Bob's Gone Birding: Tallahassee, Bells and Whistles

The Tallahassee Twofer

Costa's Hummingbird

I've gotten behind on my blog by a bit, so today -- you lucky reader!! -- you get a ROGO (aka, Read One, Get One Free).

First, I made a trip to Tallahassee last Friday in hopes of seeing the Costa's Hummingbird. Now this is a typical birder's trip. Drive for 150 minutes, make two stops to see two stake-out birds, and drive back. Actually, we started with breakfast at Cracker Barrel, but then we got down to business. We reached the home at which the hummer has been seen, took up a position in the middle of the yard where we could see all four feeders, and tried to look non-threatening to a hummingbird. During the first hour we had the pleasure of watching loads of Chipping Sparrows, Titmice, Chickadees, Ground Doves, Goldfinches, a Bluebird, and two Rufous Hummingbirds. A Red-shouldered Hawk was hanging out in the area, and we were concerned that might reduce the bird activity, but generally the hawk was cautiously ignored. And then there was the Costa's Hummingbird. He just seemed to appear at the feeder closest to the house. He hung around for about five minutes, alternately feeding and darting into the nearby vegetation. Fortunately, one of us was able to get the photo on the left.

Red-necked Grebe

Our second mission was to check the old Church's Chicken pond for the Red-necked Grebe. We found it quickly. We decided to walk around the pond and found it within a few minutes. We also saw Northern Shovelers, Hooded Mergansers, and Ruddy Ducks. As we continued walking we saw a bird flycatching from the top of a tree at the southern end of the lake. We were able to get it in our scopes and were surprised to see that it was a Western Kingbird. Unfortunately the photos turned out to be little more than silhouettes, so you can trust me or not as you see fit. Anyway, it was a successful day with one lifer for me and either one or two for the others in the car.

Bell's and Whistles

Bell's Vireo (Photo by Jonathan Mays)

On Sunday I got word that a Bell's Vireo had been found at Paynes Prairie along the fence trail where the Ani had been found last month. I hustled out there on Tuesday morning and arrived at about 8:25. Two other local birders were also there, so the three of us spread out (as much as three people can). I played a Bell's call note and the guy popped up in front of one of us almost immediately. I got over to the spot, got my bins on him, looked for all of three or four seconds, and then he dove into the bushes and disappeared. I had no photo, but I did have my favorite kind of bird: a county, state and lifer all in one.

I was determined to get a photo, so I stayed for another two and a half hours. The bird made another very brief appearance at 10:30, all I got were pictures of a bush. Fortunately, Jonathan Mays was kind enough to give me permission to post his photo, so that's the Bell's on the left.