New Year, added focus.
Every year, I want to go birding more, and every year, I eek a little more out of birding, try different things, make it more productive I think. I really like eBird, and last year I expanded my use of it. Things kind of tapered off at the end of the year though.
After New Year, I decided to go birding around Lake Morton after I got off work. So far, this has been a pretty good activity, the couple of times I've made it. There's a bunch of introduced swans and ducks, but for some reason, this is the lake all the winter diving ducks seem to hang out. All winter, Scaup, Ring-necked, and Ruddy ducks play around. There's even a bunch of American pelicans that hang out around the edge of the lake in the winter. Summer time, there's still waders of all kinds, Wood ducks, occasional Solitary Sandpipers, not to mention all the exotics that are kept as wild pets.
There's the local hotspots as well, especially Circle B Bar Reserve. The sandpipers there have really been showing out! Reports of Ruff, Western, and a Phalarope. I got Stilt, Pectoral, White-rumped, Solitary, Least, and Semipalmated sandpipers in addition to a nemesis bird: Bobolink!
Holloway shines bright as the closest hotspot to my house. I'm still sparrowless at that site, but I'm managed to see 73 species there so far. This year, I've added 8 species to my site list there, and I've got high hopes for the rest of the year. Even after the sandpiper blitz at Circle B, Holloway is still the place I've seen the most species of birds. It's my goal to be 90+ species there by the end of November.
I also want to expand out of Polk county. Get into Pinellas and Ft Desoto. Visit some of the other coastal spots. I anticipate a birthday big day that encompasses the I-4 corridor somehow. This summer I plan to visit my parents, and I want to open up some places on the way there, and where they live with the kids. Visit the Louisiana State Arboretum and Chicot state park. The kids would like it there, I think. It seems to be set up similarly to the nature center at Circle B Bar. I want to tromp around Kisatchie National Forest looking for Red cockaded woodpeckers!
I'm making plans. Plans to bike and go birding, hike and go birding, teach kids about the outdoors and go birding. I can't wait to find out what I'll see next.
Showing posts with label Circle B Bar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Circle B Bar. Show all posts
Monday, May 15, 2017
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Not a Bad Baseball Hitting Average
We participated in the Global Big Day on May 9th! Didn't make it to Holloway Park or Lake Hollingsworth, but we did get out there and do some birding.
We went to Circle B Bar ranch and observed birds as a part of the Global Big Day. Our submitted list contained 23 species. Skies were clear, weather good, temp warm. Highlight of the day from my perspective was seeing 15 American White Pelicans flying above.
Somewhere out there is a Great Egret, and other waders and wonders.
All in all it was a good trip, and we had fun seeing some birds.
Here's the official list:
BIRD (number observed)
Mourning dove (1)
Red-bellied woodpecker (2)
Tufted Titmouse (2)
Northern Cardinal (2)
Carolina Wren (heard 1)
Little Blue Heron (4)
White Ibis (17)
Osprey (2)
Glossy Ibis (2)
Snowy Egret (3)
Limpkin (2)
Double-crested comorant (2)
Great Blue Heron (3)
Common gallinule (9)
Tricolored heron (1)
Boat-tailed Grackle (2)
Anhinga (4)
Red-winged blackbird (1)
Cattle Egret (1)
American White Pelican (15)
Black-bellied whistling-ducks (2)
Great-crested flycatcher (2)
White-eyed vireo (1)
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Short Field Trip
I asked my oldest if she would like to go do something special with me as a mini-celebration for making the honor roll this nine weeks, and to my surprise, she wanted to go to Circle B Bar Reservation to look at birds. Then she wanted to go to Lake Hollingsworth to watch birds, then to Lake Morton. Then she thought about it for a second, and settled on going to Circle B. I'm not going to complain about her indecisiveness, I'm just glad she wants to go watch birds!
The trip was easy enough, we started out by looking straight up and noticing both black and turkey vultures circling off to the . We had especially good looks at the black vultures' white patches toward the ends of the wing. Then we began walking along the trail/maintenance road to Heron Hideout. Along this trail, we heard birds, and tried to find them, but never saw them. Once we got to Heron Hideout, we looked up again, and found lots of different birds! We spent some time looking at flying Ospreys, taking note of their wing patches. We also found many of the herons and egrets we saw, as well as some Ibises.
On a bald cypress, two Bald Eagles rested in the shade. I was especially proud of Katie, because the second bird wasn't very visible, but she knew it was a Bald Eagle because of "It's overall brown body and white tail" sure field marks that looked exactly like bird perched next to it that was in full view!
After making a right onto marsh rabbit run, we walked a little ways, and a green heron flew out of the marsh on our left, and gave us a good look over as it flew about at our eye level, between us. Not long after we turned around, and walked back to the car, pausing a few moments to look at a double crested cormorant and anhinga perched in another bald cypress. As we got done walking Heron Hideout, something called in the brush behind, best we could figure, it was a bobcat. Not a bad end to a short trip!
Next time we'll take more pictures, we did keep an official list of birds, here it is:
Official List:
21 Species.
The trip was easy enough, we started out by looking straight up and noticing both black and turkey vultures circling off to the . We had especially good looks at the black vultures' white patches toward the ends of the wing. Then we began walking along the trail/maintenance road to Heron Hideout. Along this trail, we heard birds, and tried to find them, but never saw them. Once we got to Heron Hideout, we looked up again, and found lots of different birds! We spent some time looking at flying Ospreys, taking note of their wing patches. We also found many of the herons and egrets we saw, as well as some Ibises.
On a bald cypress, two Bald Eagles rested in the shade. I was especially proud of Katie, because the second bird wasn't very visible, but she knew it was a Bald Eagle because of "It's overall brown body and white tail" sure field marks that looked exactly like bird perched next to it that was in full view!
After making a right onto marsh rabbit run, we walked a little ways, and a green heron flew out of the marsh on our left, and gave us a good look over as it flew about at our eye level, between us. Not long after we turned around, and walked back to the car, pausing a few moments to look at a double crested cormorant and anhinga perched in another bald cypress. As we got done walking Heron Hideout, something called in the brush behind, best we could figure, it was a bobcat. Not a bad end to a short trip!
Next time we'll take more pictures, we did keep an official list of birds, here it is:
Official List:
21 Species.
| Wood Stork |
Double-crested Cormorant
|
Anhinga
|
American White Pelican
|
Great Egret
|
Little Blue Heron
|
Tricolored Heron
|
Green Heron
|
White Ibis
|
Glossy Ibis
|
Black Vulture
|
Turkey Vulture
|
Osprey
|
Bald Eagle
|
Red-shouldered Hawk
|
Common Gallinule
|
Limpkin
|
Mourning Dove
|
Blue Jay
|
Northern Cardinal
|
Red-winged Blackbird
|
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Keeping it Simple
Two trips to report on this week,
No big impressive species lists from Friday at Holloway Park in Lakeland, Three of us walked the big loop, and got some exercise. We also had some great views of different butterflies. We did have some very brief glimpses at some Northern Parulas and Blue-gray gnatcatcher. Most of the migrants it seems, were taking advantage of the tailwind provided by the tropical low in south FL that day. Coolest thing I'd say I saw was a Loggerhead Shrike. I've always thought it's a good day when I see one of those. I did take some horrible pictures of an American Kestrel using my binoculars and my cell phone camera.
The girls (Katie age 9 and Emma age 6) woke me up this morning wanting to go bird Circle B Bar, once again, not a big list, but we did have good practice using binoculars, and had some excellent looks at a little blue heron, and a Turkey vulture. I was especially proud of Emma, who ID'd the Little Blue Heron using field marks, shape, leg color and bill color. She also spotted the turkey vulture, which was only 15-30 yards away. You could really make out the details on the turkey vultures's head, I think we were leaving just as the migrants were waking up, there was some BGGNs in the parking lot on the way out. We got there at 8AM and left at 9AM.
Here's the link to the ebird checklists:
Holloway Park: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19809773
Circle B: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19818484
I plan on being out at Holloway again at 09:15 Friday, and I'll certainly welcome any company.
Some notes on taking kids birding.
No big impressive species lists from Friday at Holloway Park in Lakeland, Three of us walked the big loop, and got some exercise. We also had some great views of different butterflies. We did have some very brief glimpses at some Northern Parulas and Blue-gray gnatcatcher. Most of the migrants it seems, were taking advantage of the tailwind provided by the tropical low in south FL that day. Coolest thing I'd say I saw was a Loggerhead Shrike. I've always thought it's a good day when I see one of those. I did take some horrible pictures of an American Kestrel using my binoculars and my cell phone camera.
 |
| There he is! |
 |
| I suppose it will pass as "art" |
The girls (Katie age 9 and Emma age 6) woke me up this morning wanting to go bird Circle B Bar, once again, not a big list, but we did have good practice using binoculars, and had some excellent looks at a little blue heron, and a Turkey vulture. I was especially proud of Emma, who ID'd the Little Blue Heron using field marks, shape, leg color and bill color. She also spotted the turkey vulture, which was only 15-30 yards away. You could really make out the details on the turkey vultures's head, I think we were leaving just as the migrants were waking up, there was some BGGNs in the parking lot on the way out. We got there at 8AM and left at 9AM.
Some notes on taking kids birding.
- Prepare to be patient. You've got to be there to help the kids, iding birds, finding birds, and keeping lists comes second.
- Make the outing about spending time together. They have fun birding, but I know it's mainly about being together, outside. The best part of our trip to Circle B was the ride home where I rolled all the windows down and they laughed while the wind blew through the car.
- The right equipment makes a big difference. The most important thing to consider when considering binoculars for kids is size. smaller, even if it means less magnifcation is better. If you have to choose, choose lower magnification and bigger objective lenses. A pair of 6x 30s is good enough. Especially to start a young birder off right.
- They'll love you forever if you remember to bring a snack.
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