The Sunshine State

 Welcome back home, Florida was very good to me. My wife and I had scheduled an adult spring break trip, Mach 24-31st. We were meeting up with 2 other couples to enjoy a sunny week in south Florida. I got the chance to meet up with #TSB member JK and do some extreme birding for 3 days, starting at 6am everyday.
  From my Florida Jackpot post, I wanted to share the story about the North Cape Corl area where we saw the Florida-Scrub Jay. It was on NW 25th Terrace, north of Kismet Pkwy.
When we pulled into the area, the houses went away, and just the

Life Bird spot

 over grown road and openness surrounds. It was around 9am, and the perfect habit for Scrub Jays. We saw 2 or 3 just on this street. It was quiet, but had a tranquillity to it, just the sound of Eastern Meadow Larks calling. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Meadowlark/sounds  What is this place?

After 2 hours and 2 life birds, we decided to drive over to Sanibel Isand. On the causeway on the way over, JK reported a Frigate Bird that he saw two day earlier. Sure enough, I got to see the Frigate soaring on the north side. I even pulled over on the island spot and got the binoculars on him. My records show that I saw the Frigate as a life bird in June 1990 while on that great run toward #500ABA with my grandparents. I'll have to add a seperate post on that trip in the future.The stories, the birds.

The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located on the subtropical barrier island of Sanibel in the Gulf of Mexico. The refuge is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. It is world famous for its spectacular migratory bird population. There is a 4 mile stretch that you can drive or bike through all day. The fee is $5 a car. $1 per biker or hiker.

We drove the Mazda 2 through, with several stops. Black Simmers, Semi-Palmated Polver, Osprey's fishing over the car. We stopped at Shell Mound Trail and tried for White-Crowned Pigeon, but no pigeons where around. We drove down to Tarpon Bay Rd, and walked out on the beach. There are reports of Snowy Plovers all along the beach from the light house down here too. No luck, there was too many people already enjoying the beach. But the Frigate Bird soared over again!

Snowy Plovers? Just Black-Bellied

Day 2 started out with another 50 minute drive, this time south to Marco Island. This trip was inspired by http://bikingforbirds.blogspot.com/ and Dorian's adventure there earlier in March. While we waited for the gates to open at 8am, we where treated to the hometown population of Burrowing Owls. I did not realize you could see them in south Florida. I had always seen them in south Texas, Azrizon 1985(lifer) and on vacation in Aruba, yes they have Burrowing Owls too.

What's up dude?

Tiger Trail Beach. Wow. The goal here was again Snowy Plover, a lifer, plus Semi-Palm, Piping, Wilson's, Black-Bellied. We did not get a chance to go all the way out. The wind conditions where not good, and we where not prepared to walk through shin high water toward the beach. See the photo.  Instead we did the LONG walk around to the right, then left to the red line. We got to the start point, and birded there back into the lagoon area. We picked up several shorebirds with highlights Piping Plover, Marbled Godwit and Western Sandpiper(did not get in 2013). 

 The good news is, we know the Snowy Plover is there, so next time with good equipment, I should be able to pull a Penta-Plover day.

Day 2 ended with many FOY birds, and only one morning left for #TSB. JK was leaving at 3pm, and really wanted to get a Snail Kite. One had been reported at Harns Marsh, north of the airport. We arrived at sun rise again, and I got many FOYs like Black-Crown Night Heron, SandHill Crane, heard Northern Paula, Carolina&House wren. On our way back toward the car, from the north end. There@! Soaring low over the marsh, a female/immature Snail Kite. It move right past us, showing the hooked bill and white rump on top of the tail. It landed in a tree, and we watch it a longer with bincos until the crows pushed it on.

After we checked out, the party headed east toward Pompano Beach, FL. We had 4 nights at a private bungalow right on the A1A inlet.  I planned to do some east coast birding, with possible 3 more new life birds I could get(which I did). That Friday morning, I drove up to Green Cay Wetlands in Palm Beach county. 

This place is very famous for birders and walkers. 

I headed towards the east, and walking the entire loop just once. Toward the back hammock, I got the Sora, Purple Swamphen(lifer#535) and Yellow-Crown Night Heron. On the way out, stop by the two feeders hanging in the trees before the entrance. A fellow birder pointed them out to me, and I got White-Winged Dove and Painted Bunting, male. Sorry no pic's.

Turns out, there is another fantastic birding place 2.2 miles away that I never new about. Its called

Wakodahatchee Wetlands. The park was created on 50 acres of unused utility land, and transformed into a recreation wetlands open to the public.The three-quarter mile boardwalk that crosses between open water pond areas, emergent marsh areas, shallow shelves, and islands with shrubs and snags to foster nesting and roosting. There where lots of great species here, but most noted is a singe NeoTropic Cormorant. It has been roosting here for three years now. Typically I see this species in south Texas, but this is rare for Florida. They believe the bird was blown over here with a storm, and has just stayed with is Double Crested Cormorant friends, there his framily. Click to

enlarge the picture. Notice the longer tail, white facial marks and smaller bird.

NeoTropic(L) DoubleCrested(R)

Fulvous Whistling Ducks

What bird is that?

So, on the way to the airport to leave on the 31st. I mentioned that Wakadahatchee was on the way north, so maybe we can stop and get the NeoTropic Corm, and maybe another FOY. Luckily we did, and I saw this small, discrete bird. What is it? I only heard them last year in Las Vegas, but it was my last one to compete the Ardeidae family. Well, I saw it this year, and I'm close again. 

On the way out, in the parking lot. Swoosh, a American Kestrel lands on a tree branch. A new trip bird, then out of now where . . a Monk Parakeet flies by and lands too?!? Sorry no pics, they flew. So I got 4 new FOYs, and a great picture on that second time around. Note to self--Always try, try again. 

In conclusion, Florida was very very good to me . I'd like to thank my wife and friends for a spring break trip I'll never forget. To always having fun and living life. 

• 7 nights/8 days
• 860 miles driven
• 6 Life Birds
• 106 total species
• 75 FOYs

Next up: Spring Migration in CBus

Florida Jackpot, 6 Lifers added!!

Who knew vacation would take so much out of you!?! Back from a full week in south Florida

•  over 800 miles driven, 31 MPG average
• staying on both coasts, Bonita Springs & Pompano Beach
• wake up everyday at 6am
• stop to bird the same place again on the way to the airport to leave(it paid off, big-time)

Mazda2 100hp

There was so much to the trip, that my next post will be about highlights from the week. This post is only about my 6 life birds I got on the trip, which was my main goal. Wow did it payoff.

Tuesday morning, the mail goal was for 2 life birds that day. First we arrived in North Ft. Myers looking for the newly added ABA species, the Nanday Parakeet. We drove around between two spots reported on ebird.org. Usually these parakeets are farther north in Sarasota, St. Pete, Clearwater areas.

Birds on a wire

Over an hour later, we where ready to leave and give up, we went back to the 2nd spot one last time(2400 Kennesaw St), and team member JK heard the squwak of a parakeet. Bam, look up and guess who's sitting on the wire? Nanday Parakeet. As of November 2012, this is now a countable species for ABA

Life Bird #533

Nanday Parakeet

They feed on vegetable matter, live oak, acorns, magnolia blossoms & seeds, sea-oats and grass seeds, and commercial bird seed.





Whoo, almost blew that one. Glad we got the parakeets, but now onto North Cape Coral. We crossed the bridge north, then up to Littleton Rd & Kismet Parkway west. Welcome to NW 25th Terrace. Like a scene right out of Full Metal Jacket, sniper scene. It's all calm and quiet. There are no houses in this neighborhood. Only grass grown over streets, telephone poles with wires, and a couple of trees. No humans. Just the wind and the sounds of Eastern Meadowlarks calling. Very eerie. But right on schedule, sitting on the wire is a large Florida Scrub Jay.

Life Bird #534

In 1998, the ABA split the Scrub Jay

Florida Scrub Jay

into three different species, which vary by location. Now you have the most common Western Scrub Jay, seen in 9 western states. I saw one last year in Calif. Then you have a  Florida Scrub Jay(lifer!)-a code 2 bird only in certain areas in Florida. Then the hardest one, Island Scrub Jay-a code 2, only seen on Santa Cruz Island, in southern California. I mean, you have to take a boat to see a jay. Funny. Someday I'll take that boat ride and scrub jay out.

He's scrubbing

That was it for the first day not bad+2. The second morning we went to Marco Island, and the dreaded Tiger Trail Beach. The goal was for a lifer, Snowy Plover, but it was not meant to be. We were not prepared with the right equipment and enough time to try shorebird hunting that day. See Biking for Birds blog on Tiger Trail Beach. http://bikingforbirds.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-67-111-miles-and-few-new-birds.html Maybe next time, "giving us a reason  . . . to travel the country"  Ed Vedder quote.
   Team SnowBlunting member JK took off back to Ohio on Thurs, while I had four more nights on the east coast of Florida, based in Pompano Beach. Friday the 28th was a great FOY bird day, and one surprising lifer.
    Green Cay wetlands is the place to be, epically if your a walker. It is Palm Beach counties newest nature center, with over 100 acres of wetlands, and a 1.5 mile boardwalk. See, mall walkers and birders have something in common . . . we walk!! The nature is so close here, great for beginners or photography people. Coming out of the back Hammock, after I see a Sora rail, I see this larger bird, different colors. Turns out to be the Purple Swamphen, code 2, lifer!! I had planned to try another

Life Bird #535

location later to see this bird, but turns out a pair have nested here
 at Green Cay the last two years. Lucky for me again. This bird
 was another exotic that has been in Florida for years, but was
 not added to ABA listing until 2013.

Purple Swamp Hen

Saturday the 29th was a day I'll never forget. I convinced the wife to wake up at 6am, and head with me south to Miami. First stop was to see the White-Winged Parakeet, code 2, Lifer #536. I saw this parakeet on 6/26/90 in Kendall, FL with Red&Louise. Back then it was called a Canary-Winged Parakeet, and was non-countable exotic. This was the only life bird I did not get a picture of. Then on to Matheson Hammock Park, near Coral Gables, to see a rare code 3 lifer, called the La Sagra's Flycatcher. It is a tyrant flycatcher that breeds in Cuba, Bahamas and Grand Cayman. It is a causal vagrant to south Florida.

Life Bird #537

 This bird is identified by it's "wink, wink" call. And that is exactly what I heard from the parking lot. I ran over to see the bird behind the pond calling. I got some great pictures. I forgot to record some audio though. Then I heard a second "wink, wink", What? A second La Sagra's? No, it is birding guide Carlos Sanchez playing his recording, and he has two birders with him that need it too as a life bird.

They where a nice couple from West Virgina. It turns out, they had visited Uncle Mikes house in the winter for the 3 winter birds. See my blogpost from 1/11/14. Uncle Mike ended up with over 600 birders, from 5 states visit them this past winter. Then I tell them that I am Red&Louise's grandson, and they say "we know R&L, we've birded with them in south Texas."  Bingo, another deja vu moment in my life, of why I am doing this blog. Retracing the Steps of my dad's and grandparents' life and all the birds and people they've meet. Now I get to fulfill that journey. 

My records show that Red&Louise got the La Sagra's only once, 6/26/92 in Sugar Loaf Key, FL bird #766. My records of Buddy do not show that he ever saw the flycatcher, but I will cross check another data source.

Life Bird #538

My last life bird, was the elusive Oriole. I would like to thank ebird.org and my Green Mountian Digital phone app, Audubon Guides for helping me locate this one. On Sunday 30th early morning, I drove down to Wilton Manors, FL and checked on some neighborhoods where it had been reported.
It rained the night before, so I knew
the birds would be out slowly

hangin' like an Oriole

and trying to dry off. Again,

Spot-Breasted Oriole

after over an hour driving around, and getting ready to leave, I hear an Oriole type
call. Similar to Baltimore we
get in Ohio. I look up into a palm, and there it is, a
Spot-Breasted Oriole, Code2, lifer #538. It stayed put a while and I got lots of pictures. Then a second one show up, hangin' upside down. Later the male flies into a closer tree and I got the best pictures. You can see the spot-breasted and white wing bars.

So that was it folks, show's over. 8 days, 7 nights, 800 miles got me 106 total species, 75FOYs, 6 Lifers for #Florida2014. Yes, there was life bird dancing.

Next post:  Florida shines again