TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR (THE CONCLUSION OF THE PINLUSIAVARDNO EXPLOITS)

The days immediately following Christmas Day found me over in Ormond Beach staying with family.  I had two days which I could use at my leisure and I decided to head to some favorite haunts within the area.  My first stop was Ponce Inlet the day after Christmas.  While many people were busy returning gifts, I was still receiving some.

The Ponce Inlet lighthouse with fog retreating

I decided to try and find a Purple sandpiper at the inlet seeing as one had been present a short while before the holidays.  A small cold front had come down from the north and the morning was quite chilly and a fog lingered over the inlet.  The rocky jetty at the inlet is usually a great place to find this type of sandpiper, as during the winter it loves to forage among the rocky outcroppings along coastlines and jetties for small crustaceans and mollusks.  Winter is usually the only time purple sandpipers make their southern range limits into Florida, and the rocky jetty at Ponce Inlet is typically a location they frequent.

A large congregation of ruddy turnstones, a species with similar foraging habits as the purple sandpiper, had me thinking a purple just might be present, but it was not to be.  I searched several times throughout the morning, as it was low tide, an optimal time for finding the species as more of its foraging grounds are exposed.  In its stead, I was treated to some fantastic coastal and pelagic species. 

Ruddy turnstone baths:  Lather,

Rinse,

Repeat.

Time to towel dry

Duck species such as Lesser scaup, Red-breasted mergansers, and Black scoters were present off the inlet.  Black scoters have invaded Florida this year at a record clip.  Last year brought in what was thought as one of the larger amounts of this species in quite some time, but this year has seen just as much as invasion, if not more.  Shorebirds such as Ruddy turnstones, Black-bellied plover, American oystercatchers, Sanderlings, and a lone Spotted sandpiper were also present.  Gulls such as Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring, Lesser black-backed, and Great black-backed gulls were present in strong numbers. Tern species such as Forster's, Sandwich, Royal, and a lone Caspian were present.  An uncommon Common tern and a Gull-billed tern were highlights of the morning.  As the tide lowered even more and increased shoreline was revealed, the numbers of Black skimmer, Brown pelican, and shorebirds, gulls, and terns increased.  Northern gannets were out in full force, circling, gliding, and plummeting for their pelagic prey.  Both adults and immatures were in a feeding frenzy and were quite a sight to behold.

Photo above and below: Brown pelicans flying over and settling in

Double-crested cormorant on the rocks...drying off

Whatchoo lookin' at?

Immature Herring gull and Ring-billed gull

Some of the multitudes of Northern gannets flying and diving about

Royal tern resting

Female Red-breasted merganser in the inlet

Western sub-species of Palm warbler (with facial virus)

I probably stayed too long at the inlet, but since I don't get to spend much time on the coast anymore, I was relishing my time there.  I finally left late in the morning to check out another haunt further south I had enjoyed in the recent past.  However, I was delayed along the Port Orange Causeway due to loads of avian species present just off the causeway.  I couldn't resist pulling over and checking out what species were hanging around.  It was certainly a good call.  A Common loon, American oystercatcher, Black-bellied plovers, Least sandpipers, Sanderlings, and hundreds of Laughing and Ring-billed gulls and Brown pelicans were just lazing about.  Winds were still blowing strong and the late morning was still very cold.  The numbers and diversity of species made it all worthwhile.

Island of Brown pelicans

Wintering Laughing gull

Finally I was able to get on my way to my real destination, the Canaveral National Seashore.  I was venturing to a quiet location in Oak Hill called Seminole's Rest.  In the past I had quite some luck with interesting mixes of freshwater and saltwater tolerant waterfowl, shorebird, wading bird, and passerine species such as Hooded mergansers, Spotted sandpiper, Bald eagle, American white pelicans, Royal terns, Painted bunting, and Swamp sparrows.  Today yielded a different array of species, as I was there later in the day and climatic conditions were much different than in times past. 

I was the only individual present, as has been typical at this location.  It almost pains me to reveal it, but it can be a very interesting spot at certain times.  Other times it may yield not much at all.  But so it goes with birding sometimes.  To digress, my initial feeling was that I had arrived too late and the noon-time species were not going to be plentiful.  But I was mistaken.  After taking my time in some spots, the birds began to reveal themselves to me.  Mottled ducks, Great egrets, Snowy egrets, Ring-billed gulls, American white pelicans, Brown pelicans, Yellow-rumped warblers, Forster's terns, Royal terns, and a lone Caspian tern were flying all around.  After taking some time near the mansion, I spied some Common loons, a lone Red-breasted merganser, and the most Black scoters I have ever encountered at this location, just off-shore.  In the end I tallied 92 Black scoters paddling in the intercoastal waterway, a true highlight.

The following day I decided to head to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) to spend some time in one of my favorite locations in the state.  Even though Snow buntings, a Snowy Owl, and a drake Harlequin duck had been documented in Duval and Nassau Counties, I decided to forgo the twitch, as I figured I could get them shortly after heading to MINWR.  It ended up being a great call because there was just an enormous wealth of avian diversity to be found at the refuge.  The Max Brewer Causeway just outside the refuge was chock full of Lesser scaup and Willets.  Once inside the refuge I head along East Gator Creek.

Smorgasboard of shorebirds, chiefly Dunlin

The area was simply popping with shore and wading birds.  It was the place to be.  I ended up running into a couple of excellent GA birders and we simply stood at one spot and immersed ourselves in the avifauna which just poured forth.  Thousands of Dunlin were foraging and flying to and fro.  Hundreds of Black skimmers stood in-line resting.  Ring-billed gulls were observed harassing shorebirds such as the Dunlin and Willets.  American white pelicans, Reddish egrets, Lesser scaups, boatloads of Snowy and Great egrets, American avocets, Semi-palmated plovers, Greater yellowlegs, Red knots, and Western sandpipers were all busy flying to and fro and foraging for favored prey items.  As with Ponce Inlet, I probably lingered here too long, but how is it possible to pull yourself away from such a scene.  One doesn't simply encounter this menagerie everyday.  These moments are special and should be treasured to the point one lingers far too long.

American avocets!!!

Great blue heron (blue form)

After steeling myself from this incredible scene, I decided to head to Black Point Wildlife Drive to see what it would reveal to me.  It was actually pretty quiet for the most part, and I almost found myself wishing I had stayed at East Gator Creek.  However, I would soon find myself pleased with the venture.  Although the avian diversity wasn't as incredible as in 2012, it was still plentiful.  Double digit Reddish egrets, Tri-colored herons, loads of Glossy ibis, Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged teal, and massive amounts of Northern pintails were present.  The multitude of pintails was simply breathtaking.  I can't recall a larger expanse of pintails as what I was surveying along this drive.  When you end up studying one species for 30 + mintues, you know you're enthralled.  Or hooked.  Or obsessed.  Or all of the above. 

More Northern pintail than you can shake a stick at!

Pintail coming in!

The landing

The Cruickshank Trail was fairly interesting this time around.  An incredibly close adult Roseate spoonbill, Clapper Rail, and both yellowlegs species were foraging about.  The rest of the drive was fairly barren, but a few Killdeer were lingering around.  I then headed to Biolab Road where hundreds of Black scoters and American white pelicans were seen a short distance off-shore.  Numerous shorebird species such as Killdeer, Black-bellied plovers, Willets, Ruddy turnstones, Dunlins, Sanderlings, Western sandpipers, and Least sandpipers were foraging just off-shore and offered great looks at them. 

Adult Roseate spoonbill

Lesser yellowlegs foraging

Clapper rail running out into the flats before fleeing

Glossy ibis foraging...one of many

By the end of the day I attempted to see if the Short-eared owl was present at Peacock Point, but it ended up being a no-show.  As was the Black rail.  I figured it was a sign to head out and be pleased with everything I had witnessed throughout the day.  It was an amazing two days in Volusia and Brevard Counties and uncovering the avian wealth within. And so it goes with the conclusion of the Pinlusiavardno Exploits.  A simply amazing array of avifauna diversity speading from coast to coast just waiting to be found.  Running the gauntlet can be tantalizing, exhilarating, and tiring.  But most of all it is rewarding and humbling, as it should be.  

LAST MINUTE GIFTS (THE PINLUSIAVARDNO EXPLOITS CONTINUED)

Usually I'm not one to go out of his way to chase feathers, but sometimes you act outside your normal bounds.  Chalk it up to human nature or vanity or whimsy or just pure adventure (and possibly a mix), but whatever you call it, the desire to experience the new and expand one's horizons is usually the driving impetus to go outside comfort zones and make known what was once unfathomable.  With this in mind, the second act of the Pinlusiavardno Exploits rolls forth.

After working at a grueling pace all year, I decided to take the last two weeks of the year off from work.  Even with all the family obligations, I knew I had a couple of days to go crazy and see whatever birds and public lands I wanted to in the state.  One adventure to tempting to pass up was to head down to the Tampa Bay region and find several species I had never seen and briefly re-visit some areas I used to explore and species I'd routinely watch when I lived there.

One specific and very rare and unusual vagrant to Florida initially spurred me on this voyage.  It probably comes as no surprise, but this species would be the Bar-tailed godwit.  Typically one would have to travel to northern or northwestern Alaska to see the species, but one somehow made its way to the Sunshine State earlier in the year.  I could anthropomorphize or romanticize how it came to find itself in Florida, but I'll let someone with a more loquacious stranglehold on the storytelling craft take on the mantle.

A Marbled godwit foraging with a Ring-billed gull standing watch

With steady reports streaming in about it finally appearing on the mainland on a recurring basis (as opposed to hanging out on the barrier islands as it had been doing), I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see this species first-hand, especially since it didn't require a boat rental to do so.  Although the temptation to splurge on the cost of gasoline to see one bird left me in the cross-roads of whether to twitch after it or not, the lure of a Brewer's blackbird, Whimbrel, and drake Canvasback spurred me to take the plunge and throw caution to the wind.

I decided to head to Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs at low-tide in the early morning to look for the godwit, as the last reports had it located there and then taking off for Honeymoon Island.  I decided Fred Howard would be a good starting point and if it wasn't there, I could take the short trip to the Honeymoon Island causeway to look for it.  Upon arrival to the park, the tide was low and interesting species such as Horned grebe, Lesser scaup, and Reddish egret were certainly a sight to behold.  However, even with all the wading and shorebird activity well off-shore, there was no Bar-tailed to behold.  Therefore I headed off to Honeymoon in hopes it was hanging out there.

Horned grebe in-between diving for prey items

Short-billed dowitcher plunging its bill into the sand for marine invertebrates

I arrived when it was still low-tide, and several shore bird and wading bird species were present.  Willet, Ruddy turnstones, Common loon, and Marbled godwit were present in solid numbers and were fun to watch for awhile.  Alas, no Bar-tailed was present to observe.  On a whim, I decided to head to Key Vista Park in Pasco County to see if it had somehow made its way back there.  By the time I arrived, it was mid-morning and there wasn't much activity, save for a decent sized group of Red-breasted mergansers and one species with a fantastically adapted apendage...the Whimbrel. 

Whimbrel foraging for invertebrates

I had seen singleton Whimbrels at this park in the past at this time of year, but it was still a most welcome presence, especially since I don't see them living inland.  This species has evolved to have a bill so decurved and specialized to search for its primary winter prey, marine invertebrates, especially crabs.  It is a fantastic bill adaptation, akin with those of the Long-billed curlew, American avocet and Roseate spoonbill (heck, I could put the godwits here for good measure, but I think the word godwit has been used more in this entry than any other source save a field guide).  Naturally this uniqueness makes the species stand out.  But spend some time observing it forage, and you may just find yourself entranced at how magnificently wonderful evolutionary adaptation can be to behold.  After watching the Whimbrel forage for awhile, I decided to make a run back to the other two locations I previously visited to see if the godwit had decided to show its face.

Red-breasted mergansers foraging in the Gulf

Luckily, when I returned to Fred Howard, the Bar-tailed decided to come out of hiding, albeit for a brief glance.  I had searched around the causeway a few minutes and had almost given up and headed out, but I saw a few shorebirds I hadn't noticed on my first go-round.  I quickly spotted a small group of Marbled godwits, but one bird was a good deal smaller and had overall paler plumage than the others.  It was the fabled Bar-tailed!  Sadly the group took off quickly and headed towards the south.  I wasn't able to snag any photos, as the only two I snapped off were blurry and completely useless, even for documentation purposes. 

I decided to head back to Honeymoon to see if it ended up there, but it must have taken off to Three Rooker or another barrier island, as it was a no-show at the Honeymoon causeway.  I stayed awhile there and took in all the gorgeous shore and wading birds present.  Afterwards I decided to start heading north for my other target species.  On the way upwards and onwards I had to stop at the Dunn Water Reclamation Facility I had passed on my initial drive to Honeymoon.  There were literally thousands of ducks present...Red-breasted mergansers, Redheads, Ring-billed, and Ruddy ducks.  They made for quite a spectacular sight.  I'll let the reader be the judge.  Take a look for yourself below.

On the way to the Brewer's, I stopped behind a JC Penney which had been reported to be hosting a drake Canvasback in its stormwater retention pond behind the store.  It took all of about 10 seconds after leaving the car and approaching the fence surrounding the pond to find the duck.  It was without a doubt the closest looks at a Canvasback I've ever had.  I probably spent way too much time watching it just swim around the pond, but I couldn't have been more at peace.  No one was around and I had this handsome and elegant bird all to myself.  The sleek lines of the species are what make it stand out so much for me.  The soft and gently sloping lines from the tail feathers up the body, up the neck, gently falling over the crown and effortlessly sliding down to the bill make this a duck which just stands out from the rest.  I was so entranced watching this bird, I almost missed the female Bufflehead which was just sitting there preening her feathers.  What a sight to behold in a stormwater retention pond behind a major department store...one Canvasback and one Bufflehead.  Life is strange sometimes, so just roll with it.  You just might enjoy the outcome.

The closest to a drake Canvasback I've ever been

I left the pond to head just a bit up the road to a local park to see if I could find a reoccurring female Brewer's blackbird which had been reported for some time.  As with the Canvasback, this bird was incredibly easy to find.  I arrived at the park and just a minute or so upon my arrival, a large group of Boat-tailed grackles descended upon the boardwalk and were squawking up a storm.  Reading the reports I knew the Brewer's had been spotted with this group, I began my search.  Sure enough, the much smaller bird with the red eye and grayish upperparts turned out to be the female Brewer's.  I watched her forage on the ground for some time before she flew off with some of the Boat-tailed's across the way.  I walked around the park and the one across the street and encountered some interesting species such as Wood stork, Bald eagle, Red-breasted merganser, Northern harrier, House finch, and a strikingly handsome drake Bufflehead, the only drake of this species I observed all year.  With a full day under my belt, a couple new species I've never seen, and spending time with coastal species I typically don't get to spend much time with anymore, I called it a day and headed home.  Exhausted as I was when I finally arrived in my driveway, I couldn't help but cracking a mile-wide smile at all I was fortunate to behold throughout the day.

Photo above and below of a female Brewer's blackbird

Female Boat-tailed grackle hanging out with the Brewer's female

Drake Bufflehead swimming without a care

Wood storks at rest

BLACK FRIDAY Ver. 2.0 (THE PINLUSIAVARDNO EXPLOITS)

As promised from the last entry, I thought I would share some of my exploits from the Space Coast to the Nature Coast of Florida in the past 30+ days.  The exploits range from Volusia, Brevard, Pinellas, and Hernando counties.  However, for the purpose of this entry, I thought I would simply try to recount my venture on Black Friday, the second such installment in this blog's limited cannon.

Over Thanksgiving holiday I was able to spend the day at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) and Canaveral National Seashore (CNS).  Last year's gluttony of waterfowl around the same time tempted me to venture to Titusville to see what species were out and about this year.  The reports of Eared grebe, Long-tailed duck, and Black rail also solidified my decision to head over there.

Based on sound directions (a big thanks to Graham!), I stationed myself right about sunrise at Peacocks Pocket at MINWR and was able to have a Black rail respond to recorded playback (the "kik kee doo" song).  Although not the typical summer response (and certainly not expected), a singular "Kerr" alerted me to the presence of the rail which could not have been more than 10'-15' from me.  However, like a typical Black rail, it would not come out of hiding to be seen by my eyes, although not for lack of trying.  Alas after 15-20 minutes of wishing the bird would come into view, I had to settle with the definitive call response as my only verification of the presence of the species.

After hearing the rail, I walked back to my vehicle but stopped because some passerine activity in a clump of Sea oxeye daisy (Borrichea frutescens) caught my attention.  After scanning through the movements in the low-growing salt marsh shrubs, a sharp-tailed sparrow species popped momentarily into view.  I caught the briefest of glances and thought the species looked like it had some very vibrantly colored orange facial plumage coloration in the supercilium and malar stripe which starkly contrasted with the gray auricular region.  After a minute or so, the bird felt confident enough to climb back into view and definitively showed off its plumage coloration, which left no doubt it was indeed a Salt marsh sparrow and not a Nelson's.

Photos above and below: Salt marsh sparrow (note the vibrant supercilium and malar stripe in contrast with the rest of the facial plumage)

With the dawn now yawning about in a lazy fashion, I began to notice other species in the salt marsh cordgrass wetlands surrounding my path.  Mottled ducks, northern shovelers, blue- and green-winged teal, pied-billed grebe, lesser and greater yellowlegs, american bittern, glossy and white ibis, northern harrier, and osprey all made their presence known.  As peaceful as this was, the sun was slowly rising, and I knew I needed to leave towards Vistas #5 and #8 along CNS where the Eared grebe and Long-tailed ducks had been toiling.

American bittern in stealth mode

As I was approaching Vista #5 a Clapper rail ran straight across the road without hesitation.  Luckily for it there was little traffic this morning as it was Black Friday and many people were either with family or out shopping.  But not me.  It has become my mission to specifically head out and spend all day birding or at least hiking in the outdoors as a counter-measure to partaking in the crass consumerism which has sickeningly grown into this known day.  And lucky me, I felt like I had the place all to myself.

At Vista #5, I was treated to great looks at the trio of female Long-tailed ducks which had been found a short while prior to my visit.  They were beautiful looking specimens, and I watched them for a long period, watching them dive for food and preen their dive feathers.  After missing this species a couple of times, I was thrilled they stayed long enough for me to find them and observe their behaviors.  Enamored with my luck so far, I decided to keep on plugging and find the Eared grebe at Vista #8.

3 Female Long-tailed ducks with Lesser scaup

Well, I was lucky again.  Although it was a distant look (and certainly not close enough for my taste), there was no mistaking the bird.  The neck plumage coloration, upturned thin bill, and thin neck (as compared with the thicker neck of a horned grebe) were easy to spot.  I took some distant and crappy ID photos, but it was much more enjoyable watching the grebe endlessly dive for prey with the pied-billed grebe and female bufflehead foraging with it.

As it was still early morning, I decided I could wait a little bit before heading to Blackpoint Wildlife Drive and look for everything which had to be waiting there for me to uncover.  I decided to head oceanside at CNS first at one of the closer spots to Vista #8.  I conducted a brief scan over the tide and waves to see what bounty was flying about.  Northern gannets, Brown pelicans, Laughing and Ring-billed gulls were easy to spot, as were Royal terns, and the Ruddy turnstones and Sanderlings ebbing and flowing with the tide after their prey.  

Finally I headed out to Blackpoint, where I spent nearly 3 hours observing the vast richness of avian diversity loitering about.  Although the waterfowl diversity and abundance wasn't what was expected, the shorebird and wading bird diversity and abundance more than made up for it.  Still exciting though, duck species such as Mottled, Blue-winged teal, Northern shoveler, Northern pintail, and Hooded merganser were present in solid numbers dabbling and diving for their breakfast.  The expected wading birds were present, including my favorite North American wading bird, the Reddish egret.  I don't ever think I could tire of spending countless hours watching their fantastically adapted and caricature-esque hunting techniques.  They are simply magnificently gregarious and enigmatic birds which, for me, keep we studying them every chance I get, just to become more intimately intertwined with their behaviors.

Photos above and below: Reddish egrets in pursuit and at rest

As for the shorebirds, there were more than enough to shake a stick at, especially around stop 8.  Dunlins, Red knots, Long-billed dowitchers, Lesser and Greater yellowlegs, etc. were all busy foraging in the shallow flats of the impoundments.  Even a Red-necked phalarope was present, but prior to this stop, at #3.  It was probably the only red-necked phalarope I've ever been able to watch for several minutes without ever putting a foot on the ground.  It doesn't happen often, and maybe never will again.  But it's a moment I certainly won't forget.  To the phalarope, it was as if I was George Bailey when he wished he had never been born...I simply wasn't there.

Photos above and below: Red-necked phalarope (You usually don't get closer encounters)

After finishing the morning exploits along Blackpoint, I decided to try Biolab Road in the afternoon to see what was hanging out down there.   The birds kept on not disappointing me.  I was fortunate in the multiple miles plus drive to encounter both Lesser and Greater scaup, solid numbers of Black scoters, Roseate spoonbills, Caspian and Royal terns, and shorebirds such as Sanderlings, Ruddy turnstones, and one Western sandpiper.  It was a glorious drive and not one that a little bit of rain could deter.

Black scoters just hanging out

I ended up re-traveling a couple of locales previously visited in the day just to see what new species might be hanging out and to just watch ones previously observed for a little while longer while I waited for dusk to approach.  I was waiting to try and find the Short-eared owl I had dipped on in the pre-dawn at Peacocks Pocket.  The crepuscular avian activity down at the end of Peacocks Pocket was enthralling.  Northern harrier, American coot, Blue-winged teal, American bittern, loads of Glossy ibis and Double-crested cormorants flew into view.  Sora, Virginia, Clapper, and (the assumed same) Black rail all were calling or visible.  It doesn't get much easier or better than this for rails.  A few others showed up to look for the Black rail and owl.  I was able to take them and re-locate the rail from nearly the exact same spot from where I heard it at dawn, but we were not able to see or hear the owl.  But still, no one left disappointed from what we had experienced.  For my part, it was a great end to an utterly fantastic day.  Certainly not one I could have experienced or enjoyed had I participated in the expected/usual Black Friday pursuits.  For this I am thankful.

CATCH UP

Whew!  It's been a whirlwind the last 2 months of 2013.  At least it's the excuse I'm using for why it's been so long since I've last posted a blog entry.  I didn't envision I would have serious lapses in-between entries, but then again, I didn't realize I'd be so busy birding, working, and spending holiday time with family.  I'll try to keep this entry from being endless, but as the reader, you may be in for a bit of a lengthy one.  With that out of the way, let's begin in mid-November where I last left ye.


We'll pick it up at the Paynes Prairie sheetflow restoration project where I spent probably way too much time the last 2 months of the year.  Please note I don't condone what I did, and as the reader, you probably shouldn't follow in my shoes.  The reason I make that statement is the project area is off-limits to those not associated with the project.  And I am not associated with the project.  I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to how I was able to see the smorgasboard of avian species hanging out there.

Blue-winged teal take flight as an adult Bald eagle flies into a nearby snag.

Right now the area is home to large amounts of waterfowl, wading birds, and shorebirds.  The waterfowl and wading birds primarily have been hanging out in the interior cell which has been completed.  The shorebirds have primarily been residing in the outfall/back-up cell which has extensive open mudflat areas which these birds prefer.  A quick rundown of waterfowl which have been seen in the project area the last two months: blue- and green-winged teal, gadwall, redhead, lesser and greater scaup, ruddy duck, bufflehead, american wigeon, northern shoveler, northern pintail, and a probable drake cinnamon teal.  Shorebirds which have been frequenting the area include both lesser and greater yellowlegs, least sandpiper, wilson's snipe, long-billed dowitcher, dunlin, killdeer, a wintering spotted sandpiper, and a black-necked stilt which hung around for about 2 weeks in mid-November.  Other avian highlights include an immature white-faced ibis, ash-throated flycatcher, a pair of merlin, a peregrine falcon making it's way down south, numerous wood storks, and very reliable american pipits (sorry - no sprague's to be found in this grouping).

Greater scaups with a female Ruddy duck tagging along.

Female Bufflehead

Gadwall, a heavy set and large species of waterfowl

As the wetland cells are well designed and planted with appropriate vegetation (with open water areas interspersed), they have already drawn in a rich tapestry of avian species.  If the vegetation is monitored and maintained well, this area will be giving the La Chua trail a run for its money as the premier birding spot in the county.  Hopefully the construction is wrapped up by mid-2014 when it will be open to the public.  But until then, you can check back here to read my exploits.

One of the two Merlins which had been hanging out for a short while.

The Black-necked stilt which hung out for about two weeks in early November.

A Dunlin foraging with a Least sandpiper.  The dunlin only stuck around a few days to a week.

November and December have seen great vagrants being reported from Pensacola (Lapland longspur) to Tampa/St. Pete (Bar-tailed godwit, Brewer's blackbird) to Miami (Townsend's warbler, Western Tanager) to Titusville (Eared grebe, Long-tailed duck) to Jacksonville (Snow bunting, Snowy owl, Harlequin duck).  Alachua has had its own share as well.  We've had the Ewing clan report and document a Ross's goose at the UF Beef Teaching Unit which was eventually accompanied by a Snow goose (which has since turned into 3 snow geese).  The Ewings also found a pair of female Common goldeneyes at the UF HARN ponds.  They were accompanied by another found at the Post Office Pond on the CBC.  The Rusty blackbirds returned to Magnolia Parke shopping plaza where they have been documented for the past few years.  Mike Manetz was alert enough to go check for them based on the records of the sightings for them there, and was able to report the first sighting of the winter.  The female Vermilion flycatcher came back to the same location at the observation platform along the La Chua trail.  John Hintermister was the one to first report it this winter, and everyone headed out there has been fortunate to be treated with fantastic close-ups of her doing aerial acrobatic feats in search of flying insects to consume.

Ross's goose in flight.  Even though you can't see the distinguishing factors, you'll have to take my word for it. 

Female Goldeneye foraging at the UF HARN ponds.

Sparrows are out in full-force, with pretty much all the expected and uncommon ones having popped up at least somewhere.  This winter we've been treated again to Clay-colored, Lincoln's, Henslow's, and Fox.  Le Conte's has yet to make an appearance, but keep checking La Chua and Barr Hammock - there bound to show up at some point.  A female Wilson's warbler has been hanging out around Lake Alice on the UF campus.  A few Rufous hummingbirds have turned up at a few choice nectaring holes in town.  Western kingbirds have been found out near Watermelon Pond by Lloyd Davis and near La Chua by Bob Knight.  A couple Least flycatchers appear to be wintering along the Cones Dike trail and have been very reliable for this reporter every time I've gone out there for a walk.  Heck, even an immature Swainson's hawk was reported on private property in early December, and has been seen by a few birders since then.  If you go out in search of it, early morning seems to be when it is seen the most.  Check the hay bales and the pole barn, it has been seen perched on them prior to the thermals picking up, when it seems to be taking off and hunting for the day.  The more and more I spend time in the county, the more I believe the adage that every species shows up in Alachua at one point.  The hits just keep on rolling, or in this case flying, in.

A female Rufous hummingbird taking nectar.  What's that you say?  How can I be so certain it's not a female Allen's?  See the following photo to find out.

See the notch or indentation on the R2 feathers (the two next to the two central tail feathers - also known as the R1 feathers)?  The notch is the main distinguishing trait to use when attempting to discern ID on Rufous and Allen's hummingbirds, especially the immature and females.

I won't bore you with details on my expeditions to the east coast and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, but they were fun and exciting.  I think I'll have to write another entry about it soon.  But I will tackle the CBC in this post as well.

In summation, even with a seeming lack of western vagrants, we found 154 species on the count.  An impressive number we should all be proud of, especially for an inland county where we often miss out on shorebirds and gulls/terns which our coastal brethren find 'em by the boat full.  I trekked out again this year on the Cones Dike trail with Steve Collins.  Our owling and railing pre-dawn was successful, as we were able to hear all the expected owls (sans Barn) and rails.  The lone screech owl we reported was actual a visual observation, as it barely passed over another participants' head in response to a barred owl recording.  Then the dawn broke...at the same time the rain clouds decided to do the same.

Ah, the rains.  It will make for a memorable CBC story in the coming decade or so.  I'm pretty sure all of us were drenched at one point, so I won't carry on about the situation here.  It just goes with the territory.  Steve and I had begun our walk along Cones Dike, but it wasn't very birdy with the drizzle and then just shut down completely once the rains came pouring down.  We decided to start from scratch when the rains abated, and it was a good decision.  All the birds finally came out in full force.  We were treated to the expected species along the trail this time of year - Orange-crowned warblers, Blue-gray gnatcatchers, Wood ducks, Sora, Red-winged blackbirds, Eastern phoebe, Swamp sparrows, and the like.  We also had some uncommon (but not unexpected) species such as Northern waterthrush, Field sparrows, and Least flycatchers.  We ended up tallying a good number of species and had a blast doing so.  We split up with other individuals in the afternoon on the prairie basin and had good results.  My group was finally able to spot a couple of merlins and a grasshopper sparrow before heading to the observation platform to do a final count as the waders and waterfowl came into roost for the night.  The platform was, as is always, brimming with activity.  Hundreds and hundreds of White ibis, Glossy Ibis, Sandhill cranes are a sight to behold.  We also had several ruddy ducks, a few gadwall, a redhead, the female vermilion flycatcher (at arm's length), king rail, and several american bittern make an appearance.  A truly magnificent end to an always exhilarating day. 

READ BETWEEN THE SEASONS

The winds out on the prairie have been shifting the last few weeks.  Those northerly winds have pushed the last of the fall migrants towards and further on from us, and at the same time pushing those wintering species our way as well.  Early western vagrants and late fall migrants have occupied the same scene and it's been quite sublime for area birders.

Female vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)

Dunlin (Calidris alpina) and least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)

Dunlin foraging

Long-billed dowitchers (Limnodromus scolopaceus) and lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

Pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) with least sandpiper

The notorious kaleidoscope sunsets on the prairie have been enjoyed by such varying species such as ash-throated, scissor-tailed, vermilion (our female from last year - older and wiser, and according to John, turning the tables on the eastern phoebes this year) and least flycatchers, several sparrows species, a slew of shorebird species, and now the waterfowl.  The sparrows arrived a little earlier this winter, but who is going to complain?  Our most common, savannah, showed up early and are already being seen in near-typical numbers.  We've already hosted a surplus of interesting species such as lincoln's, clay-colored, and nelson's, while other more common species such as white-crowned, swamp, and chipping have checked in.  As for the waterfowl, our summer resident duck species (mainly wood duck, blue-winged teal, and mottled duck) have been accompanied by green-winged teal, northern pintail, gadwall, and ruddy ducks. 

Least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) above and below

American pipit (Anthus rubescens) above and below

The last of the fall migrant warblers are still here, but their presence is rapidly fading.  Luckily, we're still able to find american redstart, northern parula, tennessee, and northern waterthrush mixing and mingling with our winter species (i.e. orange-crowned, palm, and yellow-rumped).  So enjoy these few weeks where these fall migrants and winter residents are thrown into a non-violent vortex of a birding smorgasboard.  Thankfully for FL birders this natural phenomenon isn't restricted to Alachua County.  The entire state has been treated to some truly awesome species stopping by to catch a bite and either move on or settle in.  Species such as scissor-tailed flycatchers, western flycatchers, sulfur-bellied flycatchers, black scoters, western tanagers, purple sandpiper, red-throated loon, red-footed booby, franklin's gull, cape may warbler, and townsend's solitaire have been reported from Pensacola to Homestead.  It's been an incredible run as of late, and let's hope it continues.

Green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis)

Ruddy ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis)