Tricolored Heron, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Little Blue Heron, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Painted Buntings, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Dawn, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Raccoon, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Palm Warbler 'western', Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Vermilion Flycatcher, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Little Blue Heron, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Gray headed Swamphen, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Purple Gallinules, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
Great Blue Heron, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 15, 2023
On my first full day I headed up to Lake Apopka for the entire morning and a couple hours of the afternoon. The morning was frosty but thankfully the breeze was light. Not what one hopes for when in Florida in winter but it happens sometimes. I started off predawn at the North Shore Trail and had a few owls including a Barn (a new species for me in the state) and several Barred as well as some rails calling. Once the sun was starting to rise I walked along some of the roads in the area and turned up some good stuff with a flyby flock of Black bellied Whistling Ducks, some waders, thousands of crows leaving roost (both Fish Crows and American Crows), a couple White crowned Sparrows (which I didn’t realize at the time were new for me in the state otherwise I would have taken a few photos), half a dozen species of warbler and three Painted Buntings. I also walked a small portion of a loop trail that goes through some more mature woods and added more species including a calling Eastern Screech Owl, a mixed flock that held nine species of warblers among several other species. By this point it was around 9:15 and I decided to head further east and hit the Clay Island Trailhead in the hopes of finding one of the continued Vermillion Flycatchers that have overwintered recently. I managed to find two immature females together not too far along the trail and get some distant photos thus documenting my third new Florida species for the day (#230). I then headed back to the northern portion of the lake and parked at the end of the one way wildlife drive and walked in a bit over a mile and had great looks at a number of species during the hour and a half I was there. After a quick snack I decided (against my better judgement) to try the wildlife drive at midday. It was a mistake as it was just too busy for me but nonetheless I made the best of it and added a number of new species for the trip with loads of Ring necked Ducks, American Coots and Common Gallinule as well as decent numbers of Fulvous Whistling Ducks. By the time I got finished with the wildlife drive I was getting tired so I headed back to my lodging mid afternoon and then hung around the neighborhood the rest of the day. It was sunny all day long and the high eventually reached the upper 50’s.
Dawn, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Anhingas, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Ring necked Ducks, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Great Blue Heron, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
American Coots, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Swamp Sparrow, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal hybrid, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal hybrid, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
American Redstart, Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Palm Warbler 'western', Lake Apopka North Shore, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Wilson's Warbler, Trimble Park, Mount Dora, FL, Jan 16, 2023
Bufflehead, Old Highway 441 S pond -Mount Dora, FL, Jan 16, 2023
On Martin Luther King day I took advantage of the wildlife drive being open once again at Lake Apopka and this time I started my morning there before the hordes arrived (the drive is only open to cars Friday-Sunday and on federal holidays). I arrived at the beginning of the drive before sunrise and although there was some patchy frost it was not quite as cold as the morning before. I turned up a new species for the me for the state with a flyby pair of Canada Geese (I got a text from a local birder later that the species is quite unusual on the drive and I kick myself for not getting photos). The first part of the drive had the typical variety of waterfowl as I drove down to the pump house where I then walked along the berm at the edge of the lake with the main hope of finding a Yellow Warbler but I stuck out on that quest. The lake had huge numbers of birds (and lots of hunters blasting away) with the vast majority being American Coots and large numbers of Ring necked Ducks. There were lots of Common Yellowthroats, Palm Warblers and Yellow rumped Warblers among other passerines. I then continued on the drive up to Interceptor Road to try to see a hybrid Blue winged x Cinnamon Teal that has been hanging around the area. It took a bit to find it but once I did I got some distant photos of the bird…a really unique individual and not a hybrid I have seen before. It mainly kept tucked in but would occasionally lift its head up. It seemed to be staying with a female Blue winged Teal. The same area had lots of both species of whistling ducks plus a number of Gadwall among the other more expected species. After leaving the wildlife drive I headed over to the North Shore Trailhead once again and this time I concentrated on the loop trail along County Route 448A where I only spent a little time the day before but turned up a nice mixed flock in my limited time there. I walked in and within just a few minutes had a few species including an American Redstart (unusual for the location and date). The big flock I had at the spot the day before was not to be found but I was certainly happy to get the redstart. After finding one unusual warbler I decided to head north a bit more to nearby Trimble Park to try to find a reported Wilson’s Warbler (how can you not try for a Wilson’s anything really!?!?). After a bit of looking and sorting through lots of Yellow rumped Warblers and other passerines I finally found the Wilson’s Warbler and got another nearby birder on it too. We both got some photos as the bird worked along the shoreline on a narrow peninsula. The bird was a bit unique in that it is missing part of its lower mandible but seems to be eating just fine. As I was looking for the warbler I heard and briefly saw a Baltimore Oriole which added another new species for the state for me. I also added a third new Florida species for the morning when I had a couple Bufflehead on a small pond nearby. I made one more stop at the north end of Lake Apopka before I headed back to my lodging where I finally arrived in mid afternoon.
Snail Kite, LeRoy Wright Rec Area, Cocoa, FL, Jan 17, 2023
Dawn, LeRoy Wright Rec Area, Cocoa, FL, Jan 17, 2023
Yellow breasted Chat, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
Short tailed Hawk, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
Common Yellowthroat, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
White eyed Vireo, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
Red shouldered Hawk, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
Turkey Vulture with no tail, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
Glossy Ibis, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
American Alligator babies, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
Orange crowned Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 17, 2023
On Tuesday I had the morning free before picking up Sherri at the airport in Orlando so I headed east with the main stop being the Orlando Wetlands Park in Christmas. It is a location I have been to several times before and it always holds lots of birds. The various water impoundments and nearby woods feature a variety of habitats that would probably take all day to cover well. Before I made it there I decided to head a little further south to LeRoy Wright Park in another fruitless search for a Yellow Warbler. However I did have a nice morning flight of waders leaving roost and had thousands of birds. I ended up spending over an hour at the small park before I headed up to the Orlando Wetlands Park. I stayed there just over three hours and covered a few miles with nearly seventy species total including a number of rarities including a Yellow breasted Chat (another new Florida species for me), a Short tailed Hawk (a light morph bird) and finally a very uncooperative Magnolia Warbler that was my main target there. I had just brief looks and despite spending over an hour in just a small area trying to relocate I failed to find it again before I had to leave for the airport. The remainder of the day was spent driving down to our lodging on the coast outside Fort Pierce.
Painted Bunting, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 18, 2023
Osprey, Round Island Conservation Area, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 18, 2023
Bonaparte's Gull, Round Island Conservation Area, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 18, 2023
Brown Pelican, Round Island Conservation Area, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 18, 2023
Common Yellowthroat, Round Island Conservation Area, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 18, 2023
Prairie Warbler, Round Island Conservation Area, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 18, 2023
We stayed on the coast for the next four nights and I visited a bunch of nearby areas. On Wednesday I headed north all the way up to Pelican Island NWR and then made multiple stops heading back south including parts of the Jungle Trail, Captain Forester Hammock Preserve and Round Island Conservation Area. Nothing too unusual but had some nice looks at a variety of species. By midday and it was getting near 80 so after a short walk nearby I spent the rest of the day relaxing in the shade.
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Jack Island State Preserve, Fort Pierce, FL, Jan 19, 2023
Dolphin species, Jack Island State Preserve, Fort Pierce, FL, Jan 19, 2023
American Redstart, Wildcat Cove Preserve, Fort Pierce, FL, Jan 19, 2023
Thursday was another sunny and warm day with highs around 80 and it was the first morning I had to contend with mosquitoes early on. I decided to stay fairly close by with a variety of walks at areas just a few minutes away. I started at Jack Island State Preserve and then onto Wildcat Cove Preserve. Both were fairly quiet bird wise but I did get some close looks at a couple of dolphins in the mangroves. I then hit a few areas along the causeway to the island in the hopes of some shorebirds but found none. We then took a long walk at another portion of Wildcat Cove Preserve and it was even quieter than earlier in the morning. Although a pleasant day to be outside the bird activity was fairly low overall.
Black Skimmers at dawn, Fort Pierce Inlet SP, Fort Pierce, FL, Jan 20, 2023
Roseate Spoonbill, Round Island Conservation Area, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 20, 2023
Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron and White Ibis, Round Island Conservation Area, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 20, 2023
Mudflat with shorebirds, Fort Pierce Inlet SP, Fort Pierce, FL, Jan 20, 2023
Yellow throated Warbler, Fort Pierce Inlet SP, Fort Pierce, FL, Jan 20, 2023
I got a little birding in first thing in the morning Friday before we headed over to nearby Fort Pierce Inlet SP where we rented kayaks for a couple of hours and explored around the mangrove islands. I started off before dawn walking the beach all the way to the breakwater at the state park and had a number of new species including multiple shorebirds (American Oystercatcher was another new one for my Florida list). I also walked a few miles at Round Island Conservation Area before heading back to the lodging around nine. We spent a couple of hours kayaking around the mangroves at Fort Pierce Inlet SP and had some close looks at waders and a few dolphins as well as some shorebirds on a sandbar that were taking advantage of the outgoing tide. After a quick break for lunch I then walked around the state park for awhile before heading back for the rest of the day.
Northern Parula, Pepper Beach Park, Fort Pierce, FL, Jan 21, 2023
American Redstart, Pepper Beach Park, Fort Pierce, FL, Jan 21, 2023
Pinelands, Jonathan Dickinson SP, Hobe Sound, FL, Jan 21, 2023
Green winged Teal and Blue winged Teal, Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, Wellington, FL, Jan 21, 2023
River Otter, Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, Wellington, FL, Jan 21, 2023
Wilson's Snipe, Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, Wellington, FL, Jan 21, 2023
Mottled Ducks, Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, Wellington, FL, Jan 21, 2023
Black and White Warbler, Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, Wellington, FL, Jan 21, 2023
Green Heron, Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, Wellington, FL, Jan 21, 2023
On our last day in the warmth we worked our way down the coast to eventually get to our hotel near the airport in West Palm Beach, where we had an early flight on Sunday morning. Before leaving I headed out to a few local spots on a warm and humid morning. I started at Round Island Conservation Area and the Round Island Oceanfront Park. These areas were a bit quiet so I headed down to a Wildcat Cove Preserve but the mosquitoes were too bad to walk too far in the mangroves. I almost decided to head back to pack up stuff but instead decided to try the nearby small Pepper Beach Park and this turned out to be a good choice as I came across a mixed warbler flock that contained seven species. I also had another species calling from deep in the mangroves that I could never get a look at it. We then drove down to Jonathan Dickinson SP where we walked for about an hour and had typical pine woodland species. Thankfully it was fairly cloudy so the 80 degree temps were tolerable. After a quick lunch we were looking for another spot to walk for the afternoon and I found Peaceful Waters Sanctuary as a good candidate going by the number of eBird lists. It was a little off the beaten path but worth the effort to get there. It is a small area but was quite active, even in the heat of the afternoon. Had lots of good look at various species of both birds and mammals (River Otters were showing especially well).
Overall for the trip I managed to find 147 species with eight of them new for me in Florida which brought my Florida list up to 235. A much detailed look at warblers for the trip at the following link.
Full Flickr album with all the photos from the trip at the following link: Florida -January 2023.
Great photos! We visited a few of the same places! Clearly, I need to get up earlier!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Early is almost always better than later!
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