Lunchtime Birding Around the Neighborhood

Had a little adventure today on my lunch break.

Lakeside Birding

I live in Central FL, and there are numerous lakes around me. It's even reflected in the name of the city where I live: Lakeland. We don't even have the most I think. BUT: we do have some top quality places to go birding in the city limits.

Recently, I've been on an eBird kick where I bird the various lakes in the area. The goal is to fill in as many "grey spots" on my eBird bar chart. I've rounded out several of the "Lakes" and am actively working on a couple more. My favorite part about this is in the fall when I can get several warbler species around the lakes. I look for the oak trees, and the trees closest to the water. That seems to be my best winning strategy. Strange duck season is also interesting! Recently, we had a very interesting looking duck that may have been a Lesser Scaup X Tufted duck hybrid, or was at least a crazy looking Lesser Scaup.

Here's an aerial photograph showing Lake Morton, and some of the places that I have found are highlight places where I find different birds. In this map i was illustrating a route that I took on my lunch break (the blue line). The green circles are some places where I found some great birds at that time, including warblers that hadn't been seen there before. The orange circles are also places I've noticed other warblers/neotropical migrants.

When you bird here, check out Lake Morton, give it an hour. It can surprise you. Also, I'm working on a couple videos that will cover what's going on at the spots around the Lakes of Lakeland.

Future lakes I will be covering in videos and in Posts:

Lake Mirror, 

Lake Wire,

Lake Beulah,

Lake Hunter,

Lake Parker,

Lake Hollingsworth.

All these lakes are in Lakeland, and worth their own visit. I'm still learning how to bird them, so it will be neat to follow along my befuddlement.

You should at least get a laugh!

Dawg Daze

It's that time of year. 

I'm outside and at first light the only bird I hear is some neighbor's chicken. It's the time of year where all the birds pause,  molt and fatten up for migration. 

I guess that's what's happening. 

-oooo-

A Red-shouldered Hawk just called. 

And there's a cardinal!

Finally,  signs of bird life. 

The other morning,  a mixed flock of small birds delighted me,  so migration is coming. 

I need to go find a Louisiana waterthrush. 

Some birds are still breeding. I found nests for the local "Poule d'eau", Common gallinule, and Purple gallinule.

there's two eggs on this little gallinule nest. 

Two eggs in this Mourning dove nest,  the 4th brood in this parking garage this season that i know about. The Carolina wrens are showing off another brood of recently fledged young. 

Fall is almost here,  so I remember the world changes. 

Lifer Pie

Willet!

this is a Willet, and while, yeah, it's a cool pic, it's not a life bird, I've seen many.

 I'm a little excited right now because I got to enjoy a slice of Lifer Pie! 

    Lifer Pie is a tradition among some birders. Once you see a new species of bird for your life list, you get to eat a piece of pie! I saw two new species today, and a third new species for eBird. One, Bonaparte's gull, is a bird that has eluded me for a long time. I've been places to see it, and it didn't show. I've chased it in my current county of residence (Polk , FL) at least 10 times, and haven't seen it. Today was my lucky day! My first look was a diagnostic one, where you know what you're seeing, but it's short. While it whets your appetite, it doesn't assuage the hunger! I kept my eyes peeled, and soon spotted a group of Bonaparte's out over the water. Mesmerized by the beautiful dancing they did over the water, I completely forgot to record it using my scope and phone. Fortunately, they were kind of hanging around, so I was able to get some video of a couple, and took a screenshot.

Bonaparte's gull scampering across the water.

I couldn't believe my good fortune, it took entirely too long to see this bird!

Somewhere between groups of mobbing Laughing gulls, and the Bonaparte's, a couple of Herring gulls flew by. One was still a brown juvie, the other a winter adult with some streaking around it's head, but a red spot on its bill. I didn't manage to get any pictures of them.

The something MEGA happened. Over the waves, something very light appeared, an aberrant gull. Nothing should be that light! Probably a leucistic Herring... wait. There's other gulls than that. watch it, no record it! I quickly attached my camera phone to my binocular lens. Earlier in the day, I discovered that i could attach my phone to my binocular with my digi-scoping adapter and still use the other side of the binoculars as a sort of aiming spotting scope. I had just used my camera to take a wide angle shot of my family, and couldn't tell if the shot was 100% in frame. I decided to trust the previous setting, and hit record. In all, I got around a 30 second video that was not the best recording, but did show all the markers I needed to confirm my suspicions, this was a Glaucous gull! Not a bad bird for a family trip to the beach.

Poor screenshot picture of a Glaucous gull.

I shot some more pictures of various birds around the area, practicing this new way of "digi-scoping". I think I'll use this method more, especially when hauling around a scope doesn't make sense.

Finally, there is the matter of Lifer Pie!

Lifer pie can be any Pie. In my rules, it's best when you can share with friends, but you can have it yourself. It should also be local made, unless the need for alternative eating strategies outweighs that. Then, you may sub out a hand-held pie, or McD's apple pie!

This time, we went as a family to get Keegan's for a late post lunch. They have excellent specials and great desserts, including the best key lime pie. Just feast your eyes on the pie below!

Best kind of day for lifer pie ever!

Come and Get it!

Memento Mouri

I have to warn you, I get mildly philosophic in this post. There is biking, there is birding, but there is also  call to action, to be aware of what's going on in the world around you.

Part of my Worldview states: "Everything is connected". Every moment I experience can teach me something that can profoundly impact me later.
One such moment came recently in my preparation for a trip out west to see Yellowstone. Driving the car to the service station, I saw a bird dart in front of me. In the time it took to think "Oh NO!", the bird bounced up from my grill, over my grill, across the roof, and onto the road behind me.

Dead.

I killed  bird with my car. I saw enough black and white and red to know that it was a red-bellied woodpecker. I've watched this species in all aspects of its lifecycle. I've seen them excavate cavities for nesting, feed their young in their homes, bring them to feeders, exist around the neighborhood, and now, I've seen one die. I continued to the auto service place, and dropped my vehicle off to be serviced. Because servicing would take a while, I brought my bicycle to ride home. I rode by the place where I hit the bird, and took this picture.

Memento Mouri

It had already been hit at least once since I killed it. Later that day it had been obliterated to the point where there was nothing left but a stray feather hanging onto the gutter. Waiting for a strong wind.

Memento Mouri.

I regret playing a part in the bird's final moments. I do not seek to take life unintentionally. We live in a world where such accidental destruction takes place and is quickly swept up and forgotten, tossed aside in the name of Progress, Convenience, or Survival. Yet, because I was there, I can remember, I am as much flesh as this bird is flesh, as are we all.