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Fort De Soto Park - Florida's "Birdiest" Location

         Fort De Soto County Park in Saint Petersburg (Pinellas County) is a birder's paradise.  It is the #1 birding hotspot in Florida with 328 recorded species, it ranks #22 in the United States.  In the spring, migratory birds can easily fly non-stop from Mexico, across the Gulf of Mexico, reaching the southern Gulf states.  However, when strong storms occur over the Gulf, birds are tossed around by high winds and pelted with heavy rains.  Seeking shelter, they arrive in huge numbers all over this 1136-acre park.  This phenomenon is known as a "fallout".  While at the park the birds will get the rest and food they need before continuing north.  If conditions are unfavorable for flight, they will hang around the park for days.  There have been four separate fallout events during the 2014 spring migration season.  With a few weeks still remaining, birders are hoping for more.

        Fort De Soto has become one of our favorite destinations.  We have scored over 130 species there.  The diversity of habitats and birds is amazing.  Miles of beaches are great for shorebirds, pelicans and gulls.  The tidal areas and shallow lagoons are great for waders.  Acres of wooded areas are great for songbirds and raptors.  The park is a perfect location for many other activities such as a day at the beach, biking, fishing, kayaking, sailboarding, picnicking, sightseeing and camping.  Triathlons (swimming, biking, and running) are held there regularly.   Read about the park and its history by clicking here ----->   http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm  

        Enjoy some of our favorite photos from around Fort De Soto Park and stay tuned for migration photos.....tweet.....tweet!!

Mortar from inside old Fort De Soto.

Getting ready for sailboarding on the East Beach.

Great Horned Owl and chick on the nest,
North Beach picnic area.

Reddish Egret in breeding plumage at the East Beach Turnaround.

A Long-Billed Curlew at the North Beach tidal pool.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge
(Looking east from the East Beach)

View from atop the Fort, looking north.

Ferry Boat docked at the Bay Pier.
Egmont Key and Shell Key are nearby barrier
 islands accessible only by boat.

Mangrove Cuckoo - Life Bird #228

        There is an old saying that "it's better to be lucky than good."  We believe that it's better to be blessed than not.  Acting on a report, we traveled to Emerson Point Preserve in Palmetto on Saturday April 12th, in search of the Mangrove Cuckoo.  We arrived, got our cameras and binoculars ready, then headed for the trails.  Seconds later, we met a man from Virginia, who was just leaving after birding for three hours.  The man asked, "are you looking for the Cuckoo?"  When we told him that we were he said, "follow me."  We walked less than 100 yards to the spot where he had been looking at the bird.  The poor guy had only gotten a quick glimpse or two and a couple of poor photos for his efforts.  He then played a sound recording of the Cuckoo on his cell phone, the bird responded vocally.  It was so exciting for us to hear the bird calling while we stood there surrounded by mangroves.  He played the recording several more times and within minutes the Cuckoo appeared right in front of us.  Had we arrived five minutes later than we did, we would have missed the man entirely, and possibly the bird.  We didn't get lucky, we were blessed.  We spent the next 45 minutes observing the bird from "point blank" range, getting incredible close-up looks and hundreds of great photos and videos. 

        So, today's featured feathered friend is the Mangrove Cuckoo.  A year-round resident of southern Florida coast lines.  They can also be found in the coastal areas of Mexico, the Caribbean and northern South America.  This species is commonly found in mangrove swamps and hammocks, hence the name.

        Mangrove Cuckoos are long, slender birds with long, narrow tails.  They are grayish-brown above with a dark mask surrounding the eye and a yellowish eye-ring.  They are white below with a Cinnamon wash to the under parts.  The bill is long, heavy and down-curved, black on top (upper mandible) and yellow on the bottom (lower mandible) with a dark tip.  The under side of the tail is black with bold white tips.  Males and females are similar in appearance.  They are around 12 inches long, weigh nearly three ounces and have a 16-inch wingspan.  Juveniles are similar to adults, but lack the dark mask.
        We would like to thank the Virginia Gentleman for being our guide on a very warm and humid afternoon.  If not for your help, we might have "dipped" in the Mangroves.
        Enjoy these photos of the Mangrove Cuckoo, our 228th life bird.....tweet.....tweet!!

     
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mangrove_Cuckoo/id

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove_Cuckoo  

Hooded Warbler - The Star of the Fallout

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Hooded Warbler.  This medium-sized warbler can be seen in the summer across most of the eastern United States.  They spend the winter months in Central America and the Caribbean, but every spring and fall they migrate along the Gulf coast.  On Monday March 17th, a severe spring storm resulted in a "fallout" grounding migrating birds by the thousands.  Forced to find food, rest and shelter, they were scattered all along the Florida Gulf Coast.  On the 18th, we spent the day at Fort De Soto County Park in Saint Petersburg, finding many Hooded Warblers (all males) and got some great photos.  This marks the second spring in a row that a "fallout" has produced hundreds of Hooded Warblers.  Spring migration has only just begun.  We check the weather forecasts daily and we are ready for that quick birding trip after a spring storm.

        Hooded Warblers are just over five inches long, weigh less than half an ounce and flutter about with a seven-inch wingspan.  The male sports a black hood and throat, a yellow face and forehead, a large black eye, an olive-green back, wings and tail, with bright yellow underparts.  The female is similar to the male but the hood patterns can vary.  Some females have hoods that are dark and extensive like males, but most females just have a dark border around the face.  Juveniles are similar to adults but have less black.

        Learn more about this species by clicking the links below.  Enjoy some of our favorite photos of the Hooded Warbler.....tweet.....tweet!!

Male Hooded Warbler
(Taken 3/18/14, Ft. De Soto County Park, St Petersburg FL)

Female Hooded Warbler
(Taken 4/6/13, Ft. De Soto County Park, St Petersburg FL)

Male Hooded Warbler
(Taken 3/18/14, Ft. De Soto County Park, St Petersburg FL)

Female Hooded Warbler
(Taken 4/6/13, Ft. De Soto County Park, St Petersburg FL)

Male Hooded Warbler
A bouquet of flowers for the star of the show.
(Taken 3/18/14, Ft. De Soto County Park, St Petersburg FL)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/hooded_warbler/id

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooded_Warbler

Wood Stork

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Wood Stork, formerly known as the Wood Ibis.  They are native to South America, Central America and the Caribbean.  They are year round residents in Southern Florida.  Of the world's 19 Stork species, the Wood Stork is the only one that breeds in North America.

       Males and females are similar in appearance.  They are very large, long-legged, short-necked wading birds with massive deep-based bills that droop at the tip.  Adults have scaly bald heads, grayish necks, dark bills and long black legs with pink feet.  When perched or standing they appear all white.  In flight, their black tails and flight feathers are visible.  Juvenile and immature  Wood Storks are similar to adults, but have grayish feathered heads and yellowish bills.  The average Wood Stork is 40 inches long with a 70 inch wingspan.  Males weigh up to 6 1/2 pounds while females weigh up to 5 1/2 pounds.  

        Click on the links below for more information about this species.  Enjoy some of our favorite Wood Stork photos.....tweet.....tweet!!

Wood Stork (Adult)
(Taken 11/16/13, Laurel FL)

 

Wood Stork (Juvenile/Immature)
(Taken 5/11/12, Englewood FL)

Up close and personal
(Taken 8/17/12, Englewood FL)

                                                          

Wood Stork in Flight
(Taken 3/7/14, Prairie Creek Preserve, Punta Gorda FL)

Say cheesseee !!!
(Taken 8/6/12, Englewood FL)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wood_stork/id

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_Stork

Eastern Meadowlark

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Eastern Meadowlark.  This dapper looking bird can be seen and heard year round.  They sing from fence posts, meadows and prairies throughout the eastern half of North America.  They can also be seen year round throughout the Caribbean and Central America, as well as in parts of Mexico and northern South America.  Their summer breeding range extends into southern Ontario and Quebec.

        Males and females are similar in appearance.  They have bright yellow underparts with a bold black "V" on the breast.  They have white flanks with black streaking.  Their heads, backs and wings are brown with black streaking.  They have deep-based, long, sharply pointed bills.  Juveniles are similar to adults but more subdued and lack the black V on the breast.  The male is 9 1/2 inches long, weighs around 5 ounces and has a wingspan of 15 inches.  The female is slightly smaller in all of these areas.

        Meadowlarks are part of the "Blackbird" family which also includes Orioles, Bobolinks, Cowbirds and Grackles.  Click here -----> http://youtu.be/bsFtOHWp4NE  to see a short video of an Eastern Meadowlark singing.  Enjoy some of our favorite photos of the beautiful Eastern Meadowlark.....tweet.....tweet!!

 

Eastern Meadowlark
(Taken 12/13/12, Clay Gully Road, Myakka City FL)

Eastern Meadowlark
(Taken 4/5/13, Clay Gully Road, Myakka City FL)

Eastern Meadowlark
(Taken 1/5/14, Prairie Creek Preserve, Charlotte Co. FL)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_meadowlark/lifehistory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Meadowlark
       

Little Blue Heron

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Little Blue Heron.  This medium-sized heron of the southeastern United States, can also be found throughout the Caribbean and Central America, and in parts of Mexico and South America.  

        The Little Blue Heron is roughly half the size and one-sixth the mass of the Great Blue Heron.  They are 24 inches long, weigh about 12 ounces, with a wingspan of around 40 inches.  Adult males and females are similar in appearance; dark bluish-gray bodies with maroon heads and necks, gray facial skin with greenish-yellow legs and feet.  Their bills are deep-based, slightly downcurved, bluish-gray at the base with a dark tip.  In breeding plumage the facial skin and the base of the bill turns to a stunning "cobalt" blue, while the legs turn dark.  Juvenile Little Blues are all white and can easily be misidentified as a Snowy Egret.  Juveniles have a dark tipped, pale gray bill, with greenish-yellow legs and feet.  As they age, bluish-gray feathers begin to molt into their white plumage creating a splotchy appearance.

        Enjoy some of our favorite photos of the gorgeous Little Blue Heron.....tweet.....tweet!!

Little Blue Heron
(Taken 2/1/14, Bunche Beach, San Carlos Bay, Ft. Myers FL)

                                                     

Little Blue Heron (In Breeding Plumage)
(Taken 3/29/13, Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland FL)

Juvenile Little Blue Heron (all white plumage)
(Taken 11/10/13, Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin FL)

Juvenile Little Blue Heron (adult feathers coming in)
(Taken 5/4/12, Casa De Meadows pond, Englewood FL)

Little Blue Heron
(Taken 2/1/14, Bunche Beach, San Carlos Bay, Ft. Myers FL)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/little_blue_heron/id

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Blue_Heron