Recent Sightings
(From the Alachua County birders' hotline. The most recent posts are at the top. Scroll down for older ones. Only the last month's are shown.)
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Novembirds
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:21:05 -0500
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
Last weekend's field trip to the Hamilton County phosphate mines
went quite well. Phil Laipis reported a species total in the 70s and
"gorgeous weather." Best birds were two White-winged Scoters, a species
I've only seen once in my life (right there at the phosphate mines in
December 1995) and "a very patient Grasshopper Sparrow sitting where
EVERYONE had good looks in the scopes."
No great finds locally in the past week, but on the 15th Mike Manetz
scouted out this Saturday's field trip location, just for you. I hope
you'll share his enthusiasm for the place: "Couldn't resist hitting
Tuscawilla Prairie again this morning, with pretty much the same
results as last weekend. If anything, more Savannah Sparrows than last
trip, plus arrival of American Coots and Sandhill Cranes. Still not
much in the way of ducks, but I couldn't see into the SW corner. I
ended up in the middle of the prairie, walking the E-W fence line till
I was about even with where the parking area out on the road, playing
recordings of Yellow and Black Rails the whole way. Sure were a lot of
Marsh Wrens along there, but not a single rail of any species. Still,
made for a glorious morning."
La Chua on the 15th yielded an American Bittern in Old Sweetwater for
the second week in a row (Old Sweetwater is the hairpin turn in the
trail), as well as a Northern Shoveler and an American Wigeon among the
Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Wood Ducks, and Mottled Ducks on
Alachua Lake. Lots of Wilson's Snipe and both species of yellowlegs. I
looked for the Whooping Cranes and Roseate Spoonbills recently reported
there but didn't see them.
Congratulations to long-time Alachua County birder Adam Kent and Avian
Research and Conservation field biologist Gina Zimmerman, who got
married on the 14th. They met on an Alachua Audubon field trip!
Speaking of which, we've got two field trips this weekend, Tuscawilla
Prairie with Ivor Kincaide on Saturday and Cedar Key with me on Sunday:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/aud/calendar.htm
It's been a long time coming, but there's finally an official Mill Creek
Preserve trail map (page 2 of PDF): http://www.alachuacounty.us/assets/uploads/images/EPD/Land/Portfolio/Brochure.pdf
And here's a belated something for Veterans Day: a video compilation of
returning soldiers welcomed home by their dogs. If this doesn't put a
smile on your face, well, I don't know what to tell you, bub, I just
don't know what to tell you. Scroll down to see them all: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40324
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Birding report, November 6-11
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:29:59 -0500
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
This afternoon while trying out his new Leica scope, which is
ridiculously sharp and bright (and expensive), Bob Carroll found three
Horned Grebes in the Weschester development north of Blues Creek on NW
43rd Street. He said they were in the pond farthest back from 43rd
Street.
The La Chua Trail has seen lots of birds and birders lately: Bubba
Scales found one Whooping Crane and one American White Pelican there on
the 9th, while John Killian saw two cranes and twelve pelicans today.
Bubba also noticed about a hundred Sandhill Cranes, a number that would
suggest the arrival of some northern birds. On the 8th Chip Deutsch
noticed "oodles" of ducks, mostly Blue-winged Teal but at least one
Northern Shoveler and one American Wigeon. And on the 7th Michael
Drummond saw two Roseate Spoonbills, a juvenile Snow Goose, and an
unspecified number of migrant Sandhills.
Maureen Marsh spotted a Selasphorus hummingbird (Rufous is most likely) outside her window on the 9th.
Ted and Steven Goodman drove out to Cedar Key on the 8th to see if the
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was still at the airfield. They found two of
them, "hanging around the northeastern end of the runway."
Mike Manetz sent out a report on his visit this morning to the
Tuscawilla Prairie: "Just got back from a couple of soggy hours at
Tuscawilla. I found it as deliciously birdy as ever. Tons of Swamp and
Savannah Sparrows ... gotta be a Le Conte's there somewhere. Lots of
Wilson's Snipe and Sedge Wrens underfoot. Best bird was a
Yellow-breasted Chat just past the old overgrown fence line at the west
end of the property (the fence line that runs north-south through the
lake). It was at the base of a heavily fruiting Chinaberry at the edge
of the tree line. Not many ducks there yet, and I couldn't raise any
rails, but it sure looks good out there!" Ivor Kincaide replied to
Mike, "I had to mow a circuit for our hayride (we had an opening event
Oct 30th) but I pretty much had you and other birders who might take an
interest in mind when I made it. You may have discovered the additional
loop I mowed out into the maidencane and lower, more aquatic plants. I
thought that might make getting out to where a lot of the action is a
little easier. I was quite amazed by the number of sparrows and wrens
flushing up when I was out there."
Last but not least, Jim Allison, Ron Robinson, and Becky Enneis have
all noticed American Goldfinches at their feeders since about the 6th.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Miscellaneous signs of the season
Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:12:41 -0500
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
If swallows can dawdle, then the Bank Swallow that Caleb Gordon
found in a flock of Barn Swallows at Paynes Prairie on the 7th was
dawdling in a big way. It was by a month and a day the latest ever
recorded in Alachua County.
Yesterday John Killian found the winter's first Hooded Mergansers at
Post Office Pond and Red Lobster Pond. (Now that he's finished hiking
the Appalachian Trail, John has a new - somewhat less ambitious -
project: to visit all 51 birding sites described in A Birdwatcher's Guide to Alachua County, Florida.)
I drove to Newnans Lake this morning in advance of Tropical Storm Ida,
but I was too early for storm-blown birds. In addition to the usual
cormorants, herons, and eagles, I saw nothing more exciting than my
first two Ring-billed Gulls of the winter.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Cedar Key, plus some local birds.
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:03:21 -0500
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher has been hanging out at the Cedar
Key airfield for about a week. Former UF zoology professor David
Johnston (author of Cedar Key: Birding in Paradise: Finding Birds Then and Now)
initially discovered it on October 28th, and five days later had
someone post it to one of the state listservs. Dr. Johnston and Sharon
Fronk both saw it today, "right after you cross the airport runway
sitting on sign post for SW 166 Ct.," according to Sharon, who got a
picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30736692@N00/4078141711/
Mike Manetz found a locally-rare Clay-colored Sparrow at Cones Dike on
the 1st, as well as three lingering Northern Waterthrushes, several
Soras, a Virginia Rail, and lots of Marsh Wrens. Mike's leading a field
trip to Cones Dike this coming Saturday morning:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/aud/calendar.htm
On the 4th John Hintermister and Bob Wallace made an attempt to
see the Hague Dairy's Shiny Cowbird. It didn't pan out. John wrote, "I
am afraid the cowbirds have mostly gone. While Bob was there we only
saw about 50. Later a small flock of about 150 came in, all
Brown-headeds." But the day wasn't a total loss, because John went on
to the Prairie Creek Preserve, where he found the fall's first
Golden-crowned Kinglet.
I walked out La Chua today and spent some time at the observation
platform chatting with photographer Chuck Littlewood, who showed me a
picture of a Snow Goose he'd taken earlier in the day. I didn't see the
goose myself, or the Roseate Spoonbills reported there by Howard Adams
and Barbara Mollison on the 2nd, but I did spot four Gadwalls, a
Northern Shoveler, and a few Wood Ducks among the Blue-winged and
Green-winged Teal and Mottled Ducks. There were three American White
Pelicans, plenty of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Wilson's Snipe,
and at least one Pectoral Sandpiper. Savannah Sparrows were pretty
common, but I saw only one each Song, Swamp, and Vesper. There are
still dozens of fall-migrant Barn Swallows out at Alachua Lake,
outnumbering the few Tree Swallows by far. I picked through them,
trying to find a Cliff Swallow, but had no success.
Winter arrivals: Michael Drummond saw a flock of 15 American Robins go
over his house on the morning of the 2nd, and I've had daily reports of
robins since then. Carolyn Retey of Sparr (a few miles south of the
Alachua/Marion line) had a White-throated Sparrow in her yard on the
3rd, and Ron Robinson had one at his place in west Gainesville this
morning.
This year's crop of Whooping Cranes has started south:
http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: All three!
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:48:41 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
All three of the cowbirds in your field guide were seen at the
Hague Dairy this morning: Brown-headed, Bronzed, and Shiny. The Bronzed
has been there since the 18th and was relocated by Dotty Robbins as
this morning's Alachua Audubon field trip was breaking up. The Shiny
was found by Bob Simons just as the trip was getting underway - before
most of us had even arrived, in fact - but it was kind enough to sit
still until most of us had seen it.
John Martin took a photo of the Shiny, which was only the seventh ever
recorded in the county. Click on "All Sizes" at the top of the frame to
get a better view:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30736692@N00/4061459768/
Remember, beginning tomorrow the La Chua Trail requires a two-bucks-per-head admission fee.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: La Chua: Roseate Spoonbill, Caspian Tern, Pectoral Sandpipers
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:10:22 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
At La Chua at 10:30 this morning (the 29th), Greg Stephens saw
the Roseate Spoonbill first reported by Rick Lockwood on the 22nd.
I dragged my daughter Sarah out La Chua this afternoon. We didn't see
the spoonbill, but the Pectoral Sandpipers noted by Caleb Gordon on the
25th were right there in Alachua Sink, four of them, along with about
25 Killdeer. Our best bird was a Caspian Tern flying around over
Alachua Lake; fewer than 20 have been recorded in the county's history.
Lots of ducks and waders out there as well. The water is pretty low.
The 52nd Gainesville Christmas Bird Count is coming up in less than two
months, on Sunday, December 20th. The CBC edition of American Birds
just arrived in the mail the other day, and it turns out that we did
very well last year in comparison with the 2,123 other counts. Among
those north of the Mexican border we came in 56th overall, and were
ranked 8th in Florida (2nd among inland counts, after Zellwood). We had
the highest tallies in the United States for eight species: Black Tern
(1), Pileated Woodpecker (155), White-eyed Vireo (103), Blue-headed
Vireo as we usually do (114), Yellow-rumped Warbler (4500),
Yellow-throated Warbler (28), Black-and-white Warbler as usual (70),
Ovenbird (9, tied with Cape Hatteras, NC), and Baltimore Oriole as
usual (25).
Those of you whose love of natural history isn't limited to birds may
be interested some recent taxonomic changes among reptiles and
amphibians. Two in particular struck me, since they changed names that
had been around for many decades: the snakes in the genus Masticophis, i.e., the coachwhips, have been moved into the genus Coluber and are now considered racers; and the Short-tailed Snake, the single species in Florida's endemic genus Stilosoma, is now considered to be a kingsnake and has been moved into Lampropeltis.
You can read about these changes and others in the SSAR's "Scientific
and Standard Names" linked at the top of our Alachua County herp list: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/aud/herps.htm
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Cowbird, spoonbill, winter arrivals, Tuscawilla opening.
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:41:44 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
The Bronzed Cowbird was still at the Hague Dairy on Sunday the
25th, according to Gina Zimmerman. Mike Manetz also went by the dairy
that day in hope of finding a Yellow-headed Blackbird but didn't see
one. He did report "nearly two thousand" cowbirds, so anything could be
hiding among them. Generally the cowbird flocks stick around until a
major cold front moves them out, so they ought to be there on Saturday
for the Alachua Audubon field trip: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/aud/calendar.htm
Rick Lockwood reported a Roseate Spoonbill at La Chua on the 22nd. No
one else has reported it, but traffic on La Chua should increase with
the arrival of sparrow season (despite the new entry fee beginning on
Sunday), so keep your eyes open. Spoonbills are unusual here at any
time, but especially outside of June and July.
A few more winter birds have checked in. Grace Kiltie found the first
Orange-crowned Warbler of the season at San Felasco Progress Center on
the 20th, along with a couple lingering migrants, a Magnolia Warbler
and an American Redstart. Bob Wallace saw a Grasshopper Sparrow at his
farm south of Alachua on the 23rd. On Sunday the 25th Caleb Gordon
found the fall's first Hermit Thrush on the grounds of the Unitarian
Church in NW Gainesville, then saw two Pectoral Sandpiper and four
sparrow species - White-crowned, Swamp, Savannah, and Chipping - during
a walk at La Chua.
This Friday (October 30th) the Tuscawilla Preserve - that big cattle
pasture just south of Micanopy - is being formally opened to the
public. There's going to be food and drink, hay rides, a bonfire ...
sounds like a lot of fun. See the attached flyer for details and
directions.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Bronzed Cowbird, late Kentucky Warbler
Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:04:20 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
Bob Carroll, Becky Enneis, John Killian, Bob Wallace, and I were
able to relocate the Bronzed Cowbird at the Hague Dairy this afternoon,
and John got a picture. It's a silhouette, but if you've been studying
your Roger Tory Peterson endpapers over the years you should be able to
see the difference between the Bronzed and the Brown-headeds among
which it's perched:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30736692@N00/4027771868/
Geoff Parks watched a Yellow-breasted Chat eating poke berries just
outside his window at Loblolly Environmental Center this morning.
In other green-and-yellow-warbler news, at San Felasco on the 18th Tom
Hoctor had the county's latest-ever Kentucky Warbler "foraging in the
low tangles right next to the trail for almost a half an hour on the
Moonshine Creek trail. Got great multiple views watching foraging
behavior that included some high hops off the ground maybe 6-10 inches
into the air to grab what looked to be small brown caterpillars on low
vegetation. The only time he flapped his wings was for quick flights
across open ground to another tangle."
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Bronzed Cowbird again
Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:14:38 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
John Hintermister just called to tell me that he's relocated
(and confirmed) the Bronzed Cowbird I found at the Hague Dairy
yesterday. The cowbird flocks aren't particularly easy to observe, and
the Bronzed can be hard to find among the Brown-headeds, but that's
birding for you. It was an Alachua County life bird for John (#313
according to http://www.flcountylisting.com/ ), the first he's seen in nearly 60 years of birding here.
Bronzed Cowbirds must be moving through right now. John and Bob Wallace
found three at Horseshoe Beach in Dixie County yesterday.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Bronzed Cowbird. Probably.
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:19:47 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
This afternoon I visited the Hague Dairy in search of a
Yellow-headed Blackbird. I found a few hundred Brown-headed Cowbirds,
but no Yellow-headed. However, at one point a number of male birds were
perched on a fence in excellent light, and I noticed that one of them
did not have a brown head, and had a reddish eye. Unfortunately it then
dropped down from the fence into a weed and I wasn't able to relocate
it before the cowbird flock flew. I believe that it was a Bronzed
Cowbird, but I think it would be great if someone who still needs it
for Alachua County can get out there and confirm it.
Several birders showed up at Bolen Bluff this morning to pick through
the leftovers from yesterday's flood of migrants. There weren't many. I
think we ended up with eleven warbler species, the best of them two or
three Magnolias and one female Black-throated Blue. No tanagers, no
grosbeaks. A couple of Swainson's Thrushes.
During the walk, Adam Kent and I were wondering if it was too early for
a Swamp Sparrow. I guess it's not: I saw one later at the dairy, as
well as a very sharp-looking Savannah.
Today I received a couple belated Black-billed Cuckoo reports. Darrell
Hartman got an outstanding look at one on Saturday the 10th at Loblolly
Woods (is that right, Darrell?), and Peter Polshek saw one yesterday at
Bolen Bluff in the grove of trees below the slope.
If you've spent much time at Paynes Prairie, you've met Dominick
Martino, the Prairie's "unofficial official" photographer. Dominick
died on Saturday of bone cancer. There will be a memorial this week.
Memorial info: http://www.prairiefriends.org/domCelebration.html
Dom's photos: http://dommartino.zenfolio.com/
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Winter Wren, and, "I have never seen so many warblers."
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:43:13 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
Andy Kratter made two fantastic finds today, and at the same
time sounded the death knell of fall migration: "A Winter Wren was a
new yard bird in my SE Gainesville backyard. A Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher was at the horse corral just south of the Sweetwater
Overlook on Paynes Prairie (just north of the La Chua Trail entrance).
Two Bay-breasted Warblers were along the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail
near Boulware Springs. Seven American White Pelicans soaring overhead.
And my first Blue-headed Vireo and Yellow-rumped Warblers of the
season."
That's right: Yellow-rumped Warblers. It's winter. Felicia Lee had a
first-winter-arrival too, a Chipping Sparrow at her Gainesville feeder.
Michael Meisenburg sent me a final report on the Bolen Bluff walk: "The
day only got better. I have never seen so many warblers. Ellen Thoms
said it was as good as a fallout day at Ft. DeSoto."
"We finished the field trip with:
4 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
2 Scarlet Tanagers
5 Wood Thrushes
1+ Gray-cheeked Thrush
"15 warbler species, including approximately:
Tennessee 1
Northern Parula 1
Chestnut-sided 15
Magnolia 20+
Cape May 1
Black-throated Green 4
Blackburnian 1
Yellow-throated 2
Palm 20+
Bay-breasted 3
Black-and-white 10
American Redstart 20+
Ovenbird 4
Common Yellowthroat 2
Hooded 5
"After it was done Patty Orr and I went back out and got a Northern
Waterthrush and a Prairie, and had to look through probably a couple
dozen American Redstarts and Magnolias each to find those. I may have
seen 50 Magnolias today."
Several people reported Black-throated Green Warblers today, including
Tom Hoctor and Ron Robinson in their respective NW Gainesville
backyards, and John Killian at San Felasco County Park. And Bob Carroll
looked out his window this morning and saw five Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
at his feeder and birdbath.`
All these migrants may leave tonight, given the strong winds and clear skies, but I plan to be outside tomorrow, just in case.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Good start to the day!
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:41:39 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
Hey, it's chilly outside!
I've got family obligations in Jacksonville today, but given the birds
I expected behind yesterday's cold front I spent an hour with the
Audubon field trip at Bolen Bluff. I only made it about a third of the
way down the right fork before I had to turn back, but in that short
distance we'd seen two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, three Wood
Thrushes, at least one Gray-cheeked Thrush, tons of Gray Catbirds, a
Sharp-shinned Hawk, and eight warbler species, including three
Magnolias and two Chestnut-sideds. If you can get outside today, get
outside.
Bob Carroll and I spent a couple of hours between the rainstorms at San
Felasco Progress Center yesterday morning, and in addition to 11
warbler species (Blackburnian was the best) we had Wood and Swainson's
Thrushes and Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, including five Scarlets in a
tupelo tree at one time.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Time for a walk?
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:23:08 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
On Monday, Jerry Krummrich saw a Golden-winged Warbler at
Ichetucknee Springs, then went home and found Columbia County's
first-ever Black-throated Gray Warbler at the mister in his back yard.
On Sunday, John Hintermister and an Alachua Audubon field trip found a
Philadelphia Vireo at O'Leno State Park, plus 12 species of warblers, a
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and six Scarlet Tanagers.
Hint, hint.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Canada Warbler
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:18:46 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
A little after noon today, John Martin sent this email: "I'm out
at Bolen Bluff, and just observed a Canada Warbler at the small south
side wetland. A bunch of other warbler species out here too, I'll send
a list later." (Where's that list, John?!) I was in Jacksonville, so I
wasn't able to capitalize on this bit of information, but hopefully
some of you will be able to do so tomorrow (when I'll be in Orlando!
Arrgh!). Anyway, John's Canada Warbler is the only one reported here
this fall. Dotty Robbins, Bob Wallace, get out there! Good luck.
Mike Manetz reported from today's Paynes Prairie main entrance field
trip: "I think today was very birdy, but with twenty folks in twelve
vehicles and a scooter, I had to take a pass on lots of little chip
notes as we drove slowly along the main entrance road. Still, everyone
was well satisfied with what we saw. Most notable was the number of
American Redstarts, at least double digits, plus a very close look at
Black-throated Blue and a very patient Black-crowned Night-Heron. Late
this afternoon there was a female/immature Painted Bunting in my yard."
Tomorrow's field trip will be O'Leno State Park with John Hintermister:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/aud/calendar.htm
I forgot to mention some early-arriving winter birds seen on the 7th
when Bob Carroll, Becky Enneis, and I were searching unsuccessfully for
the Clay-colored Sparrows on the Bolen Bluff Trail: one was a Savannah
Sparrow, one day later than the early record, and the other was a Sedge
Wren. Bob Wallace saw two Savannahs in the same place on the following
day.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Migrants! Lots of 'em!
Date: Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:01:10 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
We're into the last week of fall migration, which is generally
the peak in terms of both numbers and variety. Birders on the coast
have been reporting floods of migrants calling overhead in pre-dawn
flights. Here's Andrew Thornton in St. Augustine yesterday morning:
"Thrush calls were simply astounding, with so many calling that I never
felt like I got a good count even by second. It wasn't a matter of
linear counting, it was more a matter of listening for 1 second and
trying to guess how many thrushes had called in that time. For the 30
minutes I was listening, I'm conservatively estimating 10-15 calls per
second." Further down the coast, Ken LaBorde posted a long list of the
migrant species he'd recorded at Merritt Island's Dummit Grove, and
concluded, "I did not try to keep track of numbers but with a few
exceptions, the birds below were seen in the dozens."
Locally, however, no one seems to have gone out but Jerry Krummrich,
who sent this report: "I birded O' Leno this morning and it was a joy.
Warblers - Northern Parula 6, Magnolia 2, Yellow-throated 2,
Blackburnian 1, Hooded males 3, Ovenbird 1, American Redstart 6,
Black-and-white 3, Chestnut-sided adults and imm. 4, Tennessee 2, Pine
5, and Common Yellowthroat 2. White-eyed, Yellow-throated, and Red-eyed
Vireos. Rose-breasted Grosbeak male feeding on black gum berries,
Swainson’s Thrushes feeding on treetop berries. One Eastern
Phoebe and one Least Flycatcher (calling in picnic area near parking
lot by river). Still a few Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks,
Yellow-billed Cuckoos around. I have never seen so many Red-headed
Woodpeckers in one day."
So you might want to get outside as much as you can right now, because
this is all going to end in the next week or ten days. Speaking of
getting outside, we've got Audubon field trips this weekend to Paynes
Prairie's main entrance with Mike Manetz on Saturday and to O'Leno with
John Hintermister on Sunday. Also, Florida Bat Festival at the Lubee
Foundation.
Field trips: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/aud/calendar.htm
Bat Festival: http://www.lubee.org/Florida-Annual-Bat-Festival.html
Alachua Conservation Trust sent this out: "To discover the biodiversity
of plants at Prairie Creek Preserve, Alachua Conservation Trust is
holding a BioBlitz on October 17th starting at 8 a.m. Groups of experts
and novices will survey flora in a small area of the preserve, take
pictures, and collect samples, then meet up at 11 a.m. to download
photos and GPS data and identify plants. ACT will provide species
lists, maps, and lunch. Please RSVP for lunch, or write if you have any
questions, to Info@AlachuaConservationTrust.org or call (352) 373-1078. Call Ivor (352-377-6253) or Liz (352-359-6299) for directions or questions on the 17th."
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Western Tanager
Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:44:29 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
Andy Kratter saw a Western Tanager in company with two Scarlet
Tanagers at "Pine Grove Cemetery right next to Evergreen Cemetery."
Here are driving directions to Evergreen Cemetery:
http://www.gvlculturalaffairs.org/website/facilities/evergreen%20cemetery/evergreen_directions.pdf
It's apparently a good birding spot in fall, but please obey the rules
of conduct (p. 5):
http://www.gvlculturalaffairs.org/website/facilities/evergreen%20cemetery/evergreen_rules.pdf
Bob Carroll says that today's Chastain-Seay Park field trip started out
slowly but ended well. The final list included Rose-breasted Grosbeak,
Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, eight species of warblers, including
Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, and Blackburnian, plus Barred Owl,
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and Common Ground-Dove, 35 species of birds over
all.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Clay-colored Sparrows at Bolen Bluff
Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:34:06 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
Caleb Gordon and I led a field trip to Bolen Bluff on the
morning of the 3rd. Lots of people turned out, so Caleb took half and I
took half and we split up. Those who were with me eked out 11 warbler
species, including 1-2 Chestnut-sideds, 1-2 Magnolias, and a
Blackburnian. Those who were with Caleb saw 15 warbler species,
including abundant Chestnut-sideds, a Magnolia, 2 Tennessees, and 2
Black-throated Greens, plus 2 Clay-colored Sparrows on the basin part
of the trail. I'm not sure what the moral of this story is, but I think
it's, "Go with Caleb."
Anyway, a few of us from the less successful half of the field trip
walked back out to see the Clay-colored Sparrows. They'd been feeding
together when originally found, but had split up by the time we got
there, one of them about three-quarters of the way out to the platform
and one within a hundred yards of the platform. They weren't all that
easy to see, staying mostly in the ragweed along the edge of the trail
and occasionally flying back and forth from one side to the other.
Several Palm Warblers were out there too, creating momentary confusion
as to whether the movement in the ragweed was a sparrow or a warbler.
I've heard from Steve Hofstetter, who led an Alachua Audubon field trip
to San Felasco Millhopper on the morning of the 3rd. They had only
eight warbler species, but one of them was an early record Bay-breasted
Warbler; the others included a Blackburnian, 6 Hoodeds, and 12 American
Redstarts. (An interesting note as far as I'm concerned is the relative
abundance of crow species: 4 American vs. 22 Fish Crows. Since I
started paying attention to crows in the early 90s, American Crows have
predominated from August to February, especially in upland habitats
like San Felasco. This has not been true, however, during the past two
or three years. I have no idea what it means, but we've seen a decline
in fall-migrant passerines during the same time period. I think the
Fish Crows are eating them! ... Nah, not really.)
Speaking of relative abundance, Red-eyed Vireo numbers seem to be
declining. Steve's group saw one (vs. 11 White-eyeds), and ours had
about the same numbers. Migrant Red-eyeds peak in August and September,
so this is expected. However I had three in my back yard yesterday
afternoon, so they're not exactly uncommon yet.
(I'd have liked to get this report out in a more timely manner, but my
internet connection has been on and off since Friday evening. Earthlink
knows how important this birding report is, though, because whenever I
call with a question they don't handle it locally, they shoot it
straight over to India! That's service!)
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Looking for a few good birds?
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:23:49 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
The Florida Ornithological Society is in town, and they're
already rustling things up. On the 2nd David Simpson saw a bird among
the Blue-winged Teal at Chapmans Pond that struck him as very similar
to a female Cinnamon Teal. The same afternoon Ned Shuler saw what he
believed to be a Black-billed Cuckoo at the Lake Wauberg boat ramp. So
if you've got nothing else to do tomorrow, check it out.
Watch out for Painted Buntings while you're out and about, or even
looking out your kitchen window. On October 1st, the same day I saw a
male Painted at Loblolly Woods, Andy Kratter had a female in his SE
Gainesville yard.
Also on the 1st, Greg Hart had a Yellow-breasted Chat at his place in Alachua.
I had about three reports of Eastern Phoebe on October 1st, so those
are showing up. Gina Zimmerman and Steve Lowrimore did a migrant survey
of some Plum Creek property in the Gulf Hammock this morning, and they
noticed plenty of House Wrens and Gray Catbirds and had an Eastern
Phoebe of their own. All these winter birds sneaking in.
Two more weeks of fall migration.
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Migrants on the move
Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:47:33 -0400
From: Rex Rowan < rexrowan@earthlink.net >
To: Alachua County birding report
I spent a little while at Loblolly Woods and San Felasco Hammock
yesterday morning and found things pretty lively. The day's birds
included a Scarlet Tanager, Swainson's and Wood Thrushes, and ten
warbler species, including my first Tennessee and Magnolia of the fall.
I made a quick stop at Loblolly this morning and in addition to
Prothonotary and Hooded Warblers and Swainson's and Wood Thrushes I
found an adult male Painted Bunting. Someone who's better with bird
calls would have had a much longer list, because I only scratched the
surface.
It's a good time to pick up your binoculars and get outside. Back yard
before work, lunch hour, after work - you've got time, I don't want to
hear those excuses, straighten up.