on the wrong side. Dang.

Now I had a long walk through soft sands but my time was limited so I stayed on that course. Fortunately, it provided me with a nice surprise. The water roiled just off shore so I waited to see what might be causing it. The bird surfaced right in front of me. A Common Loon! Not all that common to me.



When I got to the jetty, it was crawling with people fishing. They nearly covered the entire structure! Even with all the activity, dozens of Ruddy Turnstones ran around the rocks in search of food.



No sign of the Sandpiper. However, there was another bird that caught my attention.

Sanderlings are very common in Winter along the beaches but I had not been able to find a single one this year. This one was so concerned with feeding that it basically let me approach slowly and I got my favorite shot of the year, so far.



This bird has very worn feathers but is still a beautiful creature. Now off to find the other Life Bird I was after. The next post might be rather long. It has been awhile since I was at Merritt Island.

Gulf Beaches

Before heading back to Orlando, we spent some time over on the Gulf beaches for a nice walk and then a fine dinner.

Our first stop was over at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary at Indian Shores. As their web site states, this is non-profit is "...the largest wild bird hospital and bird sanctuary in the United States, based on the admission of up to 8,000 birds per year." They have all sorts of birds that they rehabilitate and then release back into the wild.

With all of the birds in the enclosed spaces other birds stop by to roost like this beautiful Black-crowned Night Heron.



We headed to the beach just beyond the sanctuary to let the boys play near the water. Of course, I was drawn to the other birds loafing on the beach and headed down to get some shots if I could. The gull I wanted to get a shot of was scared off by visitors before I could do so so I walked back to the family while combing the shore.

For some reason, this Ruddy Turnstone wanted to walk right up to me. Easy shot of one of my favorite shorebirds.



Fun! We then headed to rotating dining room to eat and then stopped down at the shore one more time. I thought I spotted a new type of gull for me but it turned out to be another version of the common Laughing Gulls. Gulls are tough for me. Especially since I hardly get to see too many.

Here are many variations of Laughing Gulls found right there down the beach. Version 1, a juvenille:



...then older...



...then older still...



...then adults...



...and another.



Still searching for different gulls on my travels.