Owls

We began the day by heading out with a naturalist on a pontoon boat on the St. John’s River. We were greeted at the dock by a gorgeous Barred owl that perched in a tree out in full view just above our heads. Our target species for the day included the Purple gallinule, the Limpkin and hopefully the Burrowing owl later in the day. It didn’t take long before we came upon our first target , the Purple gallinule. We had very good looks from a distance of no more than 35 feet, and the bird obliged by staying out in full view for an extended time….something a gallinule is not known to do. We found our limpkin shortly thereafter, calling out its distinctive “screaming” song. Again, for the photographers on board, the setting and the light were almost perfect. By the trip’s end, we had tallied more than 50 species on the river. We then headed out to Eustis in search for Burrowing owls that Sharon and I have spotted before. The owls cooperated nicely and were just where we expected to find them Finding owls is always a special treat, but when you get two wonderful views on the same day of two different species, that is indeed a special day.

Jubilee

The late Florida naturalist Archie Carr once wrote of what he referred to as a "Jubilee". Although Carr's "Jubilee" involved masses of small sea creatures teeming up from the sea and our "Jubilee" occurred in the impoundments of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Reserve, there are still striking similarities. Carr's phenomenon resulted in hordes of human fishermen descending upon the stranded masses and scooping up their bounty by the bucketful. The "Jubilee" we witnessed at Merritt Island on the other hand had fishers of the avian kind. Literally thousands of White pelicans, Roseate spoonbills, Blue-winged teal, Great and Snowy egrets as well as cormorants, Wood storks and American wigeons were crowded in elbow to elbow (or wing to wing) jostling for position and gorging themselves with the small fish that had filled the impoundment. Why so many bait fish were concentrated into this one impoundment was beyond us, but the reason for their presence was of little concern to the hungry birds congregating to partake of the feast. In just a short period of time, the White pelicans will have headed north and we will not see them again for another year. We surmised that this was a "staging" area and that the pelicans were preparing for the journey north. For whatever reasons, it was a sight to behold and one we will surely not forget for a long time.

Bitterns

Bitterns are among the most ellusive birds in North America. According to Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, the American bittern has a "penchant for ridged immobility and a flair for not being seen". Those of us who have heard the bird's "thumper pumper" call and been so frustrated by not being able to find the bird among the reeds know what Dunne is talking about. The least is at minimum just as secretive, but the fact that he is so much smaller than the American makes him even more difficult to find. And so, on this day in March in Florida, when both bitterns were found and photographed by yours truly, the day was all the more special. Both birds turned up in Viera Wetlands north of Melbourne. We were on day 2 of a five day trip with the Mearns Birding Club from Orange County New York. The Least was a life bird for several of us and it was the first time I was able to get a decent photograph of the bird. Having people around us to share the experience with made for great day.

Networking

For those of us who keep life-lists or those who simply want to see new birds for the aesthetics of it, the networks established by the birding community have become all-important. Today, our target bird was the elusive Red-cockaded woodpecker. The chain of events leading to this bird included e-mailing for information to several local Audubon clubs, a couple of phone calls to local naturalists, suggestions from people as far away as New York, and finally a most helpful lead provided by the Sebastian River State Park here in Florida. We were here at the wrong time of day as the birds would surely have left their nest cavities and would be scattered over a large range foraging. But fate was on our sides today and shortly after we entered the woodlands, my wife called out that she had a woodpecker in her binoculars with "no sign of red". We scampered over to her side, and sure enough, we found not one but three Red-cockaded woodpeckers working the pines on either side of the trail. We had (with the help of many others) found our target within the first 1/2 mile of our search. Without networking, we would have been hard-pressed to even know where to start.

The Heart of Florida

We ventured inland to the St. John’s River today. Much of the river, often called the “River of Lakes” has been altered to make it possible for larger ships to navigate its waters, but there are many stretches where the river remains much the same as it has been for hundreds of years. These waters serve as home to some of Florida’s most beautiful and elusive species. On the river today, we spotted our first Purple gallinule of the year as well as several fine looks at the American bittern and the usually elusive Limpkin. An added bonus for Florida birders at this time of year is the fact that many of these birds are heading into the breeding season. Courtship displays, spectacular breeding plumages, and actual mating behavior adds to the enjoyment of our “sport”. You cannot be on the St. John's River and not feel that you are experiencing the true “heart of Florida”.

Once in a great while

We have certain birds which we always look for and rarely find. We may hear their song or call, we may have heard reports of their presence, or we may simply be hoping they are around because we know that we are in the correct habitat. One of these birds for us is the elusive American

bittern. While birding Merritt Island in Florida with the Halifax River Audubon club, we happened upon a bittern which was more than occupied with his hunting for supper and could have cared less about our presence. He posed, stalked, seized his prey, and then began the entire process once again as we watched and photographed this beautiful specimen. As hard as we try to find our favorite birds, it often happens that they choose the time and place when you will be treated to such a sight. After 5 minutes or so, the bittern quietly moved back into the reeds. When and where will we see another example as fine as this bird?