Week 6: Central Florida

February 3^rd – 9^th

       The week began with the two of us joining our old birding buddies from the West Volusia Audubon for a day-long excursion to Orlando Wetlands Park in the town of Christmas, Florida (that’s right….Christmas!)  The park is comprised of 1,650 acres of hardwood hammocks, marshes and lakes.  The site is one of the most renown for King rails and Soras and we had plenty of both!  Not that they were easy to see by any stretch of the imagination, but the certainly did want to be heard.  Limpkins were also in good supply but unlike the rails, these birds did not make themselves hard to view and photograph.  One pair was engaged in either a territorial dispute or an amorous exchange.  Whichever it was, it made for an entertaining interlude.  This one flew by as the other two were engaged with one another.

       Our target of the day was the Vermillion flycatcher, a bird more common to the southwestern United States and points south.  Two brilliantly adorned males have been gracing the grounds of Orlando wetlands for the past two years, however, and provided us with great looks through the scopes.  Sorry, too distant for a decent shot with the camera, however.

       The Purple gallinule was also found in several locations as we hiked the park and for many in the group this was a “life bird”.   At one point, we actually had the Common and the Purple gallinules in the same field of our scopes.

Royal tern

       The second half of our week was spent south and west of our home base of New Smyrna Beach.  We spent Wednesday checking our Sebastian Inlet in the hopes of finding a Razorbill reported last week.  We struck out on the target but had nice looks at such common finds as the Black skimmers, Royal and Sandwich terns, Ruddy turnstones, and Brown pelicans.

       Further south, at Fort Pierce, we had more of the same along the jetties on the beach.

Sandwich tern

       Thursday, we travelled west to Kissimmee Prairie, the largest contiguous true prairie in the state of Florida. 

Kissimmee Prairie

         As we entered the preserve, we were greeted by Eastern meadowlarks…..many meadowlarks.  You could not travel more than 50 yards without hearing a new individual, and most were easily seen as they perched high in the palmettos or on fence lines.

       We tallied a good number of species here, but the highlight of the day was watching a Crested caracara fly into a palm with a large Cottonmouth in its talons.  We watched as the bird made quick work of skillfully peeling the flesh from the body of the snake.  When finished with his meal, the caracara dropped the skeleton to the ground where we retrieved it for examination.  Absolutely incredible that this bird could so totally strip the snake of its flesh and leave the skeleton totally intact.  Only the head was left untouched.  We noticed that the caracara seemed to be tending to a wound on one of its talons, but the site biologist assured us that other than a “limp” for a few days, the bird would be fine.

       The following day, we headed over to Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area and Joe Overstreet Landing where we hoped to find the Florida specialty the Snail kite.  We traveled down to the boat launch on the edge of Lake Jackson and within the first 10 minutes had our first kite fly by.  We watched as the kite flew over the aquatic vegetation in search of apple snails in much the same manner as the Northern harrier hunts for it prey over the open fields.  On several occasions, the kite dipped down and emerged with a large snail as its prize.  Most of the snails found here in Lake Jackson are exotic and are larger than the native variety, but the local ranger told us that the kites have been quick to adapt and seem to be making the best of this new staple to the diet.

     

      At the same site, we were treated to fine looks at our first Parula of the year, early even by Florida standards.  As we watched, a Red-shouldered hawk scolded us from his nearby perch and a fine Little blue heron flew by in front of us.

       At Joe Overstreet, we had what has to be considered classic Florida birding.  Where else can you be seated at a picnic bench at water’s edge and be simultaneously viewing a Long-billed curlew, Wilson’s snipe, Bald eagle, two Crested caracaras, Common gallinule, Little blue heron, yet another Snail kite, glossy and white ibises, Great blue heron, Boat-tailed grackles, Ring-billed gulls, and Black vultures…..again, all at the same time!  You just have to love Florida birding.

Juvenile Long-billed curlew and Wilson's snipe

       As we headed back home, we stopped to grab a photo of another phenomenon necessary for the prairies of Florida….fire. 

       The fire seen here in this parting shot is of a prescribed burn and is, hopefully, totally under control.  The prairies must burn in order to keep them from becoming forested, and with natural fires becoming less frequent, these burns are a necessary solution to the problem.  ]

      Quite a week, eh?  Let’s see what the next 7 days brings.