I started the month with a regular Boston Public Garden visit but was rewarded with a site-tick Cooper’s Hawk soaring over the city on Wednesday 4th.
A couple of weeks later I was off to Florida again for Thanksgiving with the family. Although on this trip I had less time to spend at some of the fantastic places there, I was still able to get out a few times.
I visited Venice Rookery for an excellent selection of resident and some migrants/over-wintering species, including a flock of very argumentative and noisy Black-Bellied Whistling Duck.
Saturday 21st, Venice Rookery, FL, USA.
A few days a later I went to Shamrock Park and was rewarded with some excellent close views of a favourite of mine: Florida Scrub Jay. A couple were in close attendance of a Loggerhead Shrike on both sides of the inter-coastal water. They were so engrossed they didn’t really seem to notice me at all. Along the waterway I also saw an immature YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON stalking through the mangrove roots, which was a nice life-tick.
Tuesday 24th, Shamrock Park, FL, USA.
On the way home I stopped by a little drainage pond on Bowdoin Road and saw more Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks as well as American Coot and Common Gallinule/Moorhen.
Tuesday 24th, Bowdoin Road, FL, USA.
On Thanksgiving day, as the turkey cooked, I managed to run out to Cedar Point Park, a new place to me. I went on the off-chance of seeing a reddish egret but did not, however it was a good walk and I saw a Bald Eagle nest with apparently recently fledged youngsters still in the area with the parents.
Thursday 26th, Cedar Point Park, FL, USA.
Showing posts with label shamrock park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shamrock park. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 November 2015
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Shamrock Park, Sarasota, FL, USA, 20-Mar-2013
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Florida Scrub-Jay 2 total; first one on the way back up the firebreak path. It was calling from a low shrub which it continued to do for a few minutes, it then flew directly towards where we were standing on the path observing it, coming closer & closer until it alighted on my head for a couple of seconds! It then flew back to another nearby shrub where it continued to call, moving slightly away from the path as we left it. The second was atop a small tree on the way to the visitors' centre. It called for 10 minutes or so before a gust of wind caused it to take wing.
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: A late small walk with Kim in average weather which caused the beach to be cancelled. Weather: blustery, spots of rain, mild.
14 species
Double-crested Cormorant 1 along intercoastal.
Brown Pelican 1 towards the sea.
Great Blue Heron 2
Snowy Egret 1 along intercoastal.
Laughing Gull X
Royal Tern X - a group of about a dozen flew over the carpark towards the intercoastal as we left.
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 total; one on dead tree at end of firebreak path, another about halfway back up the path, repeatedly coming in to a patch on the ground before flying back to a thick tree branch.
Downy Woodpecker 1 heard then seen.
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: A late small walk with Kim in average weather which caused the beach to be cancelled. Weather: blustery, spots of rain, mild.
14 species
Double-crested Cormorant 1 along intercoastal.
Brown Pelican 1 towards the sea.
Great Blue Heron 2
Snowy Egret 1 along intercoastal.
Laughing Gull X
Royal Tern X - a group of about a dozen flew over the carpark towards the intercoastal as we left.
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 total; one on dead tree at end of firebreak path, another about halfway back up the path, repeatedly coming in to a patch on the ground before flying back to a thick tree branch.
Downy Woodpecker 1 heard then seen.
Florida Scrub-Jay 2 total; first one on the way back up the firebreak path. It was calling from a low shrub which it continued to do for a few minutes, it then flew directly towards where we were standing on the path observing it, coming closer & closer until it alighted on my head for a couple of seconds! It then flew back to another nearby shrub where it continued to call, moving slightly away from the path as we left it. The second was atop a small tree on the way to the visitors' centre. It called for 10 minutes or so before a gust of wind caused it to take wing.
Carolina Wren 1 heard singing & briefly glimpsed as it flitted down into undergrowth.
Northern Mockingbird X - several around apparently staking out territories?
Palm Warbler 3 individuals flitting low down at intervals along the path, with chestnut heads.
Pine Warbler X - several in the trees throughout.
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13472067
Northern Mockingbird X - several around apparently staking out territories?
Palm Warbler 3 individuals flitting low down at intervals along the path, with chestnut heads.
Pine Warbler X - several in the trees throughout.
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13472067
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Shamrock Park, Sarasota, FL, USA, 20-Nov-2012
1:15 PM - 2:40 PM
peep sp. 1 distantly viewed on intercoastal mud. Pale grey legs, shortish bill, greyish plumage with darker primary extension. Larger than nearby sandpiper.
Mourning Dove X
American Kestrel X
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: The final destination hoping to see the Florida endemic I missed out on at Oscar Scherer.
Weather: bright, sunny, warm.
9 species (+1 other taxa)
Brown Pelican X - intercoastal & out to sea.
Black Vulture X
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Spotted Sandpiper 1 bobbing on intercoastal mud; clean white underparts indicating non-breeding.
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: The final destination hoping to see the Florida endemic I missed out on at Oscar Scherer.
Weather: bright, sunny, warm.
9 species (+1 other taxa)
Brown Pelican X - intercoastal & out to sea.
Black Vulture X
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Spotted Sandpiper 1 bobbing on intercoastal mud; clean white underparts indicating non-breeding.
peep sp. 1 distantly viewed on intercoastal mud. Pale grey legs, shortish bill, greyish plumage with darker primary extension. Larger than nearby sandpiper.
Mourning Dove X
American Kestrel X
Florida Scrub-Jay 5 approx. seen as we pulled into the carpark! One perched on a fencepost around the small garden at the centre of the carpark. When the car was parked I jumped out to get a closer look with my camera but the main bird had flown off taking the others which I glimpsed at the top of a large tree, before they all disappeared. Unfortunately they did not reappear & despite walking aroung what seemed like the whole of the small reserve we could not relocate them. Nevertheless the quick view was enough to identify the main species I had hoped to see - life-tick.
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