A Mixed Bag

Ring-necked Ducks (and a Bufflehead) at ISWQIP

The latter half of Florida was a mixed bag for me.  I had better luck outside Alachua County than inside its borders.  The variety of species I saw was low, but I got some great looks at birds I don't see really often.  Also, I got to see at least one spot that I'd never seen before - and that's really unusual this close to home.

I have mentioned in previous blogs that when I retired from teaching I started a birding/social group for other retired folks who are looking for some group birding opportunities.  We meet once a month on the third Thursday.  We bird early and then many of us go to lunch together in order to extend the social element.  I love the group and enjoy each outing with them, but there is a downside.  I have to plan each month's outing including the birding destination and the lunch stop afterward.  So I was thrilled when Debbie Segal arranged for us to visit a new site in nearby Columbia County.  The Ichetucknee Springs Water Quality Improvement Project (ISWQIP) is a new water treatment facility that uses nature's own filters to clean water before it trickles down into the aquifer below.  It does so by spreading water over nine pools filled with a variety of vegetation covering about 120 acres.  Of course, such a facility will attract plenty of birds making it an ideal birding destination.  It was a perfect day for birding, and there were plenty of birds to be seen.  One nearly dry pool held hundreds of shorebirds including the largest collection of Lesser Yellowlegs (below) I've ever seen.

Another pool held a huge number of ducks.  Most were Ring-necked Ducks, but there were others as well.  I saw about 20 Green-winged Teals, a few Buffleheads, and some Lesser Scaup.  Another spot had Blue-winged Teals, Hooded Mergansers, and Northern Shovelers.  A few of our group saw a Common Goldeneye, but I missed it.  While searching for it I got a distant look at a Gadwall.  I love looking at ducks, so this site was a real bonanza for me.  Here's a look at three of the Lesser Scaup.

Part of my group is in the photo below.  I think we were studying shorebirds at the time.  The little flecks in the picture is a swarm of midges that swirled around us during a piece of the morning.  Fortunately they don't bite as much as some other Florida pests, and they make great food for the flock of Tree Swallows that dashed around us.  For the day the group had about 40 species, topped off with a terrific look at a Merlin that was hanging around the eastern edge of the property.  We ended the day with a delicious lunch at Conestogas in Alachua.  Dixie, our waitress, got 34 people seated, got our orders taken, and had our food out in record time - and it was fantastic.  Many of the group told me we had to plan another birding event in the area so we could return to Conestogas for lunch really soon.

The Third Thursday crowd.  Click on the photo to get the full version and look for the midges.

A few days later on a Saturday morning, I had a wonderful opportunity to help lead a "Family Bird Walk" at Depot Park, Gainesville's newest family-friendly recreational facility.  Emily Schwartz organized the event on behalf of the Alachua Audubon Society (AAS).  We had about 14 children, almost as many parents, and four AAS volunteers.  We loaned binoculars to all participants, and the children got a worksheet listing the birds, plants, and natural features they should be looking for during the morning.  We had so much fun watching American Robins dashing around the skies, Killdeer feeding along a stream, and an American Kestrel posing on a wire just above us.  It was fun getting the kids to see the ring on the bill of the Ring-billed Gulls (next photo), and I had to scratch my head before answering some of the questions. [Why isn't a Pied-billed Grebe a duck?]  I got a lot of great photos, but nearly all of them have children in them, so I can't publish them here.  For the morning we found 25 species of birds and all of the plants and natural features on the checklist.  The blustery, overcast skies had no impact on our spirits, and I had so much fun, so thanks Emily and AAS for inviting me along!

Words that warm the heart:  "Mommy, I can see the ring in its bill!"

And then there was, "Why isn't the Pied-billed Grebe a duck?  It looks like a duck!"

A week later, AAS sponsored another wildly successful event, this time coordinated by Alan Shapiro.  It was a day-long Backyard Birding Tour in which participants got to tour a series of local yards that are designed to provide the best habitats and feeding practices for birds.  I started out in the first yard at 9:00 AM and finished in the last one at almost 3:00 PM.  I saw a wonderful mixture of formal suburban gardens, small urban yards, and tiny but bird-friendly patches just out the back door.  I saw expensive, commercially-produced bird feeders and inventive feeders made from discarded items.  The small price of admission was well worth it as I came away with several really good ideas.  While the large crowds kept many of the birds at bay, the stars of the day included a Western Tanager at one home, a couple of male Baltimore Orioles at another, and three Red-shouldered Hawks perched in pines above the feeders at a third.  Here are a few images from the day:

Ron Robinson (center near tree trunk) showed off his variety of self-made feeders and water features.

A Pine Warbler at a seed hopper with attached suet feeder from Wild Birds Unlimited

Chipping Sparrows enjoy a mixture of sunflower, safflower and millet.

Hmm, I wonder what food this Red-shouldered Hawk was looking for?

On the following Wednesday I led another bird walk, this time at Sweetwater Wetlands Park.  I volunteer at SWP once a month, and I think I have more fun than the other participants.  This month was really special because my group consisted almost entirely of retired teachers, several of them colleagues from previous schools, and none of them veteran birders.  I was especially thrilled to have Wiley Dixon join this month's walk.  Wiley was my principal at both Fort Clarke and several years later at Gainesville High School.  He and Donna Kidwell were the best principals and leaders during my 41 year career.  They brought out the best in me, and I'm grateful for the opportunities they gave me.

My Sweetwater group on February 22.  That's Wiley in the red cap.

In my opinion, Sweetwater is one of the best birding destinations in all of Florida for both beginning and expert birders.  It provides up-close looks at birds and other wildlife in a beautiful setting.  You can study common wetland species while searching for the rarities that seem to show up there with surprising regularity.  At one point a Sora (below) walked right below our feet, oblivious to the excited conversation and clicking cameras right above it

A few feet away on the other side of the boardwalk, an American Bittern (below) stood frozen in place, blending in with the surrounding vegetation and waiting for breakfast to swim by.

At the same time, a Limpkin landed on the railing almost right next to me.  He seemed to be asking what all the fuss was about.

Meanwhile, Blue-winged Teals went about their business:

Blue-winged Teal, male (left) and female

On the following Monday I got the chance to head over to the Gulf Coast and Cedar Key.  I had hoped to find some shorebirds to study at Shell Mound, but that was not to be.  Aside from a couple of Willets, a few American Oystercatchers (below) and some very distant Black-bellied Plovers, there wasn't much around.

I had a little better luck out toward the airport.  A couple of the docks that were swept away by Hurricane Hermine are being rebuilt, and I saw evidence that others will be rebuilt soon.  On the remnants of one dock were several Laughing Gulls and Royal Terns and one Herring Gull.

Royal Tern

Herring Gull

A Great Egret prepares for takeoff at Shell Mound near Cedar Key in Levy County.  

Of course, you don't really need to travel at all to see some beautiful birds.  Put out a few feeders and get some dripping water going in your own back yard, and the birds will come to you.  During the latter half of February local yards are graced by the presence of our resident birds, our winter visitors, and some who are just passing through.  Here are some highlights:

American Robin, a sign of spring when I was a boy in Pennsylvania, now a winter visitor in Florida.

Carolina Chickadee, a regular at feeders throughout the south.

Brown Thrashers can look angry at times, but in the water they're just plain cute.

So February ended, and I only had 82 birds on my county list for the month, but that included enough new species to get my county total to 119 for the year.  During my travels I added another 36 species for a state total of 118 for February and raised my 2017 Florida list to 160.  I'm certainly not going to break any records, but I'm off to a really good start to the year.  I can't wait to see what March holds.