Day 91: March 31st – Black-bellied plover

Another beautiful sunny, mild morning

Sanderling and Ruddy turnstone

       It’s great to be located right on the beach.  This morning, I rose with the sun, grabbed the camera and bins, and headed to walk the beach.  I didn’t have to go any further than right in front of the building to find the usuals…..Sanderlings, Western willets, and Ruddy turnstones.

       One shorebird which is not always present on our beach is the Black-bellied plover.  Obvious by his larger size alone, his whistling calls in flight add to evidence of his presence.  The Black-bellied breeds in the high Arctic, but in winter it can be found along the coasts of six continents. 

       Several characteristics make this plover hard to misidentify in winter in spite of its rather drab plumage.  The eye seems to stand out as oversized for its head.  Once in breeding plumage, the eye will be hard to distinguish as it blends into the black mask, bib, and belly which is so distinctive.  It stands out from other sandpipers on the beach as its bill is short and stout.

       In flight, the armpits (or more appropriately wing-pits) are black, a feature not seen in the similar American and European golden plovers.  The flight pictures I captured this morning show how evident these black patches are once the bird is in the air. 

       Later in the year, I will be sure to include another entry on the Black-belly once it molts into its very different breeding plumage.  Stay-tuned……..

Day 90: March 30 – Lantana

Sunny, mild, calm

       Hey, after all, this is a blog about nature, not just about birds.  I mentioned yesterday that as we bird our way around Florida, we come across so many other elements of the natural world beyond the avian world.  As I entered the front entrance of our condo complex, I could not help but notice the activity around the beautiful flowers called Lantana.  Common lantana is a rugged evergreen shrub from the tropics and is common throughout Florida.  It is technically an invasive species but has been established in the state of Florida for over  2 centuries.  Wherever you go in Florida, there is a good chance you will run into Lantana.

       Not only is Lantana a gorgeous plant to see, but it attracts a variety of butterflies which augment the beauty of this wildflower.  Today, as I gazed upon the flowers at the entrance to our winter home, there were two species of butterflies taking advantage of the nectar of the plant.

      The most abundant was the Great southern white.  Very similar in appearance to our the butterfly which is so common in my home state of New York, the Cabbage white, this butterfly lacks the spots found on the wings of the cabbage. 

     The second butterfly to appear on the lantana tonight was the Common buckeye.  Two fine species decorating the flowers of this beautiful Florida wildflower.  We’ll continue to monitor the visitors of the lantana throughout the remaining month of our stay here in Florida.  Anything new, we’ll let you know!

Great southern white on Common lantana

Common buckeye

Day 89: March 29th – The Mélange

Another beautiful sunny, warm and calm day

       People not involved with the pastime of “birding” assume the entire day of a field trip is all about looking at birds…..period.  Those of us who pursue this avocation know it is much more.  It is truly a new experience each and every time we venture out.  The main goal?  To see birds.  But above and beyond the seeing of birds is the experience of learning about birds, about seeing behavior, changes in plumage from season to season, about seeing the changes in the cast of characteristics as new birds move into an area and others move out.

       In the process of “seeing”, we find so many other elements of the natural world that are of interest.  Today is a perfect example.  Spending the day with a dozen other “birders” brings us together with a group of people of diverse backgrounds and interests.  And so, we learn from one another so much more than just the names and appearances of birds.  Today our excursion included

The Habitat in which we bird is often different each day or within each day.  Today, we birded along rivers, wetlands, forests, and fields.  Each presents us with a new mix of flora and fauna. 

Bulow Plantation

Lizards:  We found four species of species of lizards including the “Whiptail”, the Broad-headed skink, the Cuban anole, and the Five-lined skink.

Broad-headed skink

Whiptail

Plants:  We gathered in front of a live oak which has been dated as being over 2000 years old.  We were told about the “tread softly”, a pretty white flower which can inflict a painful rash on those who come into contact with the stems.

      Or “Lizard-tails”, a perennial plant found in moist boggy areas of the forest.

Butterflies – like the Viola’s wood nymph found on the path we took today.

And of course – the birds such as this fine Red-shouldered hawk perched in a tall live oak over our heads. 

       The fact that we are all from different backgrounds means that it seems some one of our number knows about and can teach us about each organism we come across.  So, is birding just “for the birds”…… Look at these photos and you make the call.

Day 88: March 28 – Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area

       In the little town of Christmas, Florida, lie two extraordinary birding areas…Orlando Wetlands Park and Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area.

      I’ve have not been to Tosohatchee in quite a few years, so when I heard reports from several birding friends down here that there was a good opportunity to get great photos of King rails at the site, I jumped at it.  Alan will be leaving Florida and heading back to New York in just a couple of days, so it was one more chance to get out birding with him before he leaves.  We hit the road with great anticipation and confidence, sure that we would both score some great shots of an elusive bird.  In addition to the rail, we had two other targets….Bachman’s sparrow and the rare Sherman fox squirrel.  All that being said, today’s “shot of the day” is a cow.  Granted the cow is surrounded by a neat little egret called the Cattle egret, but basically, it’s a cow.  Things don’t always go according to plan, and although we heard a good number of King rails and Bachman’s sparrows, we failed to see the Bachman’s entirely, and we only caught a fleeting glimpse of the rail.  As for the squirrel, Alan and I contemplated photographing a gray squirrel and then working some magic upon the image to turn it into a “funky” Sherman’s. 

       Tosohatchee WMA is wonderful, and it is huge - 30,701 acres to be exact.  We spent the entire day searching for our targets, and in the process, we did get some nice views of a Bald eagle near its nest,......

and two neat little Brown-headed nuthatches which mirrored one another on an overhanging pine bough.  

       At day’s end, in one more last ditch effort to capture an image of the rail, we drove across Route 50 from Tosohatchee over to Orlando Wetlands Park and the adjoining Seminole Rest Preserve.  Again, we heard the rail, but the bird was not about to have its image captured.  We did capture a nice group of Cattle egrets popping up from the marsh grasses and taking flight, 

and then captured another set of images of the egrets in their classic setting……alongside a cow.  As the cows graze, they kick up various insects which the egrets promptly dispose of as a quick snack.  Hence, the name, Cattle egret. 

       And so, as we’ve said before, there is no such thing as a sure thing in the world of birding.  We were reminded of that today as all our primary targets evaded our lenses.  Still, it was a beautiful day and a great day to be out exploring new birding grounds which we will surely visit again in the future.

Day 87: March 27th – Tuesdays at the Preserve

Sunny, warm and low humidity

       A perfect morning to be out birding as we are joined by 14 other birders at the Indian River Lagoon Preserve Tuesday morning walk.  Our Massena friends are with us today as is fellow Hudson Valley resident Alan who has become a Tuesday regular.  The crowd is expected to thin out considerably beginning next week as April is not one of the more popular “Snow birders” months.  Nonetheless, there will still be a few of us who will hang on for the next two weeks in the hopes of seeing the influx of warblers that we expect (or at least hope for!)

       Today, we were greeted by the Florida Marsh Rabbit as we entered the wooded portion of the preserve.  This rabbit resembles the cottontail we find up north, but is smaller, lacks the white “cotton” tail,  and is always associated with marshy grounds.  He certainly was not shy as we approached and got several images before he hopped back into the thickets. 

       There were plenty of Carolina wrens around as usual, and also as usual they were very difficult to spot.  Only Dan, one of our north country friends, was able to get an eye on the bird before it again dropped down out of sight.  Obvious in their lesser numbers were the Yellow-rumped warblers which have apparently started their trek north.  After having them in large numbers all winter, today they were downright scarce.  We did have two new entries into the field of warblers as both Prairie warbler and Northern parula were on site.  The parula came down from the canopy and gave us all a nice look, a “life-bird” for many of our visitors this morning.

       Heading down to the lagoon, we found a pair of Blue jays interacting high in a tree along the trail.  The higher perched bird would sing its usual harsh Blue jay song and the lower bird would then answer with an ethereal flute-like whistle while bobbing its head up and down.  I am guessing that this is a mated pair and that this is part of the courtship behavior.  Yet another sign of spring I keep seeing this month.

       Down at the water’s edge, the tide was out and we had little trouble in spotting a good number of waders…..Great egrets, a Little blue, White ibises, and Snowies.  As we scanned the water, a large flock of Double-crested cormorants flew overhead in formation.  I was surprised at the neat, clean V-shape of the formation as these birds are known for their fluid wavy patterns which flow from straight lines into wavering V’s.  Again, I wondered if this was a major push north, back to the birds’ breeding grounds….yes,  perhaps another sign.

Day 86: March 26th - Ready to head north

Sunny, 78 degrees, moderate breeze

       We’ve had the honor of watching the majestic White pelican here in Central Florida for the past 2 ½ months.  On occasion, the birds are seen swimming along the Indian River as a lone migrant.  Other groups were seen in fairly large groups foraging along the shallow waters of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.  The birds, among the largest in North America with 9+ foot wingspans,  have spent the winter here in Merritt Island and are now getting ready to head back to their breeding grounds in Manitoba and Wisconsin.

       They are seen here along the westbound lane of the highway heading from the Visitor’s Center towards Titusville.  There are literally hundreds of the pelicans all gathered and feeding on the entrapped fish found in the lower tidal pools of the refuge.

       

  
   
  


   
   The sight is truly amazing, with hundreds of pelicans soaring above the shallow impoundments of the refuge.    They are joined by Snowy egrets, Northern shovelers,  and White ibises in a sea of white along the shallow impoundment.  They will feed and then as quickly as they have assembled, they will head back towards their summer territory.  In another few days, they will be gone and we should not expect to see them until we (and they) return to the Sunshine State next year.  The staging of these mass numbers of pelicans in yet another sign that “spring has sprung” and the season of rebirth has indeed begun

Day 85: March 25th – Empty nest

Sunny, breezy and warm (mid 80s)

       On the February 5^th blog of this year, I reported about “urban birds” and included a report on the Bald eagles which chose a city corner lot to construct their nest and bring new eagles into this world.  The tree in which they have now nested for at least the past 10 years is protected by a chain link fence that surrounds the grounds of the Catholic school where the large pine is located.  We were happy to report that the two eagles at that time that the parents had successfully introduced two young eagles to the growing population of US Bald eagles.  We watched and reported on several occasions the development of the eaglets noting in the February 8^th blog that they were branching….learning to fly while not leaving the nest.

        We.ve checked on a regular basis to see if there was any indication that the birds were in fact leaving the nest.  Today, we visited once again and were excited to see that the nest was empty!

      It looks as if the young eagles have finally fledged and are out and about.  Since it takes around 10 – 12 weeks for an eagle to attain first flight, these birds were most likely born around the beginning of the beginning of January.  When we first arrived here in New Smyrna Beach in late January, the birds were pecking at food scraps dropped into the nest by the parents, something they do after the first three weeks of their lives.

       We’ll miss seeing the four eagles on their nest for the rest of this year.  But eagles are very site loyal when it comes to returning to the previous year’s nest, and so we’ll look forward to seeing them back on the property of the Sacred Heart School once again next year.

Day 84: March 24th - Bay Hill Golf Club

Partly sunny, mid-80s, threatening rain (but never did)

       Again, I’ll plead the case for golf courses against the better judgment of many of my cohorts.  If the golf course weren’t there, what might be occupying the space instead.   Ideally, it would be forest, plains, wetlands, or other natural habitat.  Realistically, it would much more likely be paved parking lots, strip malls, condos, or housing developments.

       With golf courses you get fresh water, grasslands, scrub, woods, and edges.  Any birder who birds well developed and managed golf courses will tell you that they are in truth fine birding habitat.  Today, as I followed a former student from the high school in which I taught, James I. O’Neill High School, competing in the Arnold Palmer Invitational Tournament at Bay Hill Golf Club, I counted numerous species of fine Florida birds.  Great blue heron, Great egrets, Black ducks, Red-shouldered hawks, American and Fish crows, Tricolored herons, Blue jays, Carolina wrens, and on and on were all present in abundance.

       Sitting in the bleachers at the 18^th hole, I watched a dozen White ibises fly into a large live oak adjacent to the green.  In a tree overhanging the 6^th tee, a large group of Double-crested cormorants perched as if oblivious to the crowds below. 

DC Cormorants over Tee #6

         Walking across the 17 fairway, we were almost impaled by two Great blues flying at eye-level  directly in front of us.  On the 16^th hole, an Osprey hit the water of the pond adjacent to the green and emerged with a small fish. 

     
        Often, as I watch tournaments on television, I find myself making a list of all the birds I hear in the background singing and chipping.  Bottom line, golf courses attract a wide variety of birds and are probably a more beneficial use of the land than other options that the society at large may choose.  

Day 83: March 23rd – More Kites !

Sunny with temps in the mid 80s, calm

       Sorry about being redundant, but I simply can’t pass up the opportunity to watch and photograph Swallowtail kites while the option is on the table.  Went over to the pool next to the condo where our friends from up north are staying while here in Kissimmee and looked to the skies.  The lighting was much better than yesterday, and the birds were actually coming in more closely than my last shots.  And so, here are two more shots of the Swallowtail kites from Central Florida.

        I should mention that several of the kites I observed had what appeared to be nesting material in their bills.  I can only imagine that this is a group of nesting kites whiny we have had the rare opportunity to observe.

Day 82: March 22 – Kites…as promised

Sunny, warm and a light breeze

      We gathered at the pool this afternoon after our activities in Kissimmee and were keeping an eye to the skies above the condominium complex.   Plenty of pigeons, doves, grackles, and then suddenly…. as we promised yesterday, our first Swallowtail kite of the year.  As we watched, as second joined this bird in flight and the two flew at some distance from us in close proximity to one another.  Suddenly another, then another, and before long, we had six Swallowtail kites in the air at the same time!

       I decided to move closer to the woodlands over which the kites had first appeared and within several minutes of arriving at this site, I had one more kite fly directly overhead. 

       I waited patiently for some time after that, hoping to photograph another kite at closer range. 

       The show was over, however, and we did not see another kite.  True, it was late in the afternoon, and the light was waning, so perhaps they had all gone to their evening roost(s).  Tomorrow is another day, so I’ll give it another shot and let you know if we could find these magnificent aerialists once again.

Day 81: March 21 – Car wash merganser

Overcast and threatening, low 70s

       We’ll be heading out for a four day trip to Kissimmee to watch the Bay Hill Arnold Palmer Open golf tournament with several friends from back home.  We plan to leave at 10:30 A.M. and if I want to get the photo of the day and get my blog published, I have to get out early and stay close to home.  I decided upon the local Sugar Mill Ruins park here in New Smyrna and got a nice early start shortly after sunrise.  When I arrived, I found that there was road work being done at the entrance to the park and access was unfortunately denied. 

        I headed back towards the peninsula, and decided to get the car washed prior to heading out to the tourney.  As I vacuumed the interior of the vehicle, I heard some splashing behind me.  I found a small pond measuring no more than 10’ X 20’ just behind the vacuum machines and saw quite a commotion arising from water.  

       As I looked more closely through the surrounding reeds, I discovered that there was a female Red-breasted merganser bathing in the pool.  After the bath, she retired to the far edge of the water.  I wondered if she could possibly be nesting, but could not ascertain this for sure.

       Since I took the shots of the merg in less than ideal conditions, I decided I better make a quick stop at Indian River Lagoon Reserve and see if I could pick up an “insurance” shot.  The park was quiet until the very end of the trail where as I started to exit, a medium-sized dark bird flew across my path.  I found the bird which remained quiet perched at eye level, staring directly at me.  Yesterday, here in the Lagoon park, I had the other two mimics, the Brown thrasher and the Northern mockingbird.  I found it interesting to find all three of these songsters at the same location in back-to-back visits to this park. 

       Tomorrow, we’ll be in Kissimmee, a well known site for finding Swallow-tail kites.  We’ll be on the lookout and hope to have some images of this fantastic aerialist for you here on the blog.

Day 80: March 20 – the Vernal Equinox

Sunny and mild – low 70s

       We welcomed the arrival of spring this morning by joining the Tuesday morning bird walks I help out with.  A group of 14 visitors and residents met at 8:00 A.M. on the glorious day to bird the Indian River Lagoon Preserve in New Smyrna Beach. 

       As is our normal MO, we walked the path through the wooded section of the path first.  We had some heavy rains last night and people joked about finding wading birds alongside Saxon Avenue on their way to the park.  I thought this might have the birds up and about, but that was not the case.  Early on, we had a fine, though thoroughly soaked, Brown thrasher on the highest limb of a bare tree overhanging the path.

       He was not very vocal and if it were not for one sharp-eyed participant, we might have strolled right under the bird without ever noticing it.  As we moved on, the activity lessened and we had to struggle to hear and see anything other than the always-heard Carolina wrens and cardinals.  Even the Yellow-rumped warblers which are always present in big numbers were fewer and farther between.  Our sighting of the morning on this section of the park was probably the diminutive Ceraunus Blue butterfly. 

     

Ceraunus blue (Top and below)

  Once down at the fishing dock on the lagoon, we struggled to find birds once again as the tide was about as high as it gets thus submerging all the sand bars and oyster beds which serve as an attractive food source for shorebirds and waders.  A few herons, egrets, pelicans, and ospreys were seen along the far shore, but generally, it was a quiet morning.

       As we returned to the pavilion, we did hear the gentle repetitive cooing of the Common ground doves.  We used to hear these handsome little doves on a regular basis, but this year, they have been all but absent.  We never did see one today, but to hear them was reassuring.  Back at the cars, we did get our real sense that spring is in fact here as we was a Northern mockingbird with fine material in its beak which these birds use to line their cup-like nests.  And so, spring is in fact here at last and we look forward with excitement and anticipation to see what the following months will bring.

Day 79: March 19th – Incidental Birding

Splendid!  Warm sunny skies….

       We’re on the Turnbull Bay Golf Course today, and since many golfers do not take kindly to those of us who would rather play an 8 hour round and spend half of it observing and photographing the local bird life, we have to keep up the pace and catch a bird here and there as it happens by.

       Several notable sightings occurred today.  Along the 15^th tee box, our friend John visiting from Connecticut and I were observing and photographing this Snowy egret. 

       Sitting no more than 10 feet from the pond into which we had both just driven our initial shot on this hole, we quietly watched the egret while waiting for the party in front of us to get far enough ahead of us to be out of harm’s way.  From behind us, an osprey came swooping in and blasted the surface of the water right next to us scaring us half to death in the process.  I only had my little point and shoot camera with me, so I had to be content with just watching the show rather than recording it on the camera’s memory.  Sometimes, the image burned into your own memory is just as indelible as the image recorded by the camera!

       Later, we came upon a Great blue heron which had just caught and consumed a substantial meal of a mullet.  The heron truly looked quite satisfied and regal with its short black plumes streaming in the breeze. 

  

       A Double-crested cormorant was watching the heron from nearby, and as I studied the DC, I could not help but think of yesterday’s blog about the coming of spring.  The cormorant does not develop the two indistinct crests for which it derives its name until early spring and into summer.  This cormorant had already “sprouted” his.  

       No matter where or when, it seems you can’t avoid Nature’s many pronouncements that spring will arrive tomorrow morning and by God, the birds are ready!

Day 78: March 18 – Signs of spring at Smyrna Dunes

Warm and sunny with a light breeze

“To every thing there is a season…”

                                                               Ecclesiastes 3:1

       A delightful day for a walk around Smyrna Dunes Park at the north end of the barrier island.  Even though spring officially does not begin for another 3 days, the portents of the upcoming season are all around us. 

       The first indication we have is the prickly pear cactus which is just starting to bloom.  The brilliant yellow blossoms  Normally, we don’t expect to see the cacti in bloom until early April, but the extremely mile winter has urged to flowers to make a premature appearance, and we welcome the splash of color on an otherwise drab landscape.

       As we leave the boardwalk and head down to the jetty at Ponce Inlet, we encounter (as we always do) a snowy egret which is working the shallows around the boulders and begging bits of left over bait from a nearby fisherman.  The feature of note indicating that spring has arrived is the facial skin of this particular.  Normally a bright yellow,  the facial skin is now turning a deep reddish orange and the plumes forming a crest are appearing on the back of the head…..more signs of spring.

    

       We re-enter the boardwalk and find a bird quite common along the sandy surface of the area behind the dunes, the Palm warbler.  These birds have been here since we arrived in January, but the colors have become much more pronounced as the warblers have begun molting into their breeding plumage. 

Palm warbler - March 18, 2012

Palm warbler - February 2012

       Some changes are subtle and some not so much.  But close observation reveals many signs that the “times they are a-changin’”

Day 77: March 17 – Surf fishing

Warm and sunny

     “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." 

                                                                                        Jacques Yves Cousteau

       This morning, I enjoyed a couple hours of surf fishing….not actually fishing myself, but watching the masters of the game.  The masters I refer to here are the birds which wade along the surf washing up onto the shore in search of worms, small fish, crustaceans, and any other tasty morsel that the advancing waves bring in with them.

       I concentrated my attention on three species, the Sanderling, the Willet, and the Snowy egret.  All three exemplify what good fishing is all about.  They have great insight into where they will find the quarry, they have infinite patience, and are skilled in effecting the catch.  All three of my subjects this morning appeared to have success on a regular basis.  None went away hungry.

     The Sanderlings were busy doing what sanderlings do. They secure their catch by chasing the waves and then plucking sand crabs out of the wash as the waves retreat and the crabs are most visible.

     The Snowy waited unwearyingly for the waves to carry in something or more appropriately anything edible.  This morning, it was a small jellyfish.  From a short distance, the egret spotted it and chased it down as it washed to and fro in the froth of the surf.

       Finally, the willet displayed his prowess  at finding small sand fleas by probing beneath the surface of the sand as the water receded.  I managed to get a series of the bird as it flew into the beach area right in front of me, then probed and dug a sand flea from the sand and then hauled it back onto the dry sand so as not to lose his prize back to the sea.

The Willet flies in....

Probes the sandy beach....

Finds a tasty sand crab....

and retreats to higher ground to enjoy his catch.

       Cousteau knew exactly what he was saying about the sea casting its net of wonder.  The edge of the sea, the shore, is just another part of the whole.  It held me in its spell for more than an hour as I studied the birds making use of this incredible resource, and I savored every minute of that time just as much as those birds savored the product of their labors.