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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