FLORIDA,SPRING2010

SUBTLEBIRDINGINTOURISTSPOTS

byPeterWelch

Introduction:

IwasluckyenoughtoenjoyafamilybreaktoFloridathisEasterandwhilstmedoinganyproperbirdingwouldhavebeentrickywithtwoyoungchildrentoentertainitwaspossibletocombinetotouristhauntswithsomewildlife.FindingreportsonFloridabirdingbeforeIlefttheUKwasproblematic,soIthoughtI’dwritethisreporttotryandhelpanyoneelsewhofindsthemselvesinFloridabuttiedtoanonbirdingagenda.

OverthecourseoftwelvedaysImanagedtoidentifysixty-twospeciesandphotographfifty-sixofthem.FiftyofthebirdsseenwerelifersformeandIwasunabletoconclusivelyidentifyatleastafurtherfifteensightings.

PleaseexcusethelessthanscientificstyleofthisreportbutIdecidedtocoverthegeographicallocationsratherthanatimelineorgenusledapproach.Allofthebirdingwasdonewithanotebook,cameraandtheloanoftheexcellentPetersonEasternBirdsguidebookbutwithoutbinocularsortelescope.Identificationsweremadefromtheguidesandafewwerecheckedwithothers,moreexpertinwildlifefromtheUSA.

InalmostallareasGrackles,HouseSparrows,BlackVulturesandNorthernMockingBirdswereseenbutotherwiseforeachlocationI’velistedthespeciesseen,anyspecificareasofinterestandanyotherwildlifesightingsofnote.I’msurethatthereareotherspotsImissedandspeciesIdidn’tpickupbutthemainsightingsareasfollows.

ChampionsGatearea

Whenlookingforavillatostayinmyfirstcriteriawerefindingagoodone,withenoughroomforourextendedpartybutIwilladmitthatwhenIfoundVillaMagicnearChampionsGatetheideaoftherebeingaswampareaimmediatelybehindtheVilladidaddtoitsappeal!

Above:SandhillCrane(top)andBoat-tailedGrackle(bottom)

ThelistofbirdsseenfromthevillaitselfincludedWhiteIbis,Boat-tailedGrackle,roostingLittleBlueHeron(whichIdidn’tseeanywhereelse),NorthernCardinal,NorthernMockingbird,Anhinga,CattleEgret,BlackandTurkeyVulture(overheadflyovermostafternoonsdownto20m)andbestofallvisitingSandhillCranes,asinglebirdandlaterinthestay,apair.QuitebizarreandfascinatingtowatchSandhillCranesfeeding3mawayfromtheswimmingpool…

Above:LittleBlueHeron(top),NorthernMockingbird(middle)andTurkeyVulture(bottom).

Earlymorningwalkswithinamileofthevilla,andinanareaofswamp,orangegrovesandscrubborderingtheChampionsGategolfcourseoffLoughman’sRoadgaveSandhillCranesroostinginthelagoons,WoodStork,Anhinga,GreenHeron,Osprey,TuftedTitmouse,BrownThrasher,Yellow-rumpedWarbler,PalmWarblerandLoggerheadShrikeonthewires.

Above:BrownThrasher(top)andLoggerheadShrike(Bottom).

AnareaoforiginalswampamileorsotothewestcrossingtheI27anddownDeenStillRoadwasonlydiscoveredonthelastmorningbutaverybriefvisitsawaflockofeightornineBlackVulturesontheroaditselfandmoreroostingnearby,severalunidentifiedhawks,NorthernParulaWarblerandaSwampRabbitintheroadsideverge.MoretimespentinthisareawouldhavepaiddividendsI’msure.

Above:TuftedTitmouse(top)andSwampRabbit(bottom).

MagicKingdomarea

IncludingsightingsontheapproachtotheDisneyarea

OntheactualapproachroadstotheDisneyareafromtheI4exits:WildTurkey,SandhillCrane,AmericanMoorhen,WoodStork,GreatWhiteEgretandCattleEgretwerepresentaswellasTurkeyandBlackVultures.IntheeveningstherewerefrequentsightingsofArmadilloandonesightingeachofaRaccoonandanOtterintheclearingsalongsidetheroad.

Above:WhiteIbis(top)and(bottom)CommonGrackle.

andGreatWhiteEgret(bottom).

InMagicKingdomitself,againbothvulturespecieswereseen,alongwithBoatTailedandCommonGrackle,HouseSparrowsandEgrets.LocationsofnoteincludedaroundtheLibertySquareRiverwhereWhiteIbisandGreatWhiteEgretswerekeenonscavengingroastturkeylegsbeingsoldaslightsnacks(notsurewhattheyfeedTurkeysonintheUSbuttheywerehugedrumsticks!).InadditionjuvenileLaughingGullandRing-billedgullswerearoundtheriverwithRed-belliedandDownyWoodpeckerseeninthetreesalongthemainstreetinFrontierland.Therewerealsocallsfromabuteospecies(notseen)fromtheislandarea,whichalsoheldmoreWhiteIbis.

MourningDovescouldbeseeninthequieterareassuchasaroundAriel’sGrottowhereIalsohadfleetingviewsofGreyCatbirds.

AparticularlygoodspotwastheMonorailstationwhereDouble-crestedCormorantscanbeseenonthepontoonsonthemainlake,orSevenSeasLagoonasitsknown,anEgyptianGoosewasalsopresentonthelakeitself.ThewoodedareatotherightoftherampuptotheexpressmonorailwhichreturnstotheparkinglotalsogavesightingsofBrownThrasherandRed-belliedWoodpecker,withthestarbirdbeingobservedflyinghighoverthestation:aSwallow-tailedKite.

Above:Swallow-tailedKite.

Finallythecarparkingareassawgullsandcrowsfeedingondiscardedfoodandsomeunidentifiedhawkspeciesinthebeltofpinetreesalongtheedgesoftheparkinglots.

AnimalKingdom

AswellasacollectionofcaptivebirdsinwalkthroughaviariestheAnimalKingdomparkgaveNorthernCardinalsinthebambooplantationsaroundtheKaliRiverRapidsqueuingarea,excellentviewsofBlackVulturesintreesaroundtheMeerkatenclosureandGreyCatbirdsforaginginthegorillaenclosure.Thesafaridrivewhichintheoryshouldhaveresultedinmorenativespecieswasnonstopwhichmadefortrickyspottingandperhapsduetothetimeofdaydidn’trevealanythingunexpectedwithagoodsizedflockofWhiteIbisinwiththecaptiveFlamingos.MottledDuckwereseenwithMallardontheDiscoveryRiver,whichringsthecentreofthepark.

Above:NorthernCardinal(top)andMottledDuck(bottom).

MourningDoveswereagainobservedfeedinginthequieterexhibitareasandasonlyalimitedamountoftimewasspentinthisparkthereareprobablyothergoodlocationsnotencountered.

Above:MourningDove

SeaworldandDiscoveryCove

TherewaslimitedhabitatinboththeseparksbutagainGrackleswerecommonaswereAmericanCrows.ThesealionexhibitattractedGreatWhiteEgretsandSnowyEgretsandagainNorthernCardinalscouldbefoundinthethickervegetation.Foranyonethathasn’tencounteredCardinalsthelocationcalltheyusesoundsveryclosetothatofaWrenintheUK,soignoreWrentypecallsatyourperil.DespitethemaleCardinalsbeingbrightredtheycanbedifficulttospotincover.

ThemostinterestingthingformewastheManatees–especiallyasIdidn’tgettoseeanyinthewild:asfaraszooexhibitsgo,theManateeenclosurewaslargeandseemedtooffersomeinterestandvarietyfortheseamazingcreatures.

Above:AManatee

Osprey,RingBilledGullandMottledDuckwhereallpresentinthevicinityoftheSkyTower.

Gatorland

Above:BlackVultures.

GatorlandwasapleasantsurpriseasitappearstobeawellrunattractionbasedaroundAlligatorsandsomeCrocodilespeciesbutalsohadawildswampboardwalkandawalkthroughtheAlligatorbreedingswampwhichholdsalargeandmixedbreedingcolony(orrookery)ofEgrets,Herons,Double-crestedCormorant,Anhinga,WoodStorkandRoseateSpoonbill.TheGatorlandwebsiteincludesasectiononphotographicinterestandhasacomprehensiveguidetothespeciesthatmaybeseenbutonthisvisittheyincludedLimpkin,GreyCatbirdandcloseupviewsofBlackVulturesinthemainattraction.

Above:GreyCatbird(top)andSnowyEgret(bottom).

AlsoofinterestseenfromtheboardwalkwereCarolinaWren(whichappearsatleastdoublethesizeofaUKWren)FloridaWaterSnakeandFiveLinedSkink

Above:FloridaWaterSnake.

Above:andCarolinaWren(bottom).

InthemainswampareawereAnhinga,Double-crestedCormorant,WoodStork,RoseateSpoonbill,SnowyandGreatWhiteEgret,GreatBlueandTricoloredHeronplusaround40largeAlligators.AftersomecarefulexaminationofthewoodedareaBlackCrownedNightHeronwerealsoseen.

Above:RoseateSpoonbill(top),TricoloredHeron(middle)andWoodStork(bottom).

LakeTohoarea

IncludingSouthportRoad

AtriptoBoggyCreekAirboatswasverygoodforbirdlifeandwildalligatorsbutonreflectiona45minuteprivatetourwouldhaveallowedmorechancestoseemanymorespeciesastheairboatcaptaincouldhavebeenaskedtoseekoutbirdspeciesinparticular.The30minutetripundertakenandtheareaimmediatelyaroundtheboatlaunchgaveBaldEagle,Osprey,SandhillCrane(nestingoutinthemarsh),RoyalTern,GreatBlueHeron,TreeSwallow,Red-wingedBlackbirds,SavannahSparrowanda12footlongAlligator!

Above:BaldEagle(top),Red-wingedBlackbird(bottom).

Above:Alligator.

SadlyIcouldn’tspendmuchtimeontheapproachroadtoBogeyCreekbutsawacoupleofunidentifiedhawksplusWoodStork,WildTurkey,RedShoulderedHawk,RedTailedHawkandunidentifiedWoodpeckerspecies.Thecoupleofmilesfromthemainroadtotheairboatsiswellworthcarefulexamination.

Clearwaterarea

IncludingDunedin

AtriptothewestcoastwasundertakenviatheSunshineSkywayBridgeabitofadetourbutworthitforthespectacularnine-kilometerdriveoverwhathasbeenratedtheworld’sthirdbestbridge!AlsofromthebridgeitselfwereBrownPelicansfishing,Osprey,aquicksightingofthreedolphinandaveryfrustratinglybriefviewofaFrigateBird,Ihadn’tpreviouslyappreciatedjusthowbigaFrigateBirdwouldappearinflight.AgainIwasunabletoexplorethevariousbeachsidecarparksandpullinspotsalongsidetheapproachroadstothenorthofthebridge,whichwouldhaveyieldedmorespeciesoratleastbetterviews.

Above:LaughingGull

Above:LaughingGull(top),BrownPelican(middle)andRing-billedGull(bottom).

TheClearwaterbeachareaitselfgaveLaughingGull,closeupviewsofBrownPelican’sfromthepier,AmericanHerringGull,Ring-billedGulls,RuddyTurnstone,Double-crestedCormorant,FishCrowandvariousparakeetspecies.

Above:BlueJay(top)andOsprey(middle).

Above:Yellow-crownedNight-Heron.

LeavingClearwaterbytheI19norththestretchofcoastalroadjustbeforeDunedintownhadatleasttenactiveOspreynests,someonartificialplatformsandsomeintrees.ImissedtheshotofthetripwhenanOspreycarryingafishaslongastheOspreyitselfflewinlowfromtheseajustasmymemorycardreachedcapacity.ThereisaverypleasantmemorialparkattheBestWesternyachtharbourjustpriortoDunedin’smainstreet(handyshoppingfornonbirdingpartners)andwhilstthechildrenplayedonthepark,BlueJayandYellow-crownedNightHeronwereseen(thelattersettingupanewcolonyinthetreesovertheplayarea).OutonthewaterfrontwasabirdhousebeingusedbyacolonyofanunidentifiedBlackbirdtypespecies,withoutbinocularsIcouldn’tgetagoodview.

IbelievefurthernorthontheI19isHoneymoonIslandandabirdingroutefromwhichBaldEaglescanbeseenplusmanymorewadersandcoastalspecies.

Conclusions

ThereareplentyofopportunitiestomixafamilyvacationinFloridawithsomecasualbirding,especiallyifyouchoosesomeoftheattractionstovisitonnon-parkdayswithcare:forexampleGatorlandisareallywellthoughtoutattractionforthenonbirders,sotherewerenocomplaintsaboutfifteenminutesintherookery!

OtherlocationsIdidn’tgettovisitbutwhichcouldhavebeenveryusefulweretheareasaroundthespacecoast,particularlyMerrittIslandandBlackPointDrive,plustheCypressLakeandLakelandareas.

I’drecommendtakingbinocularsfornonparkdays,keepingyoureyestotheskiesatalltimes,evenwheninthecar.IsawSwallow-tailedKiteoverthe417,SandhillCraneswithapairofnewchicksataShellgarageandOspreysandVulturesallalongtheI4.ThePetersonguideIborrowedwasexcellent–theSmithsonianGuideto“BirdsofFlorida”wassobadIreturnedittothevendor–photosofcaptivebirds,somethatlookedlikemuseumspecimensandappallingcolourreproduction.

Above:SandhillCrane

MylastnonbirdingtipwouldbeflyintoTampanotOrlando–notsurethebirdsareanybetteralongtheroadfromtheairportbuttoflyManchestertoTampaonthesameday,withthesamefirstlegtoPhiladelphia,was40%ofthecostofflyingtoOrlando.

PeterWelch,June2010

www.manchesterbirding.com