Yellow-headed Blackbird: Success!

The thought of the Yellow-headed Blackbird was haunting me still after not finding it yesterday. I had to swing by the sighting spot again. There was another birder there who had driven all the way from the Tampa area to try and find it.

We sat on a cement culvert and waited. She had thought she had spotted it briefly before it disappeared into the reeds. So, wait we did.

After nearly and hour it appeared! It hung close to the reed and preened for what seemed like forever. Not a good view for a shot. But I took several anyway just for positive ID purposes.

Satisfied with her find, the woman headed home. Said she had a dog to walk after a long drive home. I stayed and waited longer, hoping the bird would come out in the open. Some folks visiting the restaurant next the the spot noticed my camera and came over to chat. Wanted to know if there were good hiking spots nearby for visitors to explore.

I notice that whenever I am out with this new digital camera I get more curious people asking either what I am taking photos of and since I seem to know about birds then I must know other outdoor information. Luckily, I do!

Right after the last visitor got their info from me the bird seemed to be done with preening and began to slide down toward the water for a drink. Then, it hopped out onto the fence.



There he was! Just looking around and posing. Even though it was at a bit of a distance I thought my shots were more in focus. Maybe my heart was pounding more than I realized in this shady spot holding a long lens at its max focus.



I managed one more full shot just before it vanished back into the bull rushes to hide.



Ah, success. Now I could go home and forget about this wayward bird. Or could I...?

Hunting for a Wayward Visitor

Word spread fast that an out of town bird watching group had found a Yellow-headed Blackbird lurking in some reeds behind a hotel. Best news was that it was just minutes form our house! No need to run 2 hours to get a new bird.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds are most common out West. Every now and then there is a sighting here in Florida. Strong fronts have been sweeping in of late and may have ushered this bird in the wrong direction.

I had some chores to run first thing in the morning so I would pass by the area on the way. It was just around dawn so I hoped traffic, cars and bird watchers alike, would be at a minimum.

I got to the spot and waited. Scanned the reeds. Waited. Nothing in sight but Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles. Still, it is fun to watch the male Red-wings performing their calls and flaring their wings.



Not much else to see. Until a Limpkin flew in to look for Apple Snails.



Time was running out for today. No Yellow-headed Blackbird. I would have to try again next time.

Dang.

Swans are Back

Took the circular route home to see if the Ring-necked Ducks were still around (they are, in smaller numbers) and noticed the unmistakable white blobs of swan shapes on a far shore. I swung by to see if I could get some shots.

Two of the many local swans had returned and were looking for a handout but all I had was goodwill and my camera. So they fed off of the bottom of the lake and preened.



I just love watching them dip and rise and trying to get some shots of water dripping off of their bills.



The day was closing fast but the light was nice. The shutter kept clicking away for a few more minutes. The swans just fed and posed.



Just as I was heading back to the car another white shape swooped in and landed nearby. It was a Great Egret with something for dinner. Couldn't tell from where I was so I slowly approached the bird to get a better look.



To my surprise, it looked like it had snatched up a young soft-shelled turtle! It kept try to figure out how to swallow it whole. Before it could do that, though, it flew off to the other side of the lake. Hope it didn't choke!

Migration North is Almost Here

March already? Not much even happened in February...

I figured I had better stop by the local lakes to get a shot of some Ruddy Ducks. Almost time for them to head back north. They usually are resting out near the center of Lake Davis but this afternoon they were sitting and slashing near the shore.

This female Ruddy seemed quite comfortable.



I was especially interested in attempting to get a shot of the male. He was a bit farther out but not to far out to not be able to see his bill and plumage changing toward his Summer attire.



Also along the shoreline was a beautiful Tri-colored Heron who didn't seem to mind my close proximity at all.



On the way back to the car I spotted another bird ready to head home. A Yellow-rumped (Mytle) Warbler. Haven't seen as many this year.



Time to go searching before all the Winter birds turn towards their Summer home.

Say's Phoebe Revisited

Had a scant few minutes in an otherwise busy day leading up to Super Bowl time so I ran over for another try at the Say's Phoebe. I really wanted to get it on this year's checklist and after missing it a month ago figured, "Why not?".

A few other birders were new arrived before me and were starting to scan the field where it usually hangs out. No luck there. They scanned the field to the east and, sure enough, it was hanging out in the midday sun collecting insects and preening.



The sounds of nearby Red-shouldered Hawks failed to send it flying for cover. It spent most of it's time cleaning feathers and watching as a Northern Mocking bird fed at closer range.



I stayed as long as I could but not coax it to get into a closer position for a real good shot. Not to be without a major lens or teleconverters. Oh, well.

On the way back to the turnpike, I swung past the rapidly disappearing Kingbird roost area. I was surprised by a Bald Eagle sitting in a dead tree near the road and screeched to a halt. After noticing that my camera setting were way off, I corrected that and once I looked up the bird was prepared to take flight.

Luckily, it did so in my direction.



Not bad for a few extra minutes on the way home!

Backyard Mockingbird

I was trying to see if I could find anything of interest in the backyard. Maybe a Goldfinch or some other migrant.

Instead, our resident Mockingbirds decided it was time for a snack and flew into the Beauty Berries to chow down. This bird let me get within a couple yards without flinching.

Hungry, indeed.



One of the others in the bush was a bird I banded late last year. Sometimes I take our Mockers for granted but they are lovely birds.

Sparrow Drive at Weekie Wachie

We headed out to a new spot for this sparrow round-up and thing looked like they might be a little different as far as the weather was concerned. Maybe we could have a day off of the prairie and a chance to net birds out of the punishing winds that prevail far to the wide-open south.

No such luck.

A fast moving front appeared in the past couple of days and looked to smash into us just in time for the banding opportunity. Some weather reports seemed to suggest it might keep the rains from reaching us until late in the day. Other reports fudged toward a little earlier in the day. It turned out that we got small amounts of rain throughout the entire morning.

It failed to dampen any of the volunteer spirit gathered for the day as we toiled to haul cinder blocks to anchor the net poles out in the open spaces of what was a former limestone quarry. It still looked like it could be a promising day to find some hidden sparrows.

There were no real surprises to the day's catch but we did manage to get more than enough birds to keep things busy. The only things slowing us down were some interesting terrain changes to walk through and the occasional calf-deep ponds of water hiding beneath the tall grasses.

Then the rain began and sprinkled on us for the remained of the day. A couple of highlights made up for the damp.

Definitely the right time of year for some Savannah Sparrows including this early capture.



The better birds were still come follow and, though there was a slim chance to see them, we were happily greeted by a couple of Henslow's Sparrows throughout the day.



IN the middle of the round-up we also managed a few LeConte's Sparrows. They are more rare but the habitat was good for them being near watery edges and now flooded fields. This bird was actually caught earlier in the day and released but returned to nearly the same spot and was recaptured by me just walking back to the nets.



The crowd that was there just to take photos swarmed this bird's first capture so I made this a more private moment without alerting the crowd. Besides, it was getting cold and rainy so we wanted to get it back into the wild as soon as possible.

All in all, a fun day despite the cold and rain and a nice chance to band outside the usual spots we have banded before. Still waiting for a nice calm day in a new spot in the future.

Kissimmee Prairie Sparrow Roundup

Finally time for a little Kissimmee Prairie sparrow round-up again after having to miss the last date. This round-up was fairly typical but did bring a few surprises.

As I was loading up the van at 4:30 AM, I glanced up at the telephone pole at the end of the neighbor's driveway for some reason. Even in the near dark, I could tell that there was some other shape atop the pole and quickly grabbed the binoculars. Definitely the shape of an owl!

Barred Owls and even a few Screech Owls have started showing up nearby but this one looked much larger. I attempted to focus on the dark shape and hoped I could get at least some ID from the shot. To my surprise, it turned out to be a Great-horned Owl! The first I have ever recorded in this area.



I found this to be a good sign for the day to come and headed off 3 hours to the south.

I arrived near the front gate right at dawn and listened in on the waking birds around me. I was pleased to hear an American Woodcock over the morning calls of a distant rooster. I tried to get a recording of the Woodcock but it soon ceased calling but I did begin hearing another call that seemed very strange.

I managed to get some recordings of it by sticking the tape recorder out of the van's window but I could not find the singer. It was totally new to me, almost robotic. Maybe I had found some new sparrow to add to my list.

I stepped out of the van and decided to play the call back toward the brush and see what might happen. TO my surprise, the birds flew directly toward me. They were not anything new to me, though. Turned out to be Eastern Towhee's, a male and female, and the male started his strange call again just 4 feet in front of me!

I am used to Towhee calls, but this one seemed to have a completely new and alien dialect.



I usually take my time driving toward the banding site and I still find the abandoned farm house an interesting sight.



Moving on, I drove down the road to see what else might be up before I had to help with the net array. Down near the campground, a flock of turkey crossed the road and passed in front of me.



Off in the distance, I noticed some Savannah Sparrows out in the grasses and I had to head over to join the arriving crew. THere was an impressive amount of volunteers for the day, each hoping to find some new bird for their lists and some close-up photos of seldom seen species.

Most of the birds captured were fairly typical. The most exciting point of the day, however, was the Yellow Rail we flushed on one of our early rope drags. It flushed just feet in front of us a few times before heading toward the net directly in front of me. I jumped the rope line in hopes of getting a good capture but the bird dropped into the bottom panel of the net and rolled out and managed to escape across the road from us.

Luckily, we all got great looks as it flew just a couple of feet above the scrub several time. Life Bird for all of us!

We recorded many Bachman's, Grasshopper, and Savannah Sparrows as well as a couple of Sedge Wrens before we had to call it a day. Not bad.

On the way home back out of the park, I got a good dose of Loggerhead Shrike views before I prepared for the long trek home.



I also had a 'warning' from a Northern Mockingbird not long before that.



Though we didn't get as many sparrows as we had hoped, any day with a great Life Bird is a good one.

No Say's. Scrub Jays, Though.

Paul and I headed to try and check off the Say's Phoebe for the New Year's list but it was no where to be found. Most likely hiding in the trees so early in the day. We decided to head around the end of Ranch Road to see if we could find any sparrows. No luck there, either.

While we were searching, we passed the usually reliable spot for Scrub Jays but they were not there on our initial pass. I mentioned that I hadn't seen them for a while. There was a report that one or two were actually found dead recently and it appeared to be the fault of humans.

We ended our rounds and headed off separately as I had to head back home. I decided to swing by the Jay spot one more time and saw a bird on the electric wires. I stopped and got out for a closer look. It was a Jay!

Just then, one flew out to greet me personally.



One of the first things I noticed was that this particular bird was not banded. A majority of the Florida Scrub Jays throughout the state have been banded for study purposes in attempts to save this endangered species.

Moments later, the entire family began to show up a provided excellent photo opportunities. The color-coded bands are very visible on this bird.



Florida Scrub Jays are one of the friendliest birds you will find. I love their curiosity and lack of fear. Of course, that can lead to danger when humans with bad intentions show up as has happened to this family.



I heard an Eastern Screech Owl around the corner and figured it was Paul playing a tape to bring in some sparrows. He arrived soon after and said he wasn't playing the tape. So Screech Owls are here, too. Excellent.

Paul joined me at the fence for some photos of his own as the Jays continued their poses and fed on the ground at our feet.



Hopefully this family will continue to thrive and avoid those wishing them harm. I still say that they should be the state bird of Florida.

Scaup On Cherokee

Finally getting back into the blog zone for the new year. Not a lot happening but I did notice a new duck out on Lake Cherokee. Much like a Ring-necked but a bit darker.

Turns out to be a female Lesser Scaup. Not entirely uncommon but scarce enough for me.



She was way out on the lake but not too far to be unrecognizable.

Later, just before dark, there were a few dozen Scaup out on Lake Davis, 2 blocks over.

In these quiet times, I will take it.

Nice End to the Year: Vermilion Flycatcher

Wanted to make a run at finding Vermi again while I had the chance. If you have been reading along, I got many pictures of him last year and he returned in November but I wasn't able to visit him again until now.

Heavy fog shrouded the Lake Jessup pastures at dawn and didn't burn off until after 8 AM. The morning still provided some diversions as I waited, though.

Still, it took until much later before I found Vermi again.

When I first spotted him, I was on my way out. Nearby, a Red-shouldered Hawk was perched about 20 yards away. Vermi just preened in the cattails and waited.

I didn't see the hawk leave but once he did, the flycatcher resumed feeding and got closer.

I still had to slog through 2 feet of water and mud to get this passable shot.



Now that Winter is settling in, the water should dry up a bit and the going might be better for easier shots.

Say's Phoebe

Actually took all of these shots on the 21st but forgot to get to them. Busy, busy holiday season.

We are lucky enough to have a rare visitor to the nearby area. A Say's Phoebe has taken a wrong turn and ended up on the northern edge of Lake Apopka. Grabbed the boys and made them trek out with me in the misting rain and approaching dark to make sure we found it before it disappeared again.

Followed the directions and didn't see it on a quick glance. Continued on down the road to look for Scrub Jays. Finding none, I slowed my return to the reported spot and stopped and scanned a field. Another car pulled up on the opposite side of the road and out stepped Dave Simpson.

We chatted how this must be the place and as we looked out into the field again he said, "There it is!" He brought out his scope and we got great looks at the bird.



Dave was just there to tick the bird and headed off, satisfied. I stayed on and tried to get some shots while the boys played in and around the van. A couple of other folks looking for the bird stopped by and were thrilled I had it in my sight and hugged in joy having made the spotting.



I am not too thrilled with the shots I got. They are identifiable but not great. I will try again when I am not hampered by very low light.

We headed home by way of the Kingbird roost and I was amazed by how close the birds were to the main road. Construction is ongoing on the back side of the roost as they are planning on making an extension straight through the main roost site.

Where will all of these birds we enjoy settle in the years to come?

The Kingbird roost is an amazing spot. This time of year, thousands of birds, including Western Kingbirds, Robins, and our Fork-tailed Flycatcher from last year, rest for the night in the now disappearing orange groves. Sad to imaging they will all be gone in the future.

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers also hang out here in Winter and tonight they were literally right over the main road passing by the roost.



I am still trying to figure out the mystery of the flash for this new camera but I did manage a couple of shots without flash before we left. It was almost totally dark so I am a little pleased by these shots.



Will try to spend some time back here before the spot is gone for good.

Redhead: Early Christmas Present

I have been staring at the neighborhood lakes for years in hopes of discovering something in the Winter months that wasn't a Ring-necked Duck. The Northern Shoveler was nice earlier in the month but this is even better.

I swung by Lake Cherokee during some last minute shopping and noticed a few Ring-necked Ducks swimming in my direction. I turned my attention back to a cypress tree to ID the warblers feeding there. Then I looked back at the other ducks.

A Redhead had popped up next to the Ring-neckeds! Better yet, they were all getting closer!!

They were all moving closer but toward a shady spot that the ducks favor near one of the benches. Problem was there would be less light and I was on the wrong side of the trees to see them there. I needed to move to the other side for a shot but I knew this would make them swim back out toward the center of the lake.

Having little choice, or time, I went for it and managed a pretty nice shot.



A bit later, they started feeding near some reeds and drove along the shore to try another angle. Not bad. Even got a fair picture to the Ring-necked Ducks for once.



Time will tell if we have a new Winter resident or if it will just take off soon.

First Goldfinches Return

Back at our feeders, anyway.

Carolyn noticed one on the sock feeder yesterday and it was seen back at the same feeder this morning. Must be time to start settling in. Numbers will increase from here.

Need to try and get some shots with the new camera this year.

For previous shots, go here.

St. Pete CBC

Kind of quiet around the state lately but there were plenty birds around to make my first Christmas Bird Count (CBC) a fun, but tiring, day. Lee Snyder, leader of our count circle, kept totals of the birds we had seen as the day wore on and we couldn't believe the number of 'easy' birds we were missing.

We started at 4 AM sharp in search of Screech Owls. Walking down the empty roads of Veteran's War Memorial Park in the dark, Lee would occasionally stop and do the most amazing copy of a calling Screech Owl. Every now and then an owl would answer him back. Sometimes they would swoop in for a look-see.

The park and nearby neighborhoods were checked and we ended up a total of 11 Screech Owls to throw into the totals at the end of the count. We called for Rails and Great-horned Owls, using tapes of other birds, but got no returned attention.

Arriving at our main count area, Joe's Creek Preservation Area, before dawn we entered the fenced off confines. Here we did manage to get return calls from Virginia and Black Rails. The Black Rail were mere feet away.

There were not as many species as we would have liked to find but every species counts...during a count. We added Prairie Warblers, Black-crowned Parrots, Goldfinches, all the Wren species, herons, hawks. Nothing unexpected.

Shorebirds were most noticeably absent. No Turnstones. No Plovers. A couple Willets. Few gulls. Weirdest thing along the shore was actually a Gopher Tortoise emerging FROM the waves. They are typically found in dries areas in the state.

A total of 82 species were recorded by our team after 11 hours. Not bad but we were hoping for 100 or more. Birds are just scarce in the region for some reason. Later reports confirmed it was so all through the count zones.

There was a nice surprise an hour later. I headed back to Veteran's War Memorial Park to see if I could see one of the Great-horned Owls that Lee thought he saw a couple hours earlier. I got to the general area that it was suppose to haunt and took the mini-recorder out of my pocket and pressed 'play'.

Within 2-3 seconds after the owl calls spilled out of the tiny speaker, I saw a shadow spreading out from one of the distant pine trees. Then, a Great-horned Owl landed not too far from me.



It stayed in the shadows of one pine before moving up into the tall part of the dead tree and into the sunshine in the shot above. The owl did not seem interested in me at all. It wanted to know where that 'other' owl was. It began to give up and I played the tape again for a couple seconds.

It moved to an even closer branch.



It was beginning to make calls of it's own, still searching from side to side for the owl it had heard.



A few minutes later, this bird moved off to me left. Suddenly, a SECOND owl emerged from my right and settled on a branch not far from where the other was. This one would actually look at me if I clicked my tongue a bit. Quite a stare.



We were told an owl was roosting here. Now we know there are two. A perfect end to a semi-eventful CBC.

All I wanted for Christmas...

...was a new digital SLR.

For the past 3 years.

It arrived today. Still a lot to learn about the workings of it but I decided to take a quick trip across the street to try and get a shot of the Hooded Mergasers that frequent the pond in the parking lot from year to year.

Not the best shot. Yet. This is the best of several of the Hoodies I attempted with the limited time I had.



Next try will be tried with a bit more experience.

This Tri-colored Heron was too busy fishing to care much about me and provided a nice shot.

Urban Northern Shoveler

The Ring-necked Ducks have been increasing in good sized flocks recently but they seem to be sticking mainly to Lake Cherokee instead of their usual hangout of Lake Davis. I suspect it is due to the low water levels Lake Davis has suffered all year long. Lake Cherokee stays more or less at a constant height and is full of fish and leg room.

Therefore, Lake Davis is fairly quiet right now. Only it's regular Mallards, other ducks and geese and Moorhens as there along with some just arriving American Coots. Don't even hear the Kingfisher this year.

Then I get an email from Ellen Rocco saying she has spotted a Northern Shoveler on the south shore of the lake. She had mentioned that she thought that it appeared to be a male in non-breeding plumage. It was nearly dark and I knew I wouldn't be there in time to check it out and mentioned that I hoped it would stick around until the morning.

I dropped the kids off at school the following morning and swung by the lake on the way home. Sure enough, in the same spot described the night before, was a Shoveler feeding with a few Mallards near the shore.



Just over a year ago I found a female Shoveler in a retention pond behind a warehouse but other than that Shovelers tend to stick to the coasts. This is definitely the first one I have seen at Lake Davis.

Wish we could get some other coastal goodies over here!

Red Fox Sparrow

What a way to start December! Finally got photos of a Fox Sparrow after all this time.



I found my first Fox Sparrows on our trip to Washington state. Unfortunately, all the best shots I took of them were stuck on the one digital camera card I have ever had go bad. Knock silicon...

On this foggy morning in Wekiva State Park I finally had a chance to make up for that loss. Even better, with a bird secured in my grasp.



With the weight of the bird in the bag, I thought we had a Catbird. It was completely shocking to pull this bird out. They are not suppose to be here.



Not that I am complaining.



Gets me even more geared up for the Christmas Bird Count in less than
2 weeks.