Florida vacation to Orlando area and the Atlantic coast -January 14-21

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

I finally got away to warmer climes with a trip down to Florida with time spent in the Orlando area before heading to the Atlantic coast and south down to Fort Pierce before flying out of West Palm Beach on Sunday the 22nd.  I decided to concentrate on perhaps finding a few new species for my Florida state list and of course looking for warblers.  I arrived into Orlando on Saturday the 14th after driving through some light snow and freezing drizzle on the way to the airport in Hartford. Orlando was warmer than home but far from warm with a northerly breeze and temps that topped out just over 50. I made a couple brief stops on my way to my Airbnb in northern Orlando and started adding species for the trip. 

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.

More unusual species around over the last several days and a near record setting pace for the new year

Swamp Sparrow, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Jan 8, 2023

Green winged Teal, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jan 8, 2023

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 8, 2023

The second week of January started off as the first week had ended with above normal temperatures and a total lack of snow.  I spent a lot of the morning on the 8th checking various areas for any rarities and/or lingering species with a focus on warblers (I turned up none of those unfortunately as I checked new areas for them).  I did have my first White crowned Sparrow of the year in Hadley as well as a flyby longspur that may have been the Smith's Longspur but I never saw the bird.  Arcadia turned up a Green winged Teal and loads of Common Mergansers but nothing else unusual.  The campus pond at UMASS had well over a thousand Canada Geese with more arriving as I left and I then explored the nearby stadium marsh (which produced two Swamp Sparrows).  Winsor Dam had a flyby pair of Bufflehead, a merganser that may have been a Red breasted Merganser and two Common Loons.  I also relocated the continued Short eared Owl in the East Meadows I first found there in late December.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Jan 10, 2023

Greater White fronted Goose, Mt Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, Jan 10, 2023

After getting out of work on Tuesday morning I headed across the river in a successful quest to relocate a Yellow rumped Warbler in Hadley I last saw in mid December.  Although not the best looks I was happy to see it still hanging around.  I then headed south in search of a continued Greater White fronted Goose that I always seem to have just missed.  I tried a couple spots with no luck but then found the bird at the pond at Mt. Holyoke College feeding right next to the road with a group of Canada Geese and the resident domestic goose.  

Common Mergansers, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jan 13, 2023

Song Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jan 13, 2023

I had to work on Wednesday so no birding and then with light snow and complete lack of sleep for Thursday I headed right home with just a couple of brief stops without finding anything too noteworthy.  On Friday the 13th, after a good night sleep, I headed over to Arcadia and arrived there around sunrise and stayed for about two and half hours covering a few different areas looking for new species for the year and finding a few.  The warm weather resulted in several areas of open water with a decent selection of waterfowl but nothing extremely unusual.  Among the notable species for the morning was a Hermit Thrush, a Field Sparrow and a flyby Yellow rumped Warbler (my first one in the immediate area which is surprising as they have overwintered in the area of Arcadia for a few years).  The on and off rain made photography tough and not pleasant to be outside but nonetheless it was a good morning.  I made a few other quick stops on the way home and yet again found the Smith's Longspur in Hadley.  With the second week of the new year almost complete I have so far found a total of 91 species in Hampshire County with lots of unusual species around.  I'm just a little behind my best January ever (2021) when I had 92 species at this point and ended the month with my first ever 100+ species January here with a total of 105 species.  Not sure I will break the 100 mark as I'm off to warmer climes for a bit but there is a decent chance...I will be back looking again once I get back home.

The productive first week of the new year

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jan 2, 2023

Eastern Meadowlark, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jan 2, 2023

I started out the new year with a day at work.  I managed to get a few species on my way in with a few owls (including a Short eared Owl) plus a few species of waterfowl.  After getting out of work on the 2nd I was not feeling great but wanted to try to add a few birds before I headed home to rest.  I decided to try my luck in tracking down a Yellow rumped Warbler in the East Meadows and I was successful (adding to my streak of consecutive months of finding a warbler in the county...now at 69 months).  I was afraid the warm weather and recent rain would make the meadows too muddy but I was able to get in and out before it warmed up above freezing and turned the place into a muddy mess.  I made a couple other stops and turned up more species including a number of notables including Green winged Teal, Red necked Grebe, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Eastern Meadowlark and the continued Smith's Longspur.  Unfortunately I didn't stay out as long as I wish I could have as I continued to feel bad.  Turns out I got Covid once again, which curtailed birding a bit to begin the month.  The weather didn't help either with rain and drizzle and fog on multiple days. 

Great Scaup (with Hooded Mergansers), Hadley Falls Canal Park, South Hadley, MA, Jan 3, 2023

Mute Swans, Hadley Falls Canal Park, South Hadley, MA, Jan 3, 2023

Canada Goose with extensive white on head and neck, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Jan 3, 2023

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 4, 2023

The third and fourth were mostly spent at home but I did go out once to get some meds and food and made a few stops where I could view from the heat of the car and turned up some more notables to begin the year with the continued Greater Scaup and a Red breasted Merganser.  

Common Yellowthroat, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jan 5, 2023

Pale/leucistic Canada Goose, Hadley, MA, Jan 5, 2023

Common Grackles, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jan 5, 2023

On Thursday I was feeling a bit better (and tested negative for Covid) and was up for a short walk or two and spent some time trying to catch up with a previously reported Common Yellowthroat in Amherst.  Although I failed to find that individual I did find a Common Yellowthroat in the same spot I had one in early December and it appeared to be the same bird I had then.  I made a few other stops during the morning and turned up more species with highlights including the continued pale Canada Goose (I'll write a full post about this individual in the near future), a couple American Pipits in Hadley and large numbers of Common Grackles, Red winged Blackbirds and Brown headed Cowbirds.  It has been a great winter for large numbers of these species with today featuring a single flock of 5000+ Common Grackles in Hadley (video of part of the flock at the following link). 

Ring billed Gulls and a Herring Gull, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 6, 2023

Greater Scaup, Hadley Falls Canal Park, South Hadley, MA, Jan 6, 2023

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jan 6, 2023

Friday was forecast to be snowy with up to a few inches of snow.  It was raining when I got up but it flipped to snow fairly early but I headed out to a few nearby spots.  I birded from the car at Winsor Dam briefly before heading back home to take it easy again.  The snow then changed back to rain and stayed that way through midday into the early afternoon.  I saw some reports of the continued Redhead being seen in South Hadley so I decided to head down there and had it briefly as well as well as the continued scaup.  The Redhead flew up river and I tried to relocate it but had no luck,  By this point the snow started again so I once again headed home.  While watching the feeders at the house I had multiple banded Black capped Chickadees and managed to get a few photos of them.

Common Yellowthroat, Amherst, MA, Jan 7, 2023

Northern Harrier and Red tailed Hawk, Amherst, MA, Jan 7, 2023

Mallard in a tree, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Jan 7, 2023

Cackling/Canada Goose, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Jan 7, 2023

Savannah Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jan 7, 2023

Eastern Phoebe, Hadley, MA, Jan 7, 2023

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Jan 7, 2023

Moon through freezing fog, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jan 7, 2023

To end the first week of the new year I took a few longer walks during a cool and foggy morning.  I finally caught up with a distantly trilling Eastern Screech Owl before the sun came up in Hadley.  Once the sun was up I took a walk along the river in Hadley and had a couple Yellow bellied Sapsuckers plus loads of Common Grackles and Red winged Blackbirds but failed to relocate a Yellow rumped Warbler I had in the spot at the end of 2022.  A few more stops along the river travelling north turned up a continued Eastern Phoebe that looks to be overwintering for yet another year and a Swamp Sparrow in a mixed sparrow flock (both new species for me this year).  The campus pond turned up two interesting geese that looked intermediate between Cackling Goose and Canada Goose with a blocky head and small size but a larger than expected bill.  I also had a Mallard in a tree...not something I see very often.  By mid morning I was starting to get really tired but decided I would make one more brief stop in an attempt to find a Common Yellowthroat reported by John Y. a few days before (a different individual from the one I had on Thursday).  I arrived and walked up a muddy path and ran across a group of chickadees and then heard a call that I knew was a yellowthroat and within a few minutes had looks at yet another Common Yellowthroat for January here!  Really amazing given the rarity of this species here in winter.  I got a few photos of the bird and then headed home to rest.  Despite not being able to get out as much as I would have liked to due to not feeling great I still have had a great start to the year with a total of 83 species so far with multiple rarities.  I'm just a few species off my best January at this point so perhaps I will hit a hundred species for the second time ever in January in Hampshire County (I had an incredible 105 species back in 2021).