St. George Island Vacation, Pt. 1

We headed to the Panhandle for a much needed vacation and I hoped for some new birds along the way. That ended up not happening but there were a lot of birds to keep me searching, nonetheless.

We stopped for lunch at the western side of St. George Island before heading to the campgrounds. While we waited for our pizza to cook, I noticed a large flock of birds calling across the street. I had to go check it out.

Many, many Brown-headed Cowbirds were there on the lines.



Probably the most exciting find was right at our campsite.

We were set up in one of the many areas around the grounds. Our site was backed up to some shrubs that were growing in very moist ground. Part of the area there actually had made a small pond of water that we could see through the branches. I looked through to spy what might be in there and, too my complete surprise, there was a Clapper Rail!



I had only seen one of these before in the early dawn at Cape Canaveral and it was pretty dark. Here was one right in afternoon light paying very little attention to me. Could signal a good birding trip, after all.

Not long after that, our fellow campers, longtime friends, settled in and broke up some firewood. Turns out that one of the logs was filled with termites. Upon releasing them, birds flew in from the surrounding bushes and hungrily devoured the insects.

Most successful of these birds was this Eastern Towhee.



Joining him were several smaller birds and this Gray Catbird.



We had to get ready for dinner soon but we took a quick walk to the beach on the intercoastal side of the island. Not much there as it was high tide but I did spot something out in the waves.



A nice flock of Bufflehead ducks rounded out the arrival here before Thanksgiving.

The boys had a great time walking the beaches and picking up trinkets and we steeled ourselves against the thought of a very chilly night to follow. Tomorrow, we would hit the main beach and explore some more.

Lake Lotus Cruising

Not much happening in the area of late but I managed to stop by Lake Lotus for a few minutes. There were a lot of small birds to keep me busy trying to focus on their fast travels through the branches.

Most numerous were the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Hardly ever stopped looking for bugs.



Except to stare at this stranger with a giant contraption glued to his head.



Don't usually see the male Ruby-crowned Kinglets showing off their trademark but I got lucky with one OK shot.



A nice diversion for a pretty day.

A Lake Davis Walk

The boys wanted to walk around one of our neighborhood lakes. This request is often followed with, "You can bring your camera, Dad!" as they know it is another carrot they have in their back pocket. Rarely have to ask twice, if I have the time.

Lake Davis is right near downtown Orlando and is regularly voted "Best Lake to see Ducks" in a yearly poll. Most of these are Mallard and Wood Ducks but there are many Winter visitors that swing through every year, mainly Ring-necked Ducks. The number of American Coots gets pretty high, though, and for the past couple of years there have been a couple of Coots that now stay year-round.



We almost always can find White Ibis at the lake and around the neighborhood. Sometimes in the dozens in any given flock.



Which often makes it a challenge to get a single bird in the frame.



Also around the lakes are the Anhingas. They often dry off up in the Cypress trees but occasionally rest near the lake's edge when the dogs aren't let off of their leashes.



This female has a better spot with her back right to the sun.



All by itself, watching the other waterfowl romp and play, is one of our Muscovy Ducks.



Another day in the neighborhood.

Of Bobwhites and Albino Wrens

Friend Paul Hueber found an albino House Wren at Lake Lotus last week so I took a lunch break to see if I could relocate it.

Just as I pulled into the parking spot, I noticed a small lump along the edge of the trees. Maybe a small bird? I got out the camera and eased out of the car. Sure enough, a Bobwhite Quail was sitting perfectly still in the grass.

I got closer, snapping pictures and using the swing set as a barrier between us, and suddenly spotted another. And another. And another! There was a small flock of the birds there quietly feeding in the grass.



Talking to Gary, one of the park rangers, I got the whole story. They released 11 quail in the park to try and establish the bird which once used to be found here until a few years ago. No wonder they didn't seem too afraid of my approach.



Hope they survive the hungry hawks!

I continued to search for the House Wren. Arriving at the location given by Paul, I could hear a wren chattering in the trees. Quite a distance from me but I was eventually able to spot it following another small bird around. The best I could manage was this far-away shot as it displayed on a branch.



Then, like the ghost it appeared to be, it vanished. A few minutes later it emerged quite close to me as it flew under the boardwalk beneath me and across to the other side into the dense lake grasses. I never saw it again.

What an interesting find.

Wood Duck

I love Wood Ducks. It is difficult to get them in proper light sometimes but this drake decided to take a chance and swim out near me.



I enjoy their rainbow colors even when they have a dripping nose.



When calling out to their mates, they extend their necks and show every bit of color they can.



Another fine day in the neighborhood.

Ring-necked Ducks Arrive

O.K., so it is only one but the first of the Ring-necked Ducks has arrived. Last year they showed up in a small flock on October 31st.

One day late. Could only get distant shots but they count.

A Walk Through Mead Garden

There have been a lot of reports of rare Vireos over at Mead Garden. Damned if I could find any but I needed the quiet walk. Not many birds moving at all when I stopped by. Even the the Hummingbirds were bored.



However, I did have one of those "amazing" moments as I rounded the (still fractured) boardwalk.

A small group of Carolina Wrens were vocalizing like mad as I neared the end of the boardwalk. Some even hopped out right in front of me up on the railings. I tried to get a shot but they were manic. They soon started moving behind me, though still very close.

I turned to follow one and noticed the object of their anger. A Barred Owl was perched up in the tree just off of the boardwalk. I had just walked 2 feet beneath it and never saw it.



We chatted awhile as I snapped photos but she soon got nervous as a pair of women approached from the back where I just came from. I stood still and let them have the awe sink in. Their camera batteries failed as they tried shots and the owl soon took off.

Nice walk, indeed. Even without the new Life Birds I was seeking.

Clay-colored Sparrow

A new and exciting bird for Lake Lotus: a Clay-colored Sparrow!

Fellow birder Paul Hueber reported seeing one a couple of days before and today we caught another. A rather rare visitor to Florida and even more rare to capture.



Think I love this place!

We also banded some Indigo Buntings that are moving through.



Plus, an American Redstart joined in the banding parade.

Buntings, Ahoy!

One of our banders, Lane, has just returned from a trip to Boston for her birthday. During various emails and conversations she has recently been lamenting the fact that she has never seen a male Painted Bunting. Only females. They are pretty but mainly green to nondescript. Males, on the other hand, are a brilliant rainbow of the animal kingdom.

While checking nets I noticed a bright red belly of a bird in net #9, a very popular spot for our Lake Lotus birds. I couldn't immediately tell what it was but knew it must be special. That color red is not present in resident birds.

The closer I got, the more other colors began to be noticed on this struggling bird. There it was: a male Painted Bunting!

I hurried back to the banding table in hopes that Lane was still there. Then I delivered her the belated birthday present and let her band it.



This place could be a Bunting bonanza. The other birds banded this morning, obviously, paled in comparison.

Voined the Choir Invisible

Got to work and had a co-worker tell me he just saw a dead bird in the smoking area. I asked for him to describe it and as usual, non-birders tend to be unsure of what they actually saw.

"Kind of yellow," was about all I got. I asked how big. The size he showed me was bigger than what I had a theory about. Suddenly, I was now thinking Tanager instead of warbler.

I hurriedly grabbed my camera and asked him to show me where it was. He had moved it to a trash can so I dug it out as a few smokers looked on in a mixture of interest and disgust. I had to explain that I band birds and wanted a photo of whatever had met it's fate.

Sure enough, a first year Scarlet Tanager. If it would have survived it would eventually turn a brilliant scarlet red. However, these tinted windows of our complex can often seem like a straight path through the trees to some birds.

Looks almost alive, eh?



Alas, another victim of man-made illusions.

Not what I was trying to Catch!

We usually open the mist nets 30 minutes before sunrise. Lately, I have been arriving a bit earlier just to be make sure I am not missing the even earlier risers.

This morning, as I opened net #6, something glided in from above and hit the top of the net. Not a bird but a Flying Squirrel! They are native but you rarely see them. Usually the only way to know they are around is by hearing the high-pitched noise they make as they roam around the treetops.

I turned my head to see what hit and in the glow of my headlamp I saw the squirrel land in the uppermost panel of the net, wriggle around furiously for a few second and then manage to free itself. It landed on the ground and made a quick dash to the safety of the forest.

Weird.

The squirrel fun was not over for me, though. When I got home at night I looked out back and in the dark I saw something move along the tree trunk where I keep a squirrel feeder to keep the gray squirrels away from my bird feeders.

I turned on the porch light and watched as a Flying Squirrel made mad dashes to grab a sunflower seed and retreat to the dark side of the tree to eat. It would come back and repeat this over and over. They are super fast.

I reported seeing them once before to the family and they had their doubts. The only image I could get then was a blurry blob. No concrete proof. Tonight, I was more fortunate.



What a day.

Notes from Banding

Should be hitting peak season anytime but for now things are a little quiet. We have been managing to band a lot of resident birds and I hope to monitor them for the duration. Many Northern Cardinals and Carolina Wrens but we have been seeing a steady flow of migrants.

Case in point, the Catbirds have been arriving. This one did not like me holding it. A rare look straight down the throat. Kind of saying, "Enough, already!"



We have also been catching White-eyed Vireos. Some are resident but there are migrants during the season.



No, this isn't a bird doing her best Groucho impression. It is, however, the best way to keep a Cardinal from taking off part of your skin. They almost always grab on to an offered twig. Almost.

2nd Official Banding Day

Day 2 of our new Lake Lotus banding project. Not a ton of birds around but we did make it in time to start grabbing some migrants for the Fall season. Day 1 was on the 14th but it was kind of a trial run. Net positions are still being tested.

Always nice to see a male Black-throated Blue Warbler.



In the same net, but a little later, we captured another migrant: an Ovenbird.



I was hoping for some thrushes in this new area and, sure enough, we captured this Veery near the edge of the woods.



Other birds were captured bringing in a nice variety to the day. Could make for an interesting location.

Lake Lotus Common Yellowthroat

Not much around the lake today. All I could pish up was a young male Common Yellowthroat.

Searching for the Gallinules After Fay

Hurricane Fay left so much water behind that Lake Lotus has been closed due to flooding for weeks. Today, it finally opened. I wanted to make extra sure that we were allowed to band at the park so I stopped by. I also wanted to see if the Gallinule chicks had survived the storm and high waters.

All I could find today before the dark moved in was one of the adults.



The search will have to continue during another trip.

Black Terns

Ah, a nice vacation day. Time to head to Titusville and try and find a bird I have previously been unable to locate: Black Terns. There have been reports of them in the Cape Canaveral area for a solid week so I hoped to find at least one bby getting there as fast as possible.

I turned onto Bio Lab Road (adjacent to the NASA launch facility) just around 10 AM. The first bird that I saw was feeding low over the marsh. Could it be...?

Yes! A Black Tern. Then another. I hopped out of the van and tried to get a shot as they sped over the marsh and occasionally dove into the swallow waters to grab a fish.



They flew along the roadside and sometimes across it to provide some very nice views. A nemesis bird, no more.



Farther along the road I noticed a shadow in the waters of the Indian River Lagoon. I had seen this shape before so I slowed to see what would happen. It was, as suspected, a large alligator that soon breeched the surface with its tail and head arched upward.

Soon, it grabbed downward onto some prey, But what had it caught?



Upon closer inspection, it seemed that it had caught a Horseshoe Crab and was trying to figure out how to swallow the thing without getting that barbed tail stuck in its throat. An awesome sight to watch.

One the way home, I stopped at Parrish Park to see if any shorebirds were hanging out. I found many but my favorites are the Ruddy Turnstones at this time of year. The plumage is just striking.



Not a bad day. Except for the tons of mosquitoes hanging around Scrub Jay Ridge. No Jays. Only the bugs and a few migrating Prairie Warblers. Danged blood suckers nearly drained me dry!

Barn Swallows Feeding

As I sat at work, I noticed a blur of several birds whipping through the parking lot. In the past, I have seen this when the Tree Swallows return and pick off emerging termites. This seemed too early in the season for Tree Swallows so I grabbed the camera and ran downstairs.

Several Swallows were skimming the parking lot, all right, but they seemed to be larger than Tree Swallows. Once I processed the photos I saw that I had captured one pretty good shot. They fly so fast that tracking them and keeping them in focus is quite a chore.

Turns out that they were a nice wave of migrating Barn Swallows.



A very fun spectacle to behold. Especially when they zip straight overhead only feet away.

Hurricane Fay Brings Surprises

Well, the storm has been sitting basically on top of us for days. Not much birding to be done. However, the lakes are finally getting recharged and that is a very good thing. Some parts of the state are being flooded to the south. I like our higher ground.

Once I picked the boys up from school I made a detour through the neighborhood to see if Lake Lancaster, one of the hardest hit lakes during the drought, was filling enough to even be considered a lake again. Indeed it was!

The rain was still falling and the oldest son said he thought he saw something in the lake. Possibly an Otter. We got out to investigate in the drizzle.

Sure enough, there was an entire family of otters having lunch!



It appeared that they had caught some kind of carp (Grass Carp, I am pretty sure).



They kept a watchful eye on us humans but were chirping away as they swam and decided how to share their catch.



This is the kind of surprise that I like.

Two More Lake Lotus Birds

Right before I headed out to get the Gallinule family shots I had two more shots along the trails to share.

There was a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers tearing up the trees in search of a snack. They were pounding the trunks so fast that pictures were quite a blur of heads and bill. Finally, one of the birds dug deep enough to extract a grub.



Also, just after the shots of the Barred Owl, I found a Great-crested Flycatcher feeding in the lower branches.



Still working on getting all the final details ironed out to start banding here. Hopefully soon.

Purple Gallinule Family

While making a courtesy call on the rangers of Lake Lotus to make preparations for scouting the area for proposed banding this weekend I got to do a little birding, too. Didn't see any rangers upon arrival so I wandered down the boardwalk and as I was heading along the side of the river I heard a familiar call.

There is a pair of Barred Owls that make Lake Lotus home so I veered off of my original path to track the hoots not far away. Sitting in a cypress tree over the boardwalk toward the lake I found what I was searching for.



This owl was calling from this spot while the other returned the call from much farther away.

Satisfied with those shots I got back on track and heard the golf cart rumblings of one of the rangers back near the parking lot. I found Frank and he mentioned that there was a family of Purple Gallinules down by the lake just a few minutes ago. "Think they are still there?", I asked. "Hop on and we will go see.", he responded.

As we neared the fishing pier, we could hear the Gallinules calling. The reason for this was the hawk sitting atop the gazebo at the entrance to the pier. I only had time for a quick shot as it spotted us and headed for the safety of the trees.



One of the adults continued to sound the alarm for 15 minutes after the hawk left. Reminded me of a party horn.



Scattered around the lotus leaves were 3 Gallinule chicks. The bravest kept checking me out as the clouds darkened and night was closing in.



The adults began searching for food, feeding themselves and then the chicks once they realized that mom and dad had found something worth tasting.



It was fun to watch the chicks maneuver across the leaves. Look at the size of those feet!



Mom was really good at snatching snails along the leaves and would prize out the flesh and the young birds would try to grab what they could. "Hey, Mom! Where is that snail?"



"Never mind. I found one!"



A planned quick visit turned into an hour and a half and 200 photos! Glad I stuck around.