This morning, our birding group (9 people) headed over to the Englewood area.  The morning started out with overcast skies and very gusty winds, up to 30 mph.  We arrived at Lemon Bay Park around 8:15 a.m.  We started by walking the Eagle Trail, Bobcat Trail, Gopher Tortoise Trail and the Lupine Loop Trail.  Almost immediately, we observed two immature Red-tailed Hawks flying overhead.  We periodically saw one of these hawks during our walk.  Another surprise was a pair of Wood Ducks sitting on a tree branch.  We also saw two Pileated Woodpeckers and a Bald Eagle nest with at least one chick in it and an adult nearby.  Other birds observed were the more common wading birds, such as Egrets (Great & Snowy), Herons (Great Blue, Little Blue & Tricolored), White Ibis, Catbird, Cardinals, Mockingbird and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. 

We then walked the Bayside Trail.  Additional birds seen included an Anhinga, Cormorants, Gulls (laughing & Ring-billed), Brown Pelicans, Spotted Sandpiper, Terns (Royal & Forster’s) and a pair of Willets.  After a leisurely lunch, we decided to drive down to Boca Grande to look for Frigatebirds.

We arrived at the tip of Gasparilla Island around 1:15.  By this time, the sky was partly cloudy, but the winds were still very gusty.  We were greeted by a lone Barn Swallow making several passes hawking insects.  There was a small group of Sanderlings during their thing on the shore.  Also observed were Herring, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls.  Unfortunately no Frigatebirds were seen, although several Bottle-nosed Dolphins entertained the group.  A surprise was an orange-breasted bird in a small tree by the shore.  At first, this was identified as a Towhee, but after careful observation of the photos, it turned out to be an Orchard Oriole.

As we drove back through the town of Boca Grande, we stopped at the Pink Pony for some ice cream.  Wow! What a great idea this was; absolutely delicious.  As we departed the island, we noticed a roped-off area.  We stopped and observed a nesting American Oystercatcher.  Another surprise and a good end to an enjoyable day of birding.  We saw 26 different species in Lemon Bay Park and 18 species on Gasparilla Island.  All observations were entered in the eBird on-line database.

Our birding group (10 persons) headed up to Fort De Soto this morning.  When we left Port Charlotte, the weather was nice and sunny.  By the time we got up to Manatee County, the sky became overcast.  About 30 minutes after arriving at the Park, it started raining.  It continued to rain, sometimes quite heavy with thunder and lightning, for the rest of the morning.  Not a good morning to bird.

Along the way up, we stopped at the south Skyway Bridge rest area, where a few birds were observed, including Least Sandpipers and Willets.  We arrived in the Park at the Mulberry bush around 9:30.  We did observe an Indigo Bunting, Catbirds, Orchard Oriole, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo before the rain started and we headed to a pavilion. We drove down to the north beach, but didn’t walk the area due to the thunder and lightning.  We headed back to the East Beach pavilion, where we had an early lunch.

Before heading home, we went down to the East Beach turnaround, where we saw a nice variety of shorebirds including Plovers (Black-bellied, Semipalmated, and Wilson’s), Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlins, Marbled Godwit, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and a Ruddy Turnstone.  Two Red-breasted Mergansers were seen in the water.  A Magnificent Frigatebird was observed flying overhead.  We saw 29 species of birds in the Park during our abbreviated observing time.

This morning, our birding group (9 people) drove up to Fort De Soto, arriving there around 9:00.  The birding goal was to observe migrants, such as Warblers, Grosbeaks, etc. Our first stop was the Mulberry bushes and trees around the ranger’s house.  The area was loaded with birds.  You couldn’t walk ten feet without seeing a bird flying across your path or walking on the path.  Birds seen in this area included Ovenbirds, Northern Parulas, Redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, Blackpolls, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Cape May Warblers, and Northern Waterthrushes.  A single Rose-breasted Grosbeak was also seen.  We stayed in this area until noon, enjoying the birds feasting on seeds, insects, and fruit.  Someone had placed orange halves on sticks around the fountain area, which was a major attraction, especially for Cape May Warblers.

Our next stop was the trees in the front (right side) of the Visitor’s Center.  Again, there were a large number of birds, of the same species as seen at the first area.  There was even a lone Bobolink in the adjacent grassy field.

Our third stop was the East Beach picnic area, where we ate lunch.  A few Warblers were also noted in this area, but not as many.  After lunch, we walked the trails into the East Beach woods.  Again, we saw the same species of birds, but not as plentiful as the other two areas.  We also observed one Prairie Warbler and several Palm Warblers.

We were ready to head home, but someone suggested visiting the East Beach turnaround, where some shorebirds were resting.  Sure enough, we found Plovers (Black-bellied, Semipalmated, & Wilson’s), Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlins, Willets, Sanderlings, Sandpipers (Least & Western), and a pair of Least Terns.  We missed three Whimbrels, which flew away shortly before we arrived.  We finally left the Park around 4:00.  What an exciting and enjoyable day.  Note: All species observed, along with quantities, were entered into the eBird database.

During our stay at a time share in Kissimmee, I decided to visit Gatorland, a tourist attraction north of Kissimmee and south of Orlando.  It has a bird rookery, which is quite well-known among photographers.  The park opens at 9:00 and closes at 5:30.  However, one can purchase a photographers pass ($30) that allows you in at 7:30 in the morning and remain until 7:00 in the evening.

I arrived about 4 p.m. and stayed until 7 p.m. concentrating my efforts on the boardwalk on the west side of the rookery.  There were probably close to a hundred nests in the rookery.  The nesting birds included Anhingas, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Tricolored Herons.  Other large birds, such as Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Wood Storks, and a few Spoonbills (flew in at dusk) were in the area;  I was not sure whether they had nests or not or were just roosting there overnight.

All of the photographers were on the west side boardwalk.  On this side, there were a number of nests, some with eggs and some with chicks.  A few of the nests were within five feet of the boardwalk.  Most of the nests were on the opposite side of the small lake, so a long lens would be appropriate.  With the sun setting in the west, there were many opportunities for flight shots as birds came back to the roosts.