Day 67: March 7th – Deltona Parks

Overcast, breezy, but warmer with temps in the mid 70s

       We’ve hit a point down here in Florida where it becomes more and more difficult to find a new bird to add to the “year-list”.  At first, it was gang-busters.  The first two months of the year had us picking up new birds for the year at every park and every corner.  Now, we’ve seen most of the common winter birds and are having to struggle to find new species for the year.  So, when we hear of a place where we can pick up a new bird, today it is the White-winged dove, we strike out to find it. 

       The location is in Deltona, not a bad drive for us from our home in New Smyrna Beach.  It is an unlikely spot to find new birds…a nature trail in the middle of a sports park.  Acres of soccer and ball fields are ringed by stands of oaks and pines.  Within these woods we heard our first target bird….the white-wing.  Alan and I listen, follow the song, feel we are very close to the bird, but never gain sight of it.  By “my” rules, if I already have seen the bird as a lifer and hear it later, I can count it as a FOY (first of the year).  And so it is.  But, I really wanted to see it and photograph it to present here on the blog.  Not to be today.  The second target, the Red-headed woodpecker, is much more cooperative, however.  Although the lighting is not great and the woodpeckers do keep their distance, we manage to garner several presentable shots.  It’s always a relief to get that first shot of the day that is “blog-worthy”. 

       While in pursuit of the two targets, we have sightings of Brown thrasher and Eastern towhee.  They prefer to call to us at close range, but then hunker down in the thick brush.  A shot here and another there produces images of the bird with a branch which always seems to be in the most inopportune location….right across the face of the bird.  So, when I can get a photo of the bird’s eye and bill, I take it as a gift and ask for nothing more.

       Finally, we close out the day with a short side trip to Lyonia Preserve, also in Deltona to see if we can get the Scrub jay for our guests Bobby and Diana.  As can be expected, the jays appear and give us more than ample opportunity to get a good shot.  Some things you can always count on…..