Birds of a Feather - Bird Together (Part One)

        On April 1st, my brother Doug and his wife Ann came to visit us in Englewood.  The four of us set out on what seemed like a non-stop birding trip.  We did manage to take a few days off to rest and to get out of the intense heat of a hot Florida spring.  Our goal was to find 150 species during their visit.  April is the most active part of spring migration, 150 should be easily reached.

        We traveled across the state to Palm Beach County on April 4th, hoping to see American Flamingos.  Along the way we spotted a Crested Caracara in Glades County.  We stopped for a picnic lunch in Clewiston, located along the southern edge of Lake Okeechobee in Hendry County.  We arrived at STA-2 (Storm Water Treatment Area) and joined a large group of birders.  After a long and successful day of birding, we scored 63 total species including six Flamingos.  Other highlights were American White Pelicans, American Avocets, Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Snail Kites and Peregrine Falcons. 

         Between April 1st and April 9th, we took Doug and Ann to some of our favorite local hotspots.  We visited several locations in Cape Coral, Pinecraft Park and Lake Osprey in Sarasota, Laurel Landfill in Nokomis, the Punta Gorda Airport and Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area.  In all, during the first nine days of their visit, Doug and Ann spotted 111 different species, including 52 new life birds.  Enjoy some of the photos from the first half of their visit.....stay tuned for part two.....tweet....tweet!!

Doug <-------> Dan, The Birding Brothers.  
(Taken 4/1/15, Blind Pass Beach, Englewood FL)

Purple Gallinule walking across lily pads.
(Taken 4/2/15, Lake Osprey, Sarasota FL)

Joan with Ann, Doug and Peanut
(Taken 4/4/15, southern tip of Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston FL)

American Flamingos, at least 500 yards away.
(Taken 4/4/15, STA-2 Palm Beach County FL)

With a group of birders at STA-2.
(Taken 4/4/15)

Red-Headed Woodpecker
A new Charlotte County bird for us, a life bird for Doug and Ann.
(Taken 4/5/15, Tippecanoe Mitigation Park, Port Charlotte FL.)

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
(Spotted by Doug)
(Taken 4/9/15, Babcock-Webb WMA, near Punta Gorda FL)

Burrowing Owl
(Taken 4/9/15, Cape Coral FL)