Hiking the Little Big Econ Trail

Our niece and nephew from the Northwest are in town and one of the things that was scheduled was a hike in the Little Big Econ to show them some Florida wilderness. I have a lot of photos to share so bear with it.

We stopped at a local restaurant to eat before our trek and then headed to the trailhead and get in a few (nearly six miles) hours of discovery.



We made our way through the small wooded area and emerged along the trail and approached the Econ River.



The kids headed straight for the water's edge and I took in the view at our first stop.



We continued along and I made a glance back to where we first touched the water. It is interesting to think of how we just left the parking area not long ago and were now in the depths of an Old Florida vista in just a few minutes.



The boys were ahead of us and were suddenly interested in something in the palmettos.



Don't know how they spotted it, but a nice, fat Cottonmouth was sunning under the vegetation and just sat and watched as we moved along. Zoom lenses are as close as I need to get today.



We continued to follow the Orange blaze and watched our step.



I was looking hard to find any plants in bloom but they were few and far between. I finally found some Tickseed in one sunny spot.



We made another trip down the banks and then tried to figure out how to get back up and out.



I love seeing the views of the rivers in Florida but the trail made it more difficult than I had hoped. I had to take some side routes to get through the plants and lean out for some nice shots.



I was mentioning that we needed to remember to get a shot of all the cousins in a shot when they decided to stop along the trail and got all bunched up perfectly. Hard to beat Christmas Eve in Florida while most of the country deals with cold.



While the group continued down the trail, I stepped down for another shot of the river as it made yet another bend.



My main goal, however, was to try and see what was making all the racket in the trees. Best I could find was a Tufted Titmouse busily feeding in the branches.



One of the many wooden bridges we crossed along our route.



Reaching the end of the stretch of this trail, everyone took in the scenery before we had to head back.



Of course, I had to scale the banks and get another shot before continuing.



Not too much to see on the way back but I found this moss interesting.



Hiding in the shadows, an Orchid has gone to seed but still grabbed my attention. I have only seen this species a couple of times over the years.



The kids were well ahead of me and David when I heard rustling in the scrub. I stopped and explored for a minute and found what I expected. A Black Racer was slinking through the bushes and waited for me to get a nice close-up.



We made the turns back up the trail and enjoyed a few more spectacular scenes as we tried to catch up to the cousins who were making a good clip back to the lot.



Back to the start as the Sun drops lower in the sky.



Turns out that our visitors wanted to see an actual American Alligator and Uncle David knew that there were some at Black Hammock not far away on Lake Jesup, so we headed over for a look.



American Alligators are a normal part of life in Central Florida but here we could only view the ones in captivity.



The wind was really whipping now and as we looked out over the lake we spied a Lesser Scaup feeding not too far away before the next airboat tour headed out.



Time to head home. In the parking lot, a Raccoon was busy raiding the dumpster near the cars.



Overall, a great day for a hike in the woods and excellent to have so many family members sharing in the fun. Tomorrow is Christmas and we will see everyone again before some head back to the chilly confines of the Seattle area. This was my first trip to the Little Big Econ Trail and I hope it will not be my last.

Hooded Mergansers and Others

Stopped by the church retention pond finally after seeing so much activity over the week. Glad I did. Don't think I have ever seen so many Hooded Mergansers there before at one time. They were scattered all over the water and feeding like crazy.



They were pretty far out and moving and diving but I managed a few shots close enough on one pass as I stood on my usual perch near the fence.



I counted over 40 Hooded Mergansers. We shall see how long they hang out as the water levels continue to drop since we have not had much rain in a month.



As the Sun continued to rise I also had a closer view of a White Ibis that flew in close to shore to feed.



I heard Cedar Waxwings to my left and if not for them I would have totally not noticed the Great Blue Heron sitting in a tree near the pond.



Directly below the heron was a single female Blue-winged Teal. They usually are in groups nearer to the house but this one was all alone.



I am always amazed at how much food is in little ponds around the area. There must be plenty of food to sustain a large group of birds like this, especially since they have been there for over a week. I wonder how long until they exhaust the supply?

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.

2013 CBC in St. Pete, Part 2

Part two of our St. Pete Christmas Bird Count began after wolfing down some pizza (while still counting birds from the upper deck, of course) and then splitting up to grab some more species for our list. Don and Jeff headed out to some ponds while Lorraine and I headed to another section in hopes of finding a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

It was looking bleak at the spot they saw it earlier in the week. We circled the pond and tallied other birds along the way including Muscovy Ducks resting in the shade under the trees.



In the small retention pond we had Anhinga, Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, and numerous White Ibis which are everywhere.



We began to scan the trees around the pond, taking note of the trees with bore holes made by Sapsuckers in the past. Scanning several trees we did find a Black-and-White Warbler which is always a good find. Still no sign of our target bird and Lorraine charged me with finding one before we left. Moments later, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker flew in right over my head! Once Lorraine got a shot of our bird a second flew in to chase the other around. Success!



Off to search for Hooded Mergansers. They typically frequent a pond across from the golf course, I was told, so we made a stealthy approach (Hoodies are very skittish) but the pond only gave up Common Gallinules and Pied-billed Grebes. Farther along in a different 'window' in the mangroves we did find an adult Brown Pelican, one of many for the day.



Our final search area of the day was the golf course where at least we could ride instead of walk. The new enemy of the count was the increasing winds as the front moved ever closer toward us. There was already rain being reported at the coast.



Our first pond along the first first tee revealed several Blue-winged Teal and a Roseate Spoonbill.



The next pond had a few more Teal and an Anhinga that was not sure whether to fly off or just hope we moved along.



A brave female Anhinga. It let us drive real close to get a sweet pose.



Just past the Anhinga, a Little Blue Heron rested among the reeds.



Jeff and Don took the lead as we passed a flock of Double-crested Cormorants. Nothing else was found here and we decided to wrap up and call it a pretty good day of birding, despite the weather. At least it was warm this year!



In the evening, the votes would be tallied from all of the ten groups throughout the St. Pete area. Total species counted this year was 156 which is fairly average. A new bird found for the count was the first ever Lapland Longspur found by another group to the West of us in a restricted area.

CBCs are always a great time. I am privileged to be asked to help out my west coast birders and love the chance to look for some birds I don't normally get to see in Central Florida. Thanks, as always to Don and Lorraine Margeson for their hospitality and friendship and it was great meeting and birding with a new birding friend in Jeff Miller.

Can't wait until next year!

2013 CBC in St. Pete, Part 1

Headed over to do yet another Christmas Bird Count to help my friends Don and Lorraine Margeson. We were joined this year by Jeff Miller and our task, as always, is to find as many bird species as possible from before dawn to sunset in the Saint Petersburg area. A front was moving in and bird sightings in general have been down this year but we head out every year no matter what the weather or bird activity and do our best.

While Don and Jeff did the dark hour at a nearby sewage plant, Lorraine and I headed to a roosting spot to try and get the fly out counts near the edge of Weedon Island State Preserve. Thousand of Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, and European Starlings flew out just before sunrise. We also tallied some gulls and a Cooper's Hawk and scored a single Prairie Warbler (our target warbler for the morning) before heading back to the house for breakfast.



We downed some doughnuts and counted from their 4th story deck and prepared to head out to our next destination. Black-hooded Parakeets (now an established and countable Florida species) were flying around in small flocks. These guys fly by so fast and made for a difficult flyover subject but I had to try.



I don't know why, but I am always drawn to the Hybiscus flowers in the back of Don and Lorraine's yard. We don't have this type in Central Florida. I just find them cool.



Don, Jeff, and I covered the neighborhood as Lorraine tended to the dogs and looked for birds around the house areas next. We got some new birds, including Spotted Sandpiper and Blue-headed Vireo but came up short in the mangrove region. On the way back to the house, Jeff spotted a very fat Cuban Tree Frog on a neighbor's jacuzzi. These guys are invasive, non-native critters that eat our local frogs. We would have disposed of it but had little time and inclination to kill something today.



Now that the daylight was in full force we all headed over to our next stop. The sewage plant. Birders know that numerous bird species hang out around these facilities so we always check them for any good finds. Seems the plant has a new display out front. Not sure how I feel about a dolphin flying out of treated wastewater, but...



Just before dawn, Don and Jeff witnessed a Barn Owl capturing a rabbit so we had hoped to refind that bird and maybe some sparrows. Jeff and I trumped through the weeds and flushed a ton of Palm Warblers but no Savannah or Grasshopper Sparrows we were seeking. There was a nice surprise Roseate Spoonbill wandering around the berms, though.



We finally found a sparrow species as we made our rounds. In one patch of water and reeds we coaxed up several Swamp Sparrows and Lorraine had the right angle on this one.



Our molting Spoonbill was still in the area and made several odd gestures as we approached. Probably trying to warn us off. An interesting display to watch but it was not too concerned by our presence.



For the first time ever, we were granted an opportunity to climb to the tops of the filtering tanks to see if we could spot any birds resting in the structures. We always see birds landing in the holding tanks (we think 'yuck!') and have always wondered what might be hidden from view.



The easiest species to see at any treatment plant along the coast are gulls and the most abundant species here today were Ring-billed Gulls. This trio just stared as we walked by.



In the past, ducks have been spotted dropping into the tanks which is the main reason we wanted to get up there and look. There were a few Mallards in this particular tank but we did score a few Mottled Ducks before they flew off as we got to the top of the stairs.



Must...not...touch...shiny...controls...



We were over the final clarifying tanks but off to the other side the gulls were enjoying the swirling waters of another pre-treated spot.



A young Laughing Gull landed as we were about to leave making for an easy subject.



Then, how can I resist a clear shot of a Ring-billed Gull sitting just feet away? A common bird in Florida but any chance for a good shot, right?



Being a guy, I can't resist a good roaring flame. There are a couple of pipes that burn off the Methane produced by the waste being treated. It is sometimes hard to see but a little animation shows it pretty well. Pardon the hand-held composition.



Just before we left the treatment plant to get to our next count areas we spotted a few European Starlings on the wires. I have only seen a juvenile on web cams so it was nice to get one with an adult in person.



We will stop for lunch and then canvas the remaining areas on our route. Stay tuned for Part 2!

New York City Audubon Calling...

A couple weeks ago I got an email that was a bit surprising. Seems that the New York City Audubon wanted to use one of my photos from the banding site for their upcoming issue of The Urban Audubon New York City. It would have to be given for free but I would get a credit and they agreed to send me a copy of the newsletter when it went to print. Just one of those out-of-the-blue things. Guess they were searching the internet for a matching photo to go along with this article and I had a shot that fit the bill.

The photo was taken during late September of this year and you can find my original post here and the one they wanted was the American Redstart three shots down from the top.

I figured the next newsletter was their Winter edition and I figured that might mean that is would be out sometime in early 2014. So I was surprised to get some mail today and find the new edition in my hands. Here is the beginning of the article with my photo.



The article discusses new methods they are testing at the Bronx Zoo in New York to reduce window collisions by birds. To make sure the birds do not hit any windows they are testing they set mist nets and band any birds captured. One they caught was a female American Redstart. My shot fit the story perfectly, except for the fact that the bird shown was banded over a 1,000 miles away (by car) from the Bronx Zoo! Can't miss my wedding ring no matter where it is. My wife has great taste.

It was nice to be able to help out Audubon, especially in another state. Who'd have thunk? The Internet makes interesting connections.

You can visit the website for the New York City Audubon here where you can read all about their local activities and make a donation if you would like. You should be able to view the entire newsletter in the archives when it is loaded online at their Our Publications page. I am not sure when it goes up so check back later.

A Falcon to Start December

It is usually all about birds here but sometimes I need to include other flying objects. Especially if they are named after a bird. One of the cool things about living in Orlando was the chance to watch the Space Shuttle launches from the Cape some 50 miles away. With the Shuttle program scraped we have to wait for other programs to send up rockets.

Enter the SpaceX Falcon 9, a two-staged rocket now prepared to deliver crews to the ISS and deliver satellites into orbit. This launch was suppose to happen more than a week ago and was delayed and had two launches scrubbed on Thanksgiving Day. Tonight was the next opportunity.

I had to get the oldest son to band practice around the first opportunity so I had him be ready to go a little early so we could watch for the liftoff. It was nearly sunset and we positioned ourselves in the clearest area and waited for a couple of minutes. Rising over the tree line a short time after scheduled launch, the Falcon was in flight.



As it rose higher in the sky, a smoke trail began to be formed which lead me to recall older Shuttle launches near sunset that lead to interesting glows from the remaining rays of the day. Keep in mind that all of these shots were hand-held shots in low light conditions so I was happy with what I actually captured.



A shaft of sunlight did make it through to illuminate the plume as Falcon 9 pierced the evening sky.



For a little perspective of my location, the Orlando Airport is not far to the South and planes glide in a few miles to the East and I got a shot of one plane coming in for a landing past the launch.



Falcon 9 climbed higher and reached a new moisture layer as it arced toward its planned target in space.



As the main section began to separate the air began to form an interesting expanding cloud behind the rocket.



A closer view shows the cloud in more detail.



Here, you can see the stage dropping away from Falcon 9. It was an amazing sight.



Finally, all stages were deployed and Falcon 9 advanced into its orbit to release the satellite as planned.



I was glad to photograph this launch and it was even more enjoyable having my boy with me to witness one of our most interesting views from Central Florida. Can't wait for the next planned launches.