Kicking Off the New Year

Ducks at St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

It's a new year with its new challenges and new opportunities.  Many of us kick off the new year with a resolution or two, and if you're like me, they often don't last beyond the first few weeks.  But this year it's going to be different!  One of my resolutions is to get back to blogging and to make some changes along the way.  And since I'm trying to do this in public - assuming anyone other than myself reads this thing - you'll all know if I succeed or fail.

Basically, I'm going to do a Year in the Life of a Birder.  Typically, I'll write about chunks of time rather than one day at a time - with possible exceptions of significant birding trips.  There will be more photos, fewer words, and occasionally a non-birding element may sneak in for a moment.  I'm going to make the pictures larger, so keep scrolling until you reach the end.  I hope you enjoy the changes.

The birding year started with a walk along La Chua Trail in Paynes Prairie State Preserve on January 4.  I had a terrific day that featured some really good looks at a variety of sparrows.

Maybe the best stop of the day was along the boardwalk before the trail itself actually starts.  There was a mixed flock of sparrows feeding just below my feet.  It included the Grasshopper sparrow pictured above and the White-crowned Sparrow pictured below, as well as Vesper, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's, and Swamp Sparrows.

Savannah Sparrows are a common sight here during the winter, so a photo of one is not unusual, but I like this one:

Our Christmas Bird Count listed 7,500 Sandhill Cranes, nearly all of which were on Paynes Prairie.  Their raucous calls could be heard from more than a half mile away.  They packed the sides of the trail, especially along the second half.  Here's a view of a tiny section of them.

For the day, I tallied 47 species that included a Stilt Sandpiper near the observation tower at the end of the trail.  But the star of the show was this Dickcissel feeding with the sparrows.

Later that same day, I heard from a friend who said she had a Western Tanager in her yard.  I rushed over and waited about ten minutes before the tanager popped into view.

On the following Sunday I made my way to one of my favorite places in Florida, St. Marks NWR in Wakulla County.  In winter, St. Marks has a fabulous variety of ducks.  The photo at the top of today's blog shows a typical scene from Lighthouse Pond at the end of the entrance road.  Here is a sample of some of the other ducks I saw that day.

Redhead

My best guess is Greater Scaup, but I'm open to helpful comments!

American Wigeon

Canvasbacks

Red-breasted Merganser

There is more to St. Marks than just ducks.  I totaled 61 species on the day, and among them I was delighted to see this Black-crowned Night-Heron, one a couple of dozen that were hanging around various ponds.

The St. Marks Show also had its star, a fabulous male Vermilion Flycatcher (below) that was not shy about posing for people.  There were about twenty birders, nearly all armed with cameras, snapping away as this little guy flew among and around us feeding - and posing - on both sides of the road.

The next day included a tour of Liberty County, visiting a few sites listed on the Great Florida Birding Trail.  At one stop I was entertained by a few Brown-headed Nuthatches (below) that chattered above me sounding like squeaky springs in an old mattress.

That day had its star as well, a Red-cockaded Woodpecker.  The best photo I got of the bird is below.  It isn't a great picture, but hey, it's a Red-cockaded Woodpecker!

That wrapped up the first half of the month.  I had some really nice birds during the first half of the month, and there were some really good ones during the second half.  Come back in a week, and I'll have a report on the rest of January.