Twenty members and guests of the Peace River Audubon Society traveled north to the Circle B Bar Reserve, which is located between Bartow and Lakeland.  Formerly a cattle ranch, this property was acquired by Polk County and the Southwest Water Management District in December, 2000.  It was opened to the public about three years ago.  The Reserve covers almost 1,200 acres of marsh, cypress swamp, and a large oak hammock.  The eastern part of the Reserve borders Lake Hancock.  Hundreds of wading birds, ducks, and peeps use the Banana Creek marsh during the winter months.  There are miles of trails around the marsh and a shoreline with Lake Hancock.  

All of the group decided to do the long hike around the marsh, about four miles.  It was a pleasant day for  hiking, sunny and cool.  We were surprised at the small number of ducks seen in the marsh, only Mottled Ducks and Blue-winged Teal.  There was an abundance of wading birds, especially Green Herons.  Other species observed included Anhingas, Cardinals, Catbirds, Bald Eagles, many Tree Swallows, Flickers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Pied-billed Grebes, Glossy Ibis, Killdeer, Osprey, Phoebes, Robins, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Savannah Sparrows, and Woodpeckers (Downy, Pileated, Red-bellied).  White Pelicans were also observed on Lake Hancock.  Altogether, the group observed 51 different species within the Reserve.

I traveled south to Rotary Park located on the southern end of Cape Coral.  This was my first visit to this Park.  Upon entering I noticed a large flock of Robins feeding in the area; however, I didn’t see any Cedar Waxwings, which I was hoping for.  There are four narrow ponds in the Park on which there were quite a few birds.  Ducks seen included Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal and Mottled Ducks; also saw Moorhens and Pied-billed Grebes.  Also saw a few waders including Little Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Wood Storks.  Other birds observed included Cardinals, Catbirds, Blue Jays, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and a Pileated Woodpecker.  I observed 24 different species within the Park.

On exiting the Park, I traveled down Pelican Blvd and observed a large flock of Robins feeding along the median strip.  Unfortunately, a few had been killed by passing cars.  I also observed some Cedar Waxwings perched high in a tree.  I was able to get a few images, but they were from quite a distance.  They were not in a feeding frenzy like the Robins.

Members and guests of the PRAS gathered in Punta Gorda at 7:00 in the morning to travel south to Shark Valley.  Would you believe we had 28 people, which is quite a large group for one of our field trips.  A caravan of 10 vehicles traveled south on I-75, CR-951, and US 41 to Shark Valley, about a 2.5-hour drive.

We arrived there around 9:30, just in tome for the 10:00 tram ride.  Most people signed up for the ride, which is a two-hour trip around a 15-mile trail.  An on-board guide identified the various wildlife and plant life encountered on the ride.  In addition to the numerous alligators, some of the more interesting birds observed included Spoonbills, Purple Gallinules, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Wood Storks, and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.  Unfortunately, the Great White Heron was not seen on this ride.  After arriving back at the beginning of the trail, we had about an hour to walk the trail and get close-up views of a number of birds.  There were two Anhinga nests, each with nestlings, within a short distance of the entrance.  It was interesting to watch the nestlings take food from the adults by sticking their head down the adult’s neck.

After leaving Shark Valley, we stopped along a field to look for Snail Kites.  We were quite fortunate to observe at least three different birds, two adults and a juvenile, flying over the field looking for food.  This was a lifer for many of the group.  Our final stop was the picnic area on the corner of US 41 and Turner River road, where we ate our lunch (at 3:00 in the afternoon).  Many of the group then walked the short boardwalk adjacent to the picnic area.  Of course, there were quite a number of alligators along the bank of the river.  We also observed a Great-crested Flycatcher and a Northern Parula, along with the Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers.  We departed around 4:00 and arrived in Punta Gorda around 5:45, a long, but enjoyable day.