FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS

Smorgasboard of shore birds

Taking a cue from Team Sapsucker's NA Big Day, I decided to travel to Cedar Key last Saturday to see if any interesting migrants were around and also to look for some coastal birds I don't usually get the chance to see in Alachua County unless a tropical storm or hurricane is bringing them inland.  The morning didn't start as planned, as I overslept my alarm by an hour.  Guess I needed the extra zzz's.

I drove over to Cedar Key on SR 24, and just past Archer I spotted a pair of Eastern kingbirds on a snag on the side of the road.  A little while later, I stopped to use the facilities at one of the Upper Waccasassa Conservation Area entrances and noted a flock of Bobolinks flying overhead and bearing to the north/northeast.  I could also hear a Northern parula and White-eyed vireo calling in the early morning.  It was already a good start to the day and I hadn't even made it to my destination yet.

I pulled up to the #4 bridge while it was still low tide and had to get on the birds quick because they were everywhere.  At low tide this channel is well-known for the amount of shorebirds, most notably the short-billed dowitchers, which come here to feed.  As expected, the short-billed dowitchers were out en masse, along with least sandpipers, willets, semipalmated sandpipers, american avocets, and a marbled godwit.  I just love watching avocets feed, with their re-curved bills swishing from side to side catching macroinvertebrates.  Its a unique feeding habit unto them and makes them very interesting to observe.

Breeding and non-breeding plumage American Avocets

Pair of Clapper Rails flying along vegetation line in front of American Avocets

While watching the avocets for probably much longer than I should have, a pair of clapper rails flew out from and flew along the edge of the salt marsh vegetation.  I hadn't seen one since this exact location on nearly this same date last year.  Black skimmers were also foraging around, as were ospreys and a bald eagle.  The real treat outside of the avocets and rails were a pair of Nelson's sparrows which were conspicuous and calling repeatedly.  It was my first time seeing this species, and it just supercharged me for the rest of the day.  I believe they were immatures based on the extensive and bright orange facial coloration both individuals prominently displayed.  Unfortunately, they didn't stay out in the open for long, and once they popped down into the vegetation, I didn't see or hear them again.

Nelson's Sparrow

Nelson's Sparrow

Clapper Rail

By then it was time to get going to the next location - the 5th street church.  Outside of a chimney swift flying overhead and a common grackle, the place was a ghost town.  So I quickly headed over to the cemetery to see what migrants and shore/wading birds might be present.  Right off the bat I decided to check the boardwalk and was rewarded with the closest and easiest looks of any rail species (outside of the soras at La Chua trail this year) I've ever experienced.  This clapper rail was preoccupied with preening and then foraging, as it paid absolutely no attention to my presence.

Red-breasted Nuthatch!

Within the cemetery, it was fairly quiet which was not altogether unexpected, as no fronts had come through in the last few days.  Warbler species and numbers were pretty low.  Only a handful of cape may's and blackpolls stood out.  Some northern parula and black-and-white warblers were also present.  The real treat was getting the ultra-close looks at three different red-breasted nuthatches.  Apparently these individuals have hung out since the irruption last year and must have a plentiful enough food source, as they didn't appear in a hurry to leave.

Male Blackpoll Warbler

Male Cape May Warbler

I was unable to re-locate the great horned owl from the previous spring migration excursion, but when I went behind the cemetery to the shoreline there, I was pleasantly surprised to see a common loon in either full or near-full breeding plumage, a pair of male mallards (provenance unknown), common and forster's terns, and another clapper rail (who, when noticed me, made a beeline to some cover).  On the way back to the vehicle, I noticed some cedar waxwings flying around and then a swallow-tailed kite.  All in all it was a pretty decent expedition, especially with no weather fronts pushing the birds here or keeping them pinned down here.

Black Skimmer skimming the water's surface

Pair of Mallards just offshore near the cemetary

I then stopped at the unfinished new neighborhood to check on things, and was eventually rewarded with several cape may and blackpolls, along with two different red-breasted nuthatches.  I couldn't believe my luck.  By the time I made it to the museum, it was getting late in the morning and I thought I may have been too late to catch any migrant warblers.  I suppose I was wrong.  On the boundary between the park and residential neighborhood, I caught a very vocal mixed flock which contained white-eyed vireo, carolina wren, northern cardinal, great crested flycatcher, northern parula, blackpoll warblers, black-and-white warblers, and yellow-rumped warblers.

Along the museum trails and at the buildings, the blackpoll warblers were thick and heavy in comparison with what I had witnessed all morning to this point.  A nice surprise was a gray-cheeked thrush perched on one of the live oaks near the bird bath.  For a secretive bird, it allowed great looks out in the open.  A couple of ovenbirds, a palm, and a prairie warbler rounded out the warblers present.

Male Northern Parula foraging

Male Black and White Warbler foraging

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Male House Finch

Since midday had approached and started slipping away and it was high tide, I still figured I would check out the airport to see if anything was still lingering around.  Alas, the tide was well too high for any shorebirds to stick around and the airport was pretty quiet except for a few willet, a green heron, and a gray kingbird hawking insects from the power lines.  However, on the way to and from the airport, there were a few docks which had a nice little gathering of shorebirds and terns.  There were royal, forster's, and common terns resting, along with loads of short-billed dowitchers, ruddy turnstones, willets, and at least one dunlin.  Some of the nearby homes had purple martin condos in their yards, and many of them were occupied by martin couples.

Dock full of terns and shore birds

Male and Female Purple Martins residing outside their McMansion

Seeing it was already afternoon, I decided to head over to Shell Mound to see if any migrants were hanging around the trails.  I figured looking for shorebirds would be a bust since the tide was nearing high, and I was correct.  Nary a shorebird was present.  However, walking the trails revealed marsh wrens, lots of blue-gray gnatcatchers (lots of singing heard), northern parula, summer tanager, and an immature male and female orchard oriole.

1st Year Male Orchard Oriole

Driving to and from Shell Mound I kept my eyes and ears open for any florida scrub jays, but none were present.  The nice stretch of mixed forested wetlands a short distance before the Shell Mound entrance had northern parula, northern waterthrush, red-eyed vireos, and a pair of yellow-billed cuckoos.  These species were all calling and/or singing, filling up the humid afternoon air with glorious song.

I decided to head home after this since it was getting late.  I spotted some american crows and a mississippi kite on the drive back.  I stopped by Watermelon Pond (boat ramp area), and it was fairly quiet.  Some greater and lesser yellowlegs were present, with a solitary sandpiper living up to its name.  A couple of sandhill cranes and some great egret were also there.  Some barn swallows and a common nighthawk were flying overhead.  When the common nighthawk started "peent"-ing, I took it as a cue to finally head home from a long day of birding.  When all was said and done, I believe I saw at least 100 different species throughout the day, even with missing some expected species.  Not quite up to par with Team Sapsucker, but it made for one hell of a fun day.

Male and Female Lesser Scaup