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!

Back Walking Mead Garden

With migration picking up I had to head back out to Mead Botanical Garden at least for a little while. Once I stepped out of the car I noticed a bird very high in the trees and tried to track it. It suddenly took oft the south but landed on an exposed branch. It wasn't until then that I realized it was a Scarlet Tanager! Not very common this time of year.



As I reached the bend in the creek I was greeted by a large Great Blue Heron trying to nap.



Over at the pond I searched for warblers but all I could see was a Red-eyed Vireo. At least it was a passible photo for once. They fly so quickly behind leaves while feeding.



High above us, another Great Blue Heron peered out across the landscape.



I searched for the Acadian Flycatcher I saw on my last visit but instead there was only a Common Yellowthroat at the cypress trees.



Nothing else in this side of the park held my interest so I started back toward the car. When I reached the cement bridge a Wood Stork and I surprised one another. I took a photo. It sulked away into the trees.



Down along the creek, a bale of Turtles rested on a log.



I heard some loud chips up in a palm tree and after a bit of circling found a Yellow-throated Warbler racing from frond to frond in search of a meal.



A small feeding flock rushed to the nearby trees and snapped away at insects. You can hardly miss the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers as they flit about.



Tufted Titmice are usually heard first and then are rather brave about feeding close to people walking by.



A Downy Woodpecker was not grabbing bugs but caching nuts for the Winter.



I was exiting the property when I heard a lot of birds mobbing...something. Moving back inside the fence I found one of our Barred Owls just hanging around under the shade.



Numerous Yellow Warblers were yelling at the owl but hard to get in the best light.



I headed home but swung through the cemetery just for a check. Look who I found. Our Bald Eagles are returning to the nest.



A fun walk but not too many interesting things. Started and ended on high notes so I guess I can't complain.

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!