Circle B Bar, January, 2022
Ten members traveled to Circle B Bar Ranch Reserve to try and beat our last visit (two years ago) bird species count of sixty-one. It was the perfect day for birding with no wind to speak of, lovely temperatures, and few folks on the trails. Alas, we only had fifty species.
This Northern Cardinal was very cooperative when approached. It was as if he wanted his photo taken.
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It took a lot of patience to get this photo. The Phobe just didn't want his handsome face on film. He must be in "Witness Protection".
Thank you Dale Knapp for the species list:
I understand that raccoons are not birds but they sure are fun to watch. That is how things go at Circle B Bar. You never know what you will see.
Thank you Dale Knapp for the species list:
Thank you Dale Knapp for the species list:
Like I said...You never know what you will see there. This boar hog spent over an hour rooting near us.
Thank you Dale Knapp for the species list:
Thank you Dale Knapp for the species list:
Thank you Dale Knapp for the species list:
Scrub Pens Road, Landfill, and Eco Park Dec. 2, 2021
Nine members ventured out on a beautiful December Florida Day to visit Scrub Pens Road, the Landfill, and Eco Park in Spring Lake. Scrub Pens Road is a ranch road off of Arbuckle Road. When the water is present so are the birds. Our first stop revealed this beautiful white pelican.
Scrub Pens Road Species List Dec. 2, 2021 (56)
Crested Caracara
Snowy Egret
Tree Swallow
Sandhill Crane
Wood Stork
Mottled Duck
Great Blue Heron
Tri-color Heron
White Pelican
Red-shoulder Hawk
Glossy Ibis
White Ibis
Common Snipe
Eastern Phoebe
Killdeer
Northern Harrier
Little Blue Heron
Eastern Meadowlark
Great Egret
Green Heron
Palm Warbler
Greater Yellow les
Lesser Yellow legs
Cattle Egret
Long billed Dowitcher
Starli
This immature bald eagle will soon be as magnificent as the two previous photos of mature eagles. Bald eaglesdo not get the bright yellow beak, dark brown feathers, and white head and tail until they are about 4.5 years old.
Platt Branch Thursday, November 18, 2021 Thank you Jimmy Brogdon for the amazing photos.
Myakka River State Park November 11, 2021 Veteran's Day
Veterans Day at the Park was perfect weather, small group, and 59 species of birds observed. Our good friend, photographer, and chapter member Jimmy Brogdon spent the night before and met us at the entrance when we arrived. The photos are all his...Thank you Jimmy. We tried hard but could not find the 60th species. Oh well, that gives us a reason to return next year.
Myakka - Species List provided by Dale Knapp
Little Blue Heron...Tree Swallow...Boat-tailed Grackle...Kingfisher...Great Blue Heron...Mockingbird...Kestrel...Sandhill Crane...Osprey...Cattle Egret...L Shrike...Common Crow...Blac Vulture...Red Shoulder Hawk...Eastern Meadowlark...Great Egret...Great Crested Flycatcher...Mourning Dove...Common Gallinule...Anhinga...Double Crested Cormorant...Eurasian Collared Dove...Mottled Duck...Red-winged Blackbird...Wood Stork...Turkey Vulture...Caracara...White Ibis...Blue Jay...Common Grackle... Pied-billed Grebe…Catbird…Glossy Ibis…Black Crowned Night Heron…Carolina Wren…Snowy Egret…Black Neck Stilt…Lesser Yelowlegs…Killdeer…Limpkin…Wild Turkey…Blue-wing Teal…Roseate Spoonbill…Blue-gray Gnatcatcher…Yellow-throated Warbler…Pileated Woodpecker…Palm Warbler…Tri-colored Heron…Eastern Phoebe…Common Yellowthroat…Greater Yellowlegs...Least Sandpiper…Green Heron…Pine Warbler…Bald Eagle…Dowitcher…Black-bellied Whistling Duck…Muscovy Duck…Starling…
Photo Gallery - Myakka 11-11-21 Jimmy Brogdon Photographer
Spring Lake & Istokpoga Park Oct 21, 2021 - Photos by Jimmy Brogdon
Oct. 16, 2021. NW Lake Okeechobee. The Jaycee's Pier in Okeechobee County and the Harney Pond Boat Ramp in Glades County. Julie Henderson Photos.
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Platt Branch Feb. 26, 2020
Studying a Long Leaf Pine with Red-cockaded Woodpecker Cavity
Studying a Long Leaf Pine with Red-cockaded Woodpecker Cavity
Studying a Long Leaf Pine with Red-cockaded Woodpecker Cavity
Four, 4x4 trucks, filled with excited members ventured onto Platt Branch led by Steve Shattler of FWC. The day was chilly with way too much wind for a successful birding day but in spite of the circumstances we managed to see 32 species. Notable among the sightings were Brown-headed nuthatches, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, and an amazing flyover by a Crested Caracara.
Steve Shattler is doing such an amazing job with the property. He has been able to put in quite a bit of shell-rock for added vehicle access. In addition he knows every bit of what goes on there and in the adjacent land. His knowledge of the history of Platt Branch interests everyone. Steve told us of home sites long gone and possible archaelogical treasures from the pioneer settlers who worked the turpentine trade. We had all packed a lunch but decided that a trip to a local restaurant would be more comfortable then eating in the cold and wind. So, off we went to Jaxsons on Lake June. Maybe you will join us on one of our trips.
Calling out Bachman Sparrow, RCW, or Nuthatch
Studying a Long Leaf Pine with Red-cockaded Woodpecker Cavity
Studying a Long Leaf Pine with Red-cockaded Woodpecker Cavity
Species List provided by Dale Knapp
Black Vulture...Osprey...Kestrel...Red-shouldered Hawk...Scrub Jay...Mourning Dove...Brown-headed Nuthatch...Red-cockaded Woodpecker...Red-bellied Woodpecker...Pine Warbler...Crested Caracara...Blue-headed Vireo...Wood Stork...Black & White Warbler...Eastern Phoebe...Rufous-sided Towhee...Great Crested Flycatcher...Northern Flicker...Ground Dove...Hairy Woodpecker...Great Blue Heron...Tree Swallow...Cattle Egret...Great Egret...Boat-tailed Grackle...Ring-billed Gull...Mockingbird...Cedar Waxwing...Eurasian Collared Dove...American Crow...House Sparrow...Turkey Vulture
LaBelle Walk-Around - February 4, 2020
Painted Bunting
We only sited 46 Species as Margaret England led us about. The day was windy but we did see some good birds. Most notable was a painted bunting among the shrub in Margaret's back yard.
LaBelle 02.04.2020 Species List - Dale Knapp
As mentioned above only 46 species
There was a Great Egret spotted along with the usual Central Florida birds. Thank you Dale for keeping the list.
Ring-billed Gull - Osprey - Boat-tailed Grackle - Mockingbird - Mourning Dove - Tree Swallow - Caracara - Red-shouldered Hawk - Black Vulture - Meadowlark - Great Egret - Double-crested Cormorant- Great Blue Heron - Cattle Egret - Anhinga - Wood Stork - Turkey Vulture - Green Heron - Black-crowned Night Heron - American Crow - Sandhill Crane - Catbird - Red-bellied Woodpecker - Kestrel - Fish Crow - Eastern Phoebe - Cardinal - Blue Jay - White Ibis - Robin - Limpkin - Brown Pelican - Blue-headed Vireo - Palm Warbler - Great Crested Flycatcher - Yellow-rump Warbler - Blue-gray gnatcatcher - Pileated Woodpecker - Kingfisher - Tri-color Heron - Red-winged Blackbird - Painted Bunting - White-wing Dove - Pied-billed Grebe - Glossy Ibis - Little Blue Heron
Avon Park Airforce Range January, 2020
Species List Marian Jordan
Bird of the Day was a Peregrine Falcon
Mottled Duck - Northern Bobwhite - Osceola Wild Turkey - Common Ground Dove -
Mourning Dove - Common Gallinule - Limpkin - Sandhill Crane - Killdeer - Ring-billed Gull
Forster's Tern Wood Stork Anhinga Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron
Great Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Osprey Black-crowned Night-Heron White Ibis Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Cattle Egret Northern Harrier Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk Burrowing Owl Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Eastern Phoebe
Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Crested Caracara
American Kestrel Merlin White-eyed Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Blue Jay Catbird Tufted Titmouse Tree Swallow Blue-gray Gnatcatcher House Wren American Crow
Marsh Wren Carolina Wren Northern Mockingbird Eastern Bluebird Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee Eastern Meadowlark Red-winged Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Cardinal
Yellow-throated Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Loggerhead Shrike Robin
Roseate Spoonbill
A very large group of mostly birders set out to explore the Airforce Range. Some of the visitors like Larry are what full-time residents such as myself call affectionately call "Snow-birds". Larry is an excellent birder and we hope he visits again next year. One gentleman on the trip for the first time with us was Paul Ebersbach. Paul is no stranger to the Airforce Range and shared his extensive knowledge with us. A shout out to Marian Jordan for keeping her ebird list and sharing it with us. Will we see you on our next trip? Check out our trips list and plan to join us.
Circle B Bar 01.15.2020
Trams and Trails - Birds, gators, otters, deer, racoons, and even a bobcat.
21 of us carpooled to Circle B Bar. The closer we got to our destination the thicker the fog became. No wind to mention hinted at the possibility that it would be a high count for species. This prediction came to be. Our first spot took place just inside the entrance. Two beautiful and very large Great Horned Owls were perched in a tree but the fog prevented us from getting a good photo. We decided on the way out after the fog lifted would be a better opportunity to get a photo but they were gone by then. Once we arrived our group divided itself. Some took the tram, some walked, and some did both. What an amazing place. This is truly one of our favorite trip sites. If you have not been you should make it a point to go. This trip brought new sightings including two rarely seen birds. Tom and Janet Delaney added the Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Willow Flycatcher. Then there was a bobcat wandering the trail.
Species List - Dale Knapp
Holy cow...61 (+) Species... Not a record for us but an amazing count.
Ring billed Gull, Mourning Dove, Sandhill Crane, Great Egret, American Crow, Boat-tailed Grackle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, Kingfisher, Anhinga, Cattle Egret, Starling, Black Vulture, Osprey, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron, Wood Stork, Mockingbird, Little Blue Heron, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Tufted Titmouse, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Catbird, Black and White Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Wren, Glossy Ibis, Swamp Soarrow, Common Yellowthroat, D/Crested Cormorant, Common Gallinule, Eastern Phoebe, Savannah Sparrow, Painted Bunting, Purple Gallinule, Downy Woodpecker, Palm Warbler, Tri-colored Heron, Tree Swallow, Green Heron, American Coot, Fish Crow, Snowy Egret, Turkey Vulture, Limpkin, White Pelican, Brown, Pelican, Pied-billed Grebe, Blue-headed Vireo, Mottled Duck, Bald Eagle, White Ibis, Pileated Woodpecker, Ruby -throated Hummingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow throated Warbler, *Unidentifiable Tern,
Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park 01.09.2020
No Grasshopper Sparrow Sightings
Wow, was it a windy day. Brave birders took on 25 mph winds that kept the bird count down but everyone had a good day. On the way in we were told about the Female Vermilion Flycatcher pictured. Its location was by the old water tower in and around an interior fence. We stopped to search for it and soon Larry spotted it. The scopes and cameras were now in full use. Once we reached the Station Offices we divided into groups. Some went on the swamp buggy with Park Service Specialist Derek LaFlamme and others were escorted by Dr. Paul Gray of Audubon Florida along with biologist Catie Welch on a walking tour. Some interesting facts about the Prairie were told as we ambled along through the Hammock to emerge on the open prairie. One can only imagine what the original settlers thought of this magnificent place. We very much enjoyed lunch under the oaks but to me the special place was in the rocking chairs recounting our day.
Species List - Dale Knapp
Logger Head Shrike - Palm Warbler
Eastern Meadowlark - Savannah Sparrow
Cattle Egret - Crested Caracara
N. Mockingbird - Cardinal
Red Bellied Woodpecker - Yellow-rumped Warbler
Red-shouldered Hawk - Ground Dove
Vermilion Flycatcher - Anhinga
Black Vulture - Tri-colored Heron
Great Blue Heron - Snowy Egret
Tree Swallow - Kingfisher
Turkey Vulture - Little Blue Heron
American Crow - Green Heron
Great Egret - Yellow-billed cuckoo
Eastern Phoebe - Sandhill Crane
Blue/Gray Gnatcatcher - Kestrel
Mourning Dove - Catbird
Great Crested Flycatcher