Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Birdbrains > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Monday, February 8 at 10:57 PM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Golden-cheeked Warbler,©BirdQuest

8 Feb Re: Sebastian Inlet (Brevard) [Deb Longman-Marien ] 8 Feb Re: Sebastian Inlet (Brevard) [Deb Longman-Marien ] 8 Feb Sebastian Inlet (Brevard) [beachbirder ] 8 Feb NW Escambia County [Lucy and Bob Duncan ] 8 Feb South Florida Notes [Jay Keller ] 8 Feb A day in the life of a County Lister [David Simpson ] 8 Feb White-faced Ibis @ Orlando Wetlands [Thomas Ford ] 8 Feb Re: Hummer's in back yard! [Randi Andersen ] 8 Feb Re: Venice Rookery [Fred ] 8 Feb Venice Rookery [Ron Wooldridge ] 8 Feb American Kestrel [Cheryl Molennor ] 8 Feb Lazuli Bunting at feeders [] 8 Feb Birding Bradenton to Clewiston [Connie z ] 7 Feb Bonaparte's Gulls [Scott Patterson ] 7 Feb Blackwater River State Forest Sparrows 1/6 and 1/7 [Alex Harper ] 7 Feb Glossy Ibis [Leann Streeper ] 7 Feb Circle B Bar- 2 White-faced Ibis -signs of spring [Cameron Cox ] 7 Feb Harlequin Duck YES [Alice Horst ] 7 Feb Tundra Swan Question 2/7/10 [Danny Bales ] 7 Feb Re: White-faced Ibis - Orlando Wetlands [Dorothy Freeman ] 7 Feb No Subject [Ron Wooldridge ] 7 Feb Blue Jay harassing Bald Eagle [Ron Wooldridge ] 7 Feb Green-tailed Towhee [Lucy and Bob Duncan ] 7 Feb Hummer's in back yard! [Jeff Evans ] 7 Feb No Subject [Judie Von Eiff ] 7 Feb Honeymoon Island Reopens [Ray Dabkowski ] 6 Feb Ft. DeSoto today [donatdonlo ] 6 Feb Re: Bonaparte's Gull [Eve Parks ] 6 Feb Bonaparte's Gull [Herman Moulden ] 6 Feb Sebastian Inlet SP [Andy Bankert ] 6 Feb Birds [Scott Patterson ] 6 Feb Honeymoon Island SP Closed Until Wednesday [Ray Dabkowski ] 6 Feb White-faced Ibis - Orlando Wetlands [Reinhard Geisler ] 6 Feb Boyd Hill Prairie Warbler [Jeff Hooks ] 6 Feb Boyd Hill Barred Owl [Jeff Hooks ] 6 Feb Birding the Beach at Honeymoon Island Tomorrow [David Gagne ] 6 Feb American White Pelicans @ Feather Sound [Terry ] 6 Feb Male Baltimore Oriole, Holiday Pasco County [David Gagne ] 6 Feb New Listserv for help with bird identification [Nate Stuart ] 5 Feb Everglades Day @ Loxahatchee NWR 2/6/10 [Michael Baranski ] 5 Feb Clay-colored Sparrow, Okaloosa County [ED KWATER ] 5 Feb Re: Sebastian Inlet Reddish white morph [Nancy Soucy ] 5 Feb Feb. 5 T.M. Goodwin WMA, Viera Wetlands [Carolyn Cimino ] 5 Feb Re: Sebastian Inlet Reddish white morph [Jim McGinity ] 5 Feb Sebastian Inlet Reddish white morph [Nancy Soucy ] 5 Feb Re: Little Bird Update (Hummers) [Backes ] 5 Feb Re: Little Bird Update (Hummers) [Scott Patterson ] 5 Feb Har. Duck and request for ID help [Nancy Soucy ] 5 Feb Little Bird Update (Hummers) [joe misiaszek ] 5 Feb Harlequin Duck [Cheri Pierce ] 5 Feb Shell Point Friday ["Sean P. McCool" ] 5 Feb Alcids! [Andrew Kratter ] 5 Feb Black throated gray warbler Yes [Nathaniel Stuart ] 5 Feb FW: Probable House Finch [rlhalpin ] 5 Feb Probable House Finch [rlhalpin ] 4 Feb Green Cay, Boynton Beach [Weaver J V O ] 5 Feb Purple Sandpiper - Sebastian Inlet No, Brown Booby - Jetty Park No 2\4 [Andy Thatcher ] 4 Feb Green Heron, Eagle Crest Park, St. Pete [Jeff Hooks ] 4 Feb Egg on my face [Rick and Barb Lucas ] 4 Feb American Bittern, Celery Fields, Sarasota 2/4 [Jeffery Fisher ] 4 Feb Black-throated Green PEAR PARK, LEESBURG FL [Alice Horst ] 4 Feb Masked Duck, Viera .. Yes, Harlequin Duck, Sebastian Inlet .. Yes 2\4 [Andy Thatcher ] 3 Feb Jetty Park (2/3/10) - Brown Booby (also, quick Broad-Winged Hawk note!!) [John Thomton ] 3 Feb Viera Wetlands (2/3/10) - Masked Duck YES [John Thomton ] 3 Feb St. Marks NWR and Viera Wetlands Neotropic Cormorants [Bruce Anderson ] 3 Feb American Robins in NE St. Pete [donatdonlo ] 3 Feb Viera Wetlands and Merritt Island NWR [Eve Parks ] 3 Feb Alligator Point Sparrows and Southwood Geese ["Sean P. McCool" ] 3 Feb Re: Greater White-fronted Geese--yes, Southwood, Tallahassee Feb.2 [jw callis ] 3 Feb Townsend's warbler [Ted Center ] 3 Feb Key West [Karen Chiasson ] 3 Feb Pelagic trip List. Out of Ponce de Leon Inlet. Volusia Co. [Michael Brothers ] 3 Feb Wandering La Sagra's (2/3) [Robin Diaz ] 3 Feb Eagle Crest Park, St. Pete [Jeff Hooks ] 3 Feb Re: photographing rarities and endangered species [Renne Leatto ] 3 Feb New Sandhill Crane egg today [Maria Valentine ] Subject: Re: Sebastian Inlet (Brevard) From: Deb Longman-Marien <dlongmanmarien AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 23:56:57 -0500 In my first post, this part of my message went missing. Jim you must have been there earlier than me. I did not see you. The Harlequin Duck and the Purple Sandpiper were still in the exact locations you described between 4 and 6pm. Deb Longman-Marien Viera To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Sebastian Inlet (Brevard) From: Deb Longman-Marien <dlongmanmarien AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 23:48:35 -0500 Jim, I must have been there later than you because I didn't see you. The Harlequin Duck and the Purple Sandpiper between 4pm and 6pm were still in the exact locations you described. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Sebastian Inlet (Brevard) From: beachbirder <beachbirder AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 20:10:33 -0800 The Harlequin Duck and Purple Sandpiper were located this afternoon at Sebastian Inlet.  My observations were made from the north side of the inlet.   Harlequin was on the south side, west side of bridge back where road veers toward bathrooms.  The Purple Sandpiper was spotted on the north side on the rock jetty between the bridge and the opening to the tidal pool.   Jim Eager Cape Canaveral beachbirder AT bellsouth.net To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: NW Escambia County From: Lucy and Bob Duncan <town_point AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 20:34:50 -0600 Bob and I spent today birding the extreme nw corner of Escambia County in the area of the catfish farms. For those of you who came up here for the Western Meadowlark a few years ago, our excursion today was in that same general area. It was mostly clear, cold and windy, and passerines were loathe to sit up and be seen. Of the 63 species we found in the area, birding exclusively from the roads, only four were notable. They were as follows: Greater White-fronted Goose (18) Sandhill Cranes (6) Brewer's Blackbirds (21) Rusty Blackbird (3 females, 3 males) The most abundant species was the American Robin, found in every field, in many trees, and always overhead. Red-winged Blackbirds and Killdeer came in next with Red-wings noted squawking and chattering mostly from treetops, and Killdeer running up and down every corn or cotton furrow or field. Few ducks were tallied. Seven Bald Eagles were noted, perhaps explaining the paucity of ducks. A note about birding the privately owned catfish farms. You are welcome to bird the ponds FROM THE ROAD. We do not have permission to go up onto the dikes. Lucy and Bob Duncan Gulf Breeze, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: South Florida Notes From: Jay Keller <azure.jay AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 20:52:46 -0500 Birdbrains, I was pleased to visit Florida again where I was able to squeeze in some birding after my meetings. Not sure if anything here is useful, but just in case, I thought I'd share. After observing the MASKED DUCK at Viera on Saturday morning, I skipped down to Bill Baggs and eventually got a good look at the LA SAGRA'S FLYCATCHER on the wire between the white gate and the fire break at about 4 PM. Many thanks to Robin and others for the very good directions and information. Sunday morning I drove down to Flamingo pre-dawn followed by Snake Bight. I walked the trail to the end and was very pleased with my results over a period of a few hours. Along the trail a MANGROVE CUCKOO called and was seen zipping away, only my second ever despite numerous trips to Florida. At least four WHITE-CROWNED PIGEONS kept spooking from the treetops over the trail ahead of me, and I only had good views of one adult that decided to fly a little bit ahead instead of away. From the boardwalk, dozens of waders were present, including a white morph REDDISH EGRET and a good number of SPOONBILLS. No confirmed Flamingos, but there were some very tall-looking pink birds waaaay out in Florida Bay including one very distant flying suspect bird. Ah well, something for next time. Also along the trail were a couple of PAINTED BUNTINGS, and 7 species of warbler including PARULA (4), YELLOW-THROATED (1), PRAIRIE (3), PALM (2), BLACK-AND-WHITE (1), N WATERTHRUSH (15), and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (4). Along the road somewhere west of Pine Hammock (I believe), two SHINY COWBIRDS were perched in a small tree, which allowed me to stop, turn around, and go back for some nice close-up looks. What luck! Lastly at AD Barnes, a number of birds were working the trees at the entrance, including the day's 10th warbler species, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (the last two being Pine and Myrtle), but I somehow dipped on the Spot-breasted Oriole for the second trip in a row. Take care, Jay Keller, San Diego, CA To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: A day in the life of a County Lister From: David Simpson <simpsondavid AT MAC.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 19:49:24 -0500 OK, I'm pretty much giving up on the series of "I said it couldn't be done." It has been over a month since that happened and a lot of other stuff has happened in between. I will pick out one of the more memorable days and then finish with the 31st, the last day. 29 Dec 09 The plan was to spend the night at Travis and Karen's place SW of Blountstown in Calhoun County. I spent most of the morning in coastal Gulf County picking up a few new ticks but dipping on Virginia rail and screech owl. I briefly slipped into Bay County, heading over to a beach spot just west of Mexico Beach at the eastern edge of Tyndall AFB. Dividing ticks by effort, Bay was probably the most productive county of the trip. I made one brief stop, where I got nothing. On US 98 heading in and out of Bay, I picked up Bald Eagle and Tree Swallow. Liberty County, oh Liberty County. Such a great county for Henslow's sparrow, Yellow rail, Red-cockaded woodpecker. But try to find a coot, a non-Wood duck, a shrike, a Ring-billed gull, a pigeon! I say it can't be done. At least I haven't done it. I came in from the west at high noon with low hopes and riding a silver pickup truck. County listing in the afternoon can really be a drag. I had flirted with the idea of saving this county for the next morning. I decided it would be better to knock it out this day so I could spend more time in other counties later. My first stop was on Turkey Creek Road east of Bristol and west of Hosford. Turkey Creek Road bisects a low swampy area just north of SR 20. I hoped to get some kind of sparrow, like maybe White-crowned. I found some very interested Swamp and White-throated sparrows, but nothing I hadn't seen before. It was after noon and I really did not expect much, but I had to try. My next stop was what I call the Hosford Pond. From the intersection of SR 65 and SR 20, I head north and pull over next the sterile pond. I suspect that they raise catfish here and keep the birds away as part of their management. Ponds are in short supply in Liberty County and this one is a very convenient spot to pick up some of the things I am still missing like Snowy egret, grebes, Anhinga, ducks, Ring-billed gull, and Smew. I have made many stops here and have added a few things like Purple Martin to my Liberty list, but never a water bird. As I pulled up, I saw a single American Coot swimming away. I was rather annoyed, thinking that would be new if it were on the other side of the Appalachicola River in Calhoun. I did not realize until I checked the list again that it was actually new here in Liberty, not for Calhoun. It's hard to keep track of so many counties. So, although this five minute stop only produced, three individual birds of three species, it did at least produce one all important tick. You gotta love a game where an old coot is an exciting bird. One of my favorite, and perhaps most frustrating places to visit in Liberty County is the Lake Talquin Dam. The Lake Talquin Dam holds back the waters of the Ocklockonee River to form Lake Talquin. Lake Talquin forms the boundary between southeastern Gadsen County and Leon County. At the dam, Liberty County picks up where Gadsden leaves off. I just heard my FOTS Purple Martin as I sit here on the porch! Lake Talquin hosts masses of Ring-billed gulls, Bonaparte's gulls, Forster's terns, white pelicans, Anhingas, ducks, Snowy egrets, and many other birds that seem to encounter a force field when the reach the dam and are faced with the possibility of entering Liberty County. The dam provides the necessary substrate for Rock Pigeons to make a home. The only other place I have found in Liberty is the SR 20 bridge over the Appalachicola River. At this time, the entire population of Rock Pigeons in Calhoun and Liberty Counties consists of the four birds at a dairy in Calhoun, north of Blountstown on SR 69. But anyway, the forcefield seems to have finally developed some cracks. I parked on the west side of the river and north side of SR 20 and walked up to the bridge. From here, I was greeted with many new birds for Liberty and even one new one for Leon. A Forster's tern had wandered to the dark side of the dam. Not just one, but eight Ring-billed gulls were working the churning waters that flowed over the flood gates. At least 17 Bonaparte's gulls were wandering up and down the river. A single White pelican was an addition to both Leon and Liberty Counties. Finally, among the 80 cormorants, there was an Anhinga. Another Anhinga was seen further down the river. I birded the woods a little bit and did not find any new ticks, so I decided to head north a bit to see what I could do with my Gadsden list. My favorite spot on Lake Talquin is Pat Thomas Park at Hopkins Landing. The Florida Gazeteer actually has the boat ramp at the wrong place. It is at the end of the second road leading east from SR 267 in Gadsden County. From here you can see the dam, barely, but it is hard to pick up any Liberty County birds. The park offers a commanding view of the lake. I counted 525 cormorants, 10 or so Anhingas, and five Pied-billed grebes. The Anhingas had earned a reprieve, but I could not help but feel an urge to push a grebe over the dam. Liberty is the last county where I need Pied-billed grebe. I still lacked some easy stuff for Gadsden, but I would not get any of them this day. Back to Liberty County I rode. Hi Ho Silver Pickup! How many of you are old enough to get that reference? Text Lone Ranger to wherever it is you kids text your questions. I don't know, I can barely use a cell phone and Email. Anyway, I was wandering around Liberty, killing time before ending in Appalachicola NF. There, I hoped to get Great horned and screech owl, woodcock, and other stuff. My notes say I stopped at a field on CR 12. There was open, mowed grass on one side and a dense growth of pines on the other. I stopped because I still lacked Savannah and Vesper sparrow for Liberty. I left because that situation showed no sign of changing. I got two birds at this five minute stop. Both were American Kestrels. Bristol High School sports a sports field complete with fences, open grass, and presumably grasshoppers, lizards and the like. This is a great place to be a Loggerhead Shrike. You wouldn't know that by looking around the many available perches. Liberty and it's neighbor to the south, Franklin, are the last two counties left where I do not have shrike. There is at least one reliable winter spot for shrike in Franklin, but I have yet to locate one in Liberty. At least there was more than just kestrels at this stop. Somewhere along the way, I picked up Savannah sparrow, so I was able to finally add that to the All-County List. I think that was #45 or something like that. One of the neatest sightings of the day was along Peavine Road, south of Bristol. I was driving along when I noticed flocks of sparrows flying across the road from a field up into some trees. I stopped along the edge of a huge fallow field with waist high weeds. Across the road was an open grove of pines. The trees were full of Chipping sparrows which had just flown up from the field. I counted about 25 still in the field and then watched wave after wave of chippies head back across the road into the field. A conservative count put the total at 350. It is not unusual to run across flocks of 50-100 while traveling the roads of Appalachicola NF, but this was by far the biggest flock I have seen. Also in the field were at least five Yellow Palm Warblers, several bluebirds, Killdeer, a couple of meadowlarks, a harrier, and Vesper and Grasshopper sparrows. The Vesper was new for Liberty. The Killdeer, meadowlarks, and harrier, would have been new for neighboring Gadsden County. I had a little bit of daylight left and I wanted to hit the boat ramp at Estifanulga. Don't ask me how to get there, because half the time, I can't find the right turn off. It is a great spot for bi- county birding if you can find it. From this point on the river, I have added Cliff and Bank swallows and Tricolored heron to Calhoun and Liberty counties. This day I would add nothing, not even the memories of another visit. I knew I had gone too far, so I decided to continue down CR 333 until it came back to CR 12 and head back up to FR 105 en route to Camel Pond. That was a solid plan except for the fact that CR 333 does not go back to CR 12. Eventually, I came to a dead end at someone's horse farm. I decided to make the best of it and conduct another stationary count for eBird. The farm sloped down to some cypress swamps. The swamps were buffered by open water which was buffered by muddy shores, trodden by the hooves of horses. This muddy edge is a habitat in short supply in Liberty. I could see some type of shorebird in the distance. It turned out the shorebirds were Killdeer. There were not many other birds here, but in the ope water, I spied a Pied-billed grebe. Yeehaw! I had time to get back to FR 105 around sunset. I situated myself along a creek with an unburned fringe of swamp. Prescribed fire (along with the occasional natural fire) is an important tool in managing the open pine lands of the forest. Without it, the swamps would migrate out from the creeks and rivers and turn the pinelands to hardwoodlands. Is that a word? Spellcheck doesn't think so. Sometimes, along the twists and turns of these creeks, you get a fire shadow where moist thickets are allowed to grow, unchallenged by fire. Here is where the woodcock waits out the day to feed by the moonlight. Here is where I waited to add this species and hopefully a screech owl to my Liberty County list. If I had taken the time to look at my list, I would have realized that I already had both species. I had picked up screech owl on some back road south of SR 20 at some point in the past. I had gotten woodcock on SR 12 NE of Bristol one evening at the end of another day of county listing. D'oh! So I settled in to wait, picking up Great-horned owl for the list and hearing a few other birds settle in for the night. I eventually heard the twitter of a male woodcock's display and heard the "peent" call after he returned to earth. I didn't find screech owl, but I did get a Whip-poor-will, which I already had for Liberty. When I mounted Silver Pickup, I found that I was mistaken, again. I had not had Whip-poor-will, but did have woodcock on my list. I was kind of glad that I did not get screech owl. As it was, my mistakes canceled each other. After that, it was off to Travis and Karen's place where I tallied my totals, checked the weather, and formulated Plans A-Z for the final 48 hours. David SImpson Fellsmere, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: White-faced Ibis @ Orlando Wetlands From: Thomas Ford <tomf97 AT NEO.RR.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 17:41:23 -0500 Well you birders will be glad to know that all 16 persons that were at Orlando Wetlands this morning were birders. I believe all added a lifer today. Tom Ford Merritt Island/ Ohio To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Hummer's in back yard! From: Randi Andersen <womanathewell AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 14:46:47 -0500 To the Wintering Hummer's in the back yard folk, Would you mind please telling us where you are? What county? City/town? Thank You, Randi Andersen Suntree/Melbourne Brevard Co. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Venice Rookery From: Fred <fred AT CETUSSOFT.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 13:48:52 -0500 > I've been visiting the Venice Rookery for at least 6 years, and it > seems that each year the number of nesting birds, especially the > Great Blue Herons has declined significantly. This year, I'd > estimate that there are no more than 10-12 nesting pairs of GBH's. > Activity is pretty intense now however and there's probably some GBH > chicks already. Hi, Ron. I also visited a rookery in Venice, back on Jan 17th, late in the day - I'm not sure if it's the same rookery or not - I don't know at all how many rookeries there might be in Venice. I have a small gallery of some of my photos from my visit online at http://fredw.smugmug.com/Animals/Venice-FL-Rookery-100117/11181265_w7idn There were a few young GBH chicks visible, both older and younger - I did get some really good looks at a pair of growing chick "twins", and there was also a full-size juvenile (I think). Keep Lookin' Up !!! Fred (Frederick Wasti) Mostly in Marshfield Massachusetts (but in Lakeland FL for January) fred AT t cetussoft d0t com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Venice Rookery From: Ron Wooldridge <rwooldri AT TAMPABAY.RR.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 10:53:41 -0500 I've been visiting the Venice Rookery for at least 6 years, and it seems that each year the number of nesting birds, especially the Great Blue Herons has declined significantly. This year, I'd estimate that there are no more than 10-12 nesting pairs of GBH's. Activity is pretty intense now however and there's probably some GBH chicks already. In the photo above, it's interesting to note that the lores on both birds are just beginning to show the powder blue color, but it's not really intense yet. Ron Wooldridge Parrish, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: American Kestrel From: Cheryl Molennor <cmolennor AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 09:54:12 -0500 I live in New Port Richey and I'm looking for American Kestrels. Anybody know of any near by and in good photo range for a 300- 600 mm lens? Thankyou To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Lazuli Bunting at feeders From: rkruetzman AT AOL.COM Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 09:48:16 -0500 Hi All-- The Bunting from the West has arrived at our feeders. Attached arepics of the Lazuli Bunting that has been here for a few days. This isapparently a non-breeding or juvenile male. The female with whatKaufman describes as a cinnamon wash on the breast was here a few daysago but has not been seen in the last few days. The male is stillcoming to the feeders. If anyone is interested in trying for it,you arewelcome to check our feeders. Let us know by e-mail. We live on thenorth edge of Lake Thonotosassa in Northeastern Hillsborough County. This is our yard bird # 143 which will probably be our last as we arescheduled to sell our property on 2-24. We are moving to The Villagessouth of Ocala and hope to be active in birding and butterflying upthere. Good Birding to Everyone!!!---Russ and Gail Kruetzman,Thonotosassa To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Birding Bradenton to Clewiston From: Connie z <zacodo AT TAMPABAY.RR.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 07:42:33 -0500 A Manatee Audubon group will be heading to STA 5 on Saturday and are planning to bird our way there. We had a boat trip scheduled which was canceled on Saturday. Does anyone have information on any "hot spots" that wouldn't be too far off the direct route going east, then south or south then east? Reply directly to me. Thanks for any help! Connie Zack Field Trip Coordinator Bradenton, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Bonaparte's Gulls From: Scott Patterson <scottsss AT KNOLOGY.NET> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 20:15:30 -0500 After work I walked out onto the beach again (Indian Shores) - to check for seabirds... Spotted 1 immature gannet and, again, MANY Bonaparte's gulls. I have to say they are very fun birds to watch in action; any other time I've seen them they've just been standing there (like the attached photo). Watching them fly and skim the waves is just too much fun; if you want a good Bonaparte's show - Indian Shores is the place! Really hoping to see a jaeger sometime soon... Later! Scott :-) Scott Patterson St. Petersburg, FL scottsss AT knology.net ...Light travels faster than sound...that's why some people seem bright until you hear them speak...(Unknown) To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Blackwater River State Forest Sparrows 1/6 and 1/7 From: Alex Harper <alex5836 AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 18:23:15 -0500 Alicia Gerrety and I birded the Coldwater Creek area and dove fields along Buddy Hardy Road on 1/6, and I returned 1/7 with Patrick James. The goal was to find Le Conte's Sparrow, which was seen here last winter. At the Coldwater Creek Recreation area, there were several Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Blue-headed Vireo feeding in the cedars along the creek. Many Chipping Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows were in the area, as well as a Bachman's Sparrow in the pineland. Down Buddy Hardy Road towards Munson Highway, we visited a dove field where many sparrows can be found: 1/6 / 1/7 Red-cockaded Woodpecker- heard towards cluster both days, but never seen Bachman's Sparrow 0/1 near RCW cluster Henslow's Sparrow 1/3 Grasshopper Sparrow 20/20 Savannah Sparrow 3/7 Vesper Sparrow 2/0 Song Sparrow 30/30 Swamp Sparrow 20/20 Another dove fields close by (#16?) had been recently mowed in parts, so offered little habitat for Ammodramus sparrows, but did host many more Chipping, Savannah, some Vesper, Song, Swamp. Dark-eyed Juncos (up to six) remain in the vicinity of the University of West Florida library. They are vocal and active while classes are in session and on weekends. On most days that I am walking around this area while there is little foot traffic, I see or at least hear them. Alex Harper Miami and Pensacola To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Glossy Ibis From: Leann Streeper <leann.jackson AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 17:57:21 -0500 Hello everyone, Bob and I went to Emeralda Marsh this afternoon. The wildlife drive is open and a lot of people were there. Had 42 species in 2 hours at noon. Not bad. Only had 2 species of duck. 2 Blue winged teal and 5 Ring necked Duck. Not many ducks due to cells are too deep for their liking. Water levels are way up. Did get this poor Glossy Ibis with a badly hurt leg. Notice it has a yellow iris not brown. Would this be due to his injury?? Anyone out there that can help him? He was at the very end of the wildlife drive. Leann Streeper Leesburg, Fl To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Circle B Bar- 2 White-faced Ibis -signs of spring From: Cameron Cox <cameron_cox AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 23:47:36 +0100 All, This afternoon I saw the Circle B Bar White-faced Ibis at the same spot it has been reported from recently. Just a short ways down the Marsh Rabbit Run trail on the right side in the middle of the pool. I watched it for a while as it fed actively and enjoyed excellent looks at it. I walked a short ways farther up the trail and scanned a distant flock of dark ibis and spotted another White-faced Ibis. While the first bird had a pale pink face, the second bird had a much brighter face. Both had intense ruby-red eyes and neither showed any signs of hybridization. The heads of both birds were covered in fine pale streaking giving the head a frosty appearance. I noticed this when I saw the White-faced Ibis at Circle B Bar back in December and none of the Glossy Ibis I've seen since then have approached the amount streaking shown by these White-faced Ibis. Currently these two birds can be told apart by the intensity of the face color but if they stick around both could soon have bright faces. Neither has begun to show the white border around the face yet. There were also 8-10 Purple Martins including one female. Singing birds: I have never heard Blue-gray Gnatcatchers sing with the enthusiasm that they were singing with today. Even during the peak of the breeding season or during the spring on the Texas when surrounded by hoards of the little buggers have I hear this much singing. Not sure what was going on. I also heard a singing Blue-head Vireo and Black-and-white Warbler. Cameron Cox Brandon, FL _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. https://signup.live.com/signup.aspx?id=60969 To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Harlequin Duck YES From: Alice Horst <ahorst AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 17:39:10 -0500 Scoped her from the north side of Sebastian Inlet Sate Park AT 9:00am. Then drove over the bridge and got outstanding looks and pictures from the south side. Could not find the Purple Sandpiper anywhere. Thank you to the birders who helped me via BRDBRAIN with driving directions. Alice Horst, The Villages, Fl. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Tundra Swan Question 2/7/10 From: Danny Bales <sueredfish AT MSN.COM> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 17:34:06 -0500 I was thinking about trying for the Tundra Swans, and was wondering if they have been seen recently? I'm not sure exactly of the directions, but I believe they are on RBA. I also found this picture of the Purple Sandpiper at Sabastian Inlet that I took the other day. Thought I'd share it. It is a nicely colored bird. Danny Bales Titusville, Fla. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: White-faced Ibis - Orlando Wetlands From: Dorothy Freeman <dorothyfreeman AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 16:28:20 -0500 The White-face Ibis was easily seen early this afternoon at Orlando Wetlands Park. Joie Clifton and I watched it between 2:00 and 3:00 pm. It is in the same location as described by Reihhard Geisler, Cell 14, SE side, in front of the second bench. At times it was as close as 50 ft. Strangely, we were the only birders present, however lots of photographers were around and about the park. Dot Freeman, Orlando To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: No Subject From: Ron Wooldridge <rwooldri AT TAMPABAY.RR.COM> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 16:22:47 -0500 Guess I should include the photo. Sorry Ron Wooldridge Parrish, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Blue Jay harassing Bald Eagle From: Ron Wooldridge <rwooldri AT TAMPABAY.RR.COM> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 16:20:23 -0500 It was fascinating to witness the boldness and persistence of the Blue Jay's attack. Ron Wooldridge Parrish, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Green-tailed Towhee From: Lucy and Bob Duncan <town_point AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 15:00:39 -0600 Hi everyone, At about 11 a.m. today Lucy, Dinny Nimmo and I saw the Green-tailed Towhee at Ft. Pickens at the same location where present since Nov. Also present were two Lark Sparrows at the beginning of the trail where they have been present since about Oct. Seven other species of sparrows were found including a White-Crown. Bob Duncan Gulf Breeze, in the w. Panhandle To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Hummer's in back yard! From: Jeff Evans <cjeffevans AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 10:44:04 -0500 We have 2 to 4 wintering hummers in our backyard.Waiting to hear from bander in the Tallahassee area! Should be coming to the Apopka area this month! To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: No Subject From: Judie Von Eiff <gfvon AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 09:36:57 -0500 Friday, Pat Gladstone, Ruth Woodall and I birded Big Hickory Island and its adjacent sandbars here in Bonita Springs as part of Florida's Winter Shorebird Survey. Big Hickory is a small barrier island on the Gulf between Lover's Key State Park and Bonita Beach. It was overcast with heavy, heavy winds. Despite that, we were able to spot 37 different species. Among the usual cast of characters we had a flock of 55 Spoonbills fly overhead, 12 Marbled Godwits, 2 Mag. Frigatebirds, 2 No. Gannets (one adult, one juvie), 2 Caspian Terns, 8 Oystercatchers, a large flock...over 250....of Willets, and 21(!) Wilson's Plovers. All these and more in just 3 hours on a small island. Judie Von Eiff Bonita Springs ----- Original Message ----- From: donatdonlo To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 11:23 PM Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Ft. DeSoto today Lorraine and I birded Ft. De Soto North Beach today as part of the winter shorebird survey. Despite the brutal winds 20mph+ that made the scope useless we found a lot of good birds. Over Tierra Verde on the way in we had a male Purple Martin, near the north Duck Pond where a Bald Eagle Preened above the nest. At the spit area on North beach we had 10) Piping Plovers including 2 banded, 230 Red Knots, 2 American Oystercatchers and 5 Snowy Plovers as well as a Great Black-backed Gull. At the north tip we had 2 more AMOY, 4 more Snowy Plover, including a banded bird and 2 each Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. We also had a Merlin and 8 Red-breasted Mergansers near the north tip lagoon. On our way home we had all the expected warblers including Orange-crowned, Yellow-throated, Pine, Palm, Prairie and Yellow-rumped as well as Eastern Phoebe and American Goldfinches. 2 female Purple Martins were seen flying north near the Mulberry Tree area and another male was seen flying east to west near the Campground, 5 American Kestrels lined the roadways along the park and 16 Northern Gannet, including 3 adults were seen feeding offshore from the spit area. Don Margeson St. Petersburg To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Honeymoon Island Reopens From: Ray Dabkowski <rayd AT EN.COM> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 09:04:49 -0500 Honeymoon Island State Park has reopened after a water main break on the Dunedin Causeway. Originally, the park was not expected to open again until at least Wednesday. Be aware that there may be occasional causeway closings, and expect Porta-Potties at locations in the park until the water situation is resolved later this week. Thank you birders for your patience during this inconvenience. Ray Dabkowski Friends of the Island Parks www.islandparks.org Dunedin, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Ft. DeSoto today From: donatdonlo <donatdonlo AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 23:23:55 -0500 Lorraine and I birded Ft. De Soto North Beach today as part of the winter shorebird survey. Despite the brutal winds 20mph+ that made the scope useless we found a lot of good birds. Over Tierra Verde on the way in we had a male Purple Martin, near the north Duck Pond where a Bald Eagle Preened above the nest. At the spit area on North beach we had 10) Piping Plovers including 2 banded, 230 Red Knots, 2 American Oystercatchers and 5 Snowy Plovers as well as a Great Black-backed Gull. At the north tip we had 2 more AMOY, 4 more Snowy Plover, including a banded bird and 2 each Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. We also had a Merlin and 8 Red-breasted Mergansers near the north tip lagoon. On our way home we had all the expected warblers including Orange-crowned, Yellow-throated, Pine, Palm, Prairie and Yellow-rumped as well as Eastern Phoebe and American Goldfinches. 2 female Purple Martins were seen flying north near the Mulberry Tree area and another male was seen flying east to west near the Campground, 5 American Kestrels lined the roadways along the park and 16 Northern Gannet, including 3 adults were seen feeding offshore from the spit area. Don Margeson St. Petersburg To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Bonaparte's Gull From: Eve Parks <hrparks AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 22:27:36 -0500 I had only binocs, but thought I saw a Bonaparte's gull on Lake Morton in Lakeland about 5pm today - floating way out in the very center with a flock of ring-billed gulls. Anyone else see it? A few ruddy ducks and ring-necked ducks shared the lake with the gulls and the regular residents. Also saw the immature purple gallinule at Circle B Bar Reserve. Loved seeing - and hearing - a large flock of black-bellied whistling ducks there. Eve Parks Deltona, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Bonaparte's Gull From: Herman Moulden <hmoul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 21:10:07 -0500 This Bonaparte's Gull was hanging out with a couple of Caspian Terns at Circle B Bar Reserve (Polk County) today. Bonaparte's are not usual here, but one has been being reported recently. Herman Moulden Lakeland To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Sebastian Inlet SP From: Andy Bankert <ravenboy AT CFL.RR.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 19:12:46 -0500 Today at Sebastian Inlet SP, located between Melbourne Beach and Vero Beach, all birders were treated to good looks at the Harlequin Duck all morning. The Purple Sandpiper made a brief appearance below the bridge on the south side, and I think only Mark Berney and I got to see it. I also had an adult Pomarine Jaeger from the north jetty, and Simon Thompson found a Cave Swallow that was nice enough to fly from Indian River County over to the Brevard side. There were many loons flying south off the jetty this morning, and I also added a new species to my seawatching list- Wilson's Snipe. Good Birding, Andy Bankert Melbourne Beach, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Birds From: Scott Patterson <scottsss AT KNOLOGY.NET> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 19:03:22 -0500 This morning around 9:45 a.m. at work (Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary) we had 2 Peregrine Falcons fly over - vocalizing; one chasing the other. Myself and 2 other staff members went running to the parking lot so we could watch them. One headed back South while the other continued on, in a North East direction. This evening before I left work I walked out on the beach with my binos just to see if I could see any rare seabirds...no such luck. Did see quite a few Bonaparte's gulls though - riding the waves w/ the laughing gulls. Later... Scott Patterson St. Petersburg, FL scottsss AT knology.net ...Light travels faster than sound...that's why some people seem bright until you hear them speak...(Unknown) To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Honeymoon Island SP Closed Until Wednesday From: Ray Dabkowski <rayd AT EN.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 18:49:33 -0500 Due to a water main break on the Dunedin Causeway, Honeymoon Island State Park is closed through Wednesday (and possibly longer). Ray Dabkowski Friends of the Island Parks Dunedin, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: White-faced Ibis - Orlando Wetlands From: Reinhard Geisler <ReinhardG201 AT REIGE.NET> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 16:41:20 -0500 Today we went to the Orlando Wetlands what was open for the first weekend this season. At approx. 12 PM I found a White-faced Ibis at the southeast corner of cell 14. A few other birders joined us and we had continues looks until we left at 3 PM due to the high winds. For those that are not familiar with the Orlando Wetlands can find information here: http://www.nbbd.com/godo/orlandowetlands/index.html Once at the parking lot go through the gate, turn right (north) towards the Restrooms and Picnic Pavilion. At the next intersection turn left. After 0.1 miles you will approach cell 14. Keep right and follow path until the second bench. Ibis was seen near the bench between 75 and 200 ft out. For those familiar this bench is also the area which provides the closest view to the Eagle nest towards the other side of the cell. Attached is a digiscoped image (with high winds) of the bird. Regards Reinhard Geisler, Oviedo FL, Seminole County White-faced Ibis To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Boyd Hill Prairie Warbler From: Jeff Hooks <jeff.hooks AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 14:16:05 -0500 perching in the sun a yellow spot in the oak the Prairie Warbler -- Jeff Hooks St. Petersburg, FL http://jeffhooks.blogspot.com AT birdhaiku To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Boyd Hill Barred Owl From: Jeff Hooks <jeff.hooks AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 13:52:41 -0500 Above the footpath looking like a hooded monk the quiet Barred Owl -- Jeff Hooks St. Petersburg, FL http://jeffhooks.blogspot.com AT birdhaiku To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Birding the Beach at Honeymoon Island Tomorrow From: David Gagne <oporornis77 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 10:31:02 -0800 Hi All, I will be birding Honeymoon Island State Park in Duniden on the beach, which is about a 5 mile hike tomorrow morning.  The last 2 1/2 miles are my foot alone and back!  If anyone is interested let me know as the wind suppose to be still quite high, but Nothern Gannet and Jaegers and scoters along with other species are  quite possible.  Please post be at my email if you are interested . Good Birding!! Dave Gagne Opornis77 AT yahoo.com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: American White Pelicans @ Feather Sound From: Terry <terry AT CHARLEYHARPERPRINTS.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 11:11:56 -0500 There are a flock of over 75 American White Pelicans at Feather Sound this AM. The best way to see them is from Feather Sound Drive, near the Earl Maize Recreation area (parking available). The water is close to the road at this point and there are several breaks in the Mangroves through which you can get good looks. Accompanying these birds are 20+/- Brown Pelicans, a handful of Wood Storks and dozens of Black and Turkey Vultures. Be careful to watch for snakes in this area. Good Birding, Terry Wright Clearwater To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Male Baltimore Oriole, Holiday Pasco County From: David Gagne <oporornis77 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 06:17:17 -0800 Hi All, A male Baltimore Oriole was observed in the yard for roughly 10 minutes this morning!  Hopefully this bird will stick around as there are several citrus trees in the area! Good Birding!! Dave Gagne Holiday Florida To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: New Listserv for help with bird identification From: Nate Stuart <stuartnate AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 02:20:06 -0500 Hello, I have created an email list with Yahoo dedicated to helping with bird identification. I hope this will help to meet a need that seems to be present. The group can be viewed at the following link ( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BirdIDhelp/ ) or by looking for the group "birdidhelp" at yahoogroups.com Or, anyone can send an email to BirdIDhelp AT yahoogroups.com and their message will be submitted. It is not necessary to join this group to view its messages or to submit messages, but if you would like to join the group you will receive all emails sent in your inbox. I'd like to encourage anyone to submit messages or comment on them. This list is not for me, and I can't answer or comment on many types of questions or pictures, so experts opinions would be very helpful. Please feel free to give me feedback. Thanks, and enjoy. -- Nathaniel Stuart 561-441-2219 NathanielStuart.com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Everglades Day @ Loxahatchee NWR 2/6/10 From: Michael Baranski <mbaranski77 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 21:20:08 -0800 For all birders out there Ken Kauffman will be AT Loxahatchee NWR along with Photographer Clyde Butcher and many, many others for the Everglades Day Festival on Sat Feb 6th. Come out and enjoy the numerous activites associated with this great festival. Michael Baranski West Palm Beach Sent from my iPhone To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Clay-colored Sparrow, Okaloosa County From: ED KWATER <himantopus AT MSN.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 22:09:23 -0500 Sorry about the late post but yesterday at around 4.30 pm I had some killer looks at a Clay-colored Sparrow at Okaloosa County Holding Ponds in the panhandle (probably not too rare up there but I thought it was worth posting). The bird was hanging around in the general vicinity of the maintenance storage sheds on the west side of the ponds where there are some blue pipes laying on the ground. It later flew into a large oak tree at the northwest corner of the northernmost pond before disappearing from view. Continuing the Spizella theme there were also two Field Sparrows and lots of Chipping Sparrows in the same general area. The male Vermillion Flycatcher is still giving great views at the Fort Walton Beach Spray Field holding pond. Ed Kwater Brandon, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Sebastian Inlet Reddish white morph From: Nancy Soucy <nan.jack AT JUNO.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 20:42:27 -0500 Thanks to some very gracious id help and comparison photos, the majority rules and its a Imm. Little Blue Heron. The larger-than-normal size of this particular bird threw me totally off and got me rethinking the obvious. If anyone visits Seb.Inlet this weekend, check inside the tidal pool by the parking lot on the rocks (at lower tide) and see if you can find this bird and you will see what I mean by it being larger than the normal Little Blue. It was in the same area the purple sandpiper was seen in the first reports. Happy birding! - Nancy To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Feb. 5 T.M. Goodwin WMA, Viera Wetlands From: Carolyn Cimino <Sailcarm AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:42:53 EST Feb. 4 Fellsmere: T.M. Goodwin WMA including the Broadmoor Unit (Broadmoor Unit open only on Thursdays, Goodwin area open only on Mon. and Thurs.) Other than the usual suspects from among the waders, waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors were the following: long-billed dowitchers 6 roseate spoonbills 1 black-bellied whistling duck least sandpipers 1 Caspian tern Forster's terns sandhill cranes groups of white pelicans feeding and large flocks flying Feb. 5: Viera Wetlands with Carmin Cimino, Pat and Jack Casselberry, Nita Baker, and Joann Andrews-- We all had wonderful looks at the Masked Duck this morning. In contrast to the vituperative emails of over a month ago concerning behavior re: the masked duck, we all found the many people there to be extremely gracious and helpful. People were very respectful of the duck, talking softly, giving explicit directions to get people on the duck, and sharing scopes. Among the usual Viera suspects, in addition to the masked duck, we were really excited to see 2 least bitterns, 1 Am. bittern who posed for us for over 5 minutes in the open, 2 Crested Caracaras, 1 Caspian tern, several limpkins, Northern shovelers, Hooded Mergansers, a gorgeous Florida subspecies of the red-shouldered hawk (those of us from the north cannot get our fill of this bird!), and 2 Savannah sparrows. Also of interest: there were hundreds of TV's and BV's along Wickham Rd. Were they there because of dead fish in the ponds or because of the agricultural fields? Is this common at this site? Also, 1 adult bald eagle just sitting in a field on the right after exiting the wetlands. Carolyn Cimino Vero Beach, FL / Waterford, CT To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Sebastian Inlet Reddish white morph From: Jim McGinity <jimmcginity AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:33:40 -0500 Nancy, I think what you have is an immature Little Blue Heron. Attached is a photo I took this morning on the shorebird count out at 3 Rooker Bar (north of Honeymoon Island). As you can see in the photo, the Reddish Egret (white morph) has dark legs (not greenish as with your bird) and the base of the two-toned bill is pink. The other things to watch are the feeding behavior (stealthy of the little blue, manic of the reddish). I hope this helps. Happy birding! Jim McGinity Dunedin To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ On Feb 5, 2010, at 7:21 PM, Nancy Soucy wrote: > Most of you (8) who responded so far to my request for id help on > the seb. > inlet bird photo said they thought is was a white phase little > blue. In my > question, I did state that this bird was smaller than a mature Great > Egret (who > was hanging in the same area with it) but larger than the Snowy who > was also > nearby. Both Snowy and Little Blues average 24 inches and Great > Egrets go > 39 inches. Reddish Egrets are generally 30 inches so I believe that > what I > have here is a white morph. I have 2 who responded that said it was > White > morph Reddish Egret and 2 who responded that said it was a Great White > Heron which I would LOVE it to be but they are generally up to 47 > inches, so I > think that rules that out. I have included a 2nd photo of this bird > from a > slightly different angle, but further out so you can see a little > more of the size > perhaps. This goes to show us how important it is to get multiple > bird species > in one photo for size comparison. I still would love to hear what > others think > it is, so if you have not responded yet, please do so and let me know. > > Nancy Soucy > Barefoot Bay, FL > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv > list, > please visit us on the web at: > http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html > To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to > LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU > Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu > ____________________________________________________________________________ > To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Sebastian Inlet Reddish white morph From: Nancy Soucy <nan.jack AT JUNO.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:21:34 -0500 Most of you (8) who responded so far to my request for id help on the seb. inlet bird photo said they thought is was a white phase little blue. In my question, I did state that this bird was smaller than a mature Great Egret (who was hanging in the same area with it) but larger than the Snowy who was also nearby. Both Snowy and Little Blues average 24 inches and Great Egrets go 39 inches. Reddish Egrets are generally 30 inches so I believe that what I have here is a white morph. I have 2 who responded that said it was White morph Reddish Egret and 2 who responded that said it was a Great White Heron which I would LOVE it to be but they are generally up to 47 inches, so I think that rules that out. I have included a 2nd photo of this bird from a slightly different angle, but further out so you can see a little more of the size perhaps. This goes to show us how important it is to get multiple bird species in one photo for size comparison. I still would love to hear what others think it is, so if you have not responded yet, please do so and let me know. Nancy Soucy Barefoot Bay, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Little Bird Update (Hummers) From: Backes <backes1 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:08:21 -0500 Doreen stopped by my Valrico yard after leaving Lakeland and banded another 6 Ruby-throateds. Fred banded 12 on January 8th so we've banded 18 Ruby-throateds in my yard in the last 28 days. I observed an unbanded female around the cage that remains unbanded along with at least one young male who would not enter the trap. That's at least 20 hummingbirds using my yard in the past month. Steve Backes Valrico, FL backes1 AT verizon.net http://mysite.verizon.net/resu64md/yardhummers/ http://floridahummingbirds.net/ http://floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/ From: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History [mailto:BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU] On Behalf Of joe misiaszek Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 3:21 PM To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Little Bird Update (Hummers) Doreen Cubie, Master Bander from SC, came through central FL this past week and has banded two female Rufous in Lakeland. I don't believe we have ever had two reported here in Polk Co. during the winter months, let alone having any banded. Keep an eye out for these uncommon visitors. Joe Misiaszek Lakeland, Fl To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Little Bird Update (Hummers) From: Scott Patterson <scottsss AT KNOLOGY.NET> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 16:37:33 -0500 I personally would love to see how you band a hummingbird (warblers too for that matter)! Amazing - seeing that their little legs are so tiny... I help out with banding pelicans, herons, egrets, cormorants, (larger birds) etc... Maybe someday I'll get to see this side of it... Scott :-) Scott Patterson St. Petersburg, FL scottsss AT knology.net ...Light travels faster than sound...that's why some people seem bright until you hear them speak...(Unknown) On Fri 02/05/10 3:21 PM , joe misiaszek jjmjrfl AT VERIZON.NET sent: > > > > > > > Doreen Cubie, Master Bander > from SC, came through central FL this past week and has banded two female Rufous > in Lakeland. I don't believe we have ever had two reported here in Polk Co. > during the winter months, let alone having any banded. > Keep an eye out for these > uncommon visitors. > Joe > MisiaszekLakeland, > Fl  > >   >   > >   > Note the > band!  > To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, > please visit us on the web at: > http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html > To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to > LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU > Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu > ___________________________________________________________________________ > _ > > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Har. Duck and request for ID help From: Nancy Soucy <nan.jack AT JUNO.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 16:22:13 -0500 I saw the Harlq. Duck at Sebastian Inlet this morning (10:30) south side closer to the 2nd parking lot than the main one that you come into when you enter the south entrance. While I was there, a motor boat came into the inlet on that side and went very close to her, she spooked and flew to the north side near the rocks in the tidal pool. Lost sight of her at that point. On the north side on the rocks next to the tidal pool, there were Forster and Sandwich Terns, along with many Black Skimmers and Royal Terns. I found 2 Blackbacked gulls with the ringbilled and lots of small sandpipers. The image I have attached was hanging out with these birds along with a mature Great Egret. I found the light bill and legs confusing, am I looking at a young Gr. Egret or something else? This bird was smaller than the Gr. Egret but much larger than a snowy. Could it be possibly a white morph of a reddish egret? His behavior was not skittish, like the Reddish Egrets usually display, but then he did not seem to be actively feeding at the time I saw him. Thanks in advance for any ID help. Nancy Soucy Barefoot Bay, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Little Bird Update (Hummers) From: joe misiaszek <jjmjrfl AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 15:21:11 -0500 Doreen Cubie, Master Bander from SC, came through central FL this past week and has banded two female Rufous in Lakeland. I don't believe we have ever had two reported here in Polk Co. during the winter months, let alone having any banded. Keep an eye out for these uncommon visitors. Joe Misiaszek Lakeland, Fl Note the band! To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Harlequin Duck From: Cheri Pierce <cheripierce AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 14:26:40 -0500 The Harlequin Duck was still present at the south side of the inlet at Sebastian this morning around 10:00am. It was on the rocks at the side of the bank directly across from the green marker. Nice looks with no scope necessary. Cheri Pierce Sorrento To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Shell Point Friday From: "Sean P. McCool" <swamphen AT HEIRBORN.NET> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 14:01:10 -0500 A foggy, rainy 30 minutes at Shell Point in Wakulla County this morning turned up a nice crop of shorebirds. Location: Shell Point Observation date: 2/5/10 Number of species: 24 Redhead 9 Lesser Scaup 19 Bufflehead 18 duck sp. 13 Common Loon 4 Brown Pelican 2 Double-crested Cormorant 6 Wilson's Plover 1 Semipalmated Plover 4 Minimum count Killdeer 1 Willet 37 Ruddy Turnstone 25 Minimum count Sanderling 6 Minimum count Western Sandpiper 2 Least Sandpiper 3 Dunlin 51 Minimum count Short-billed Dowitcher 19 Laughing Gull 6 Ring-billed Gull 2 Forster's Tern 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 7 Mourning Dove 1 European Starling 14 Palm Warbler 8 Boat-tailed Grackle 3 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) -Sean P. McCool Wakulla County, Florida, USA To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Alcids! From: Andrew Kratter <kratter AT FLMNH.UFL.EDU> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 10:32:21 -0500 Although Florida may not be the first place you think of to see alcids, the past few weeks have produced three extraordinary records: Ancient Murrelet, Dec 16; Ponce Inlet (as reported earlier); 1st FL record Atlantic Puffin, 29 Jan; Hobe Sound NWR (beached specimen to FLMNH), 3rd FL record Razorbill, ca 2 Feb, Cocoa Beach, (beached specimen to FLMNH), 14th FL record Too bad they were all washed up on beaches. It would be nice to see some bobbing in the ocean. Andy To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Black throated gray warbler Yes From: Nathaniel Stuart <stuartnate AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 09:27:14 -0500 Black throated gray warbler is active in a mixed flock of palm, pine, yellow rumped, and prairie warblers all over the parking lot at Green Cay in Delray Beach Nathaniel Stuart Delray Beach 561.441.2219 NathanielStuart.com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: FW: Probable House Finch From: rlhalpin <rlhalpin AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 09:16:00 -0500 Forgot attachment From: rlhalpin [mailto:rlhalpin AT gmail.com] Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 9:15 AM To: Birdbrains - Florida Birds/Natural History Subject: Probable House Finch Shot yesterday in Mims Florida. I have never seen one in this area before. Experts please verify ID. Roy Halpin Welaka, Florida To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Probable House Finch From: rlhalpin <rlhalpin AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 09:14:30 -0500 Shot yesterday in Mims Florida. I have never seen one in this area before. Experts please verify ID. Roy Halpin Welaka, Florida To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Green Cay, Boynton Beach From: Weaver J V O <jvo243 AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 22:10:52 -0600 Sharon and I birded Green Cay yesterday and found this beauty sitting on a dead tree.... To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ © J V O Weaver, 2010 Green Cay, Boynton Beach, Fl J V O Weaver Niceville, FL 850-897-5464 To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Purple Sandpiper - Sebastian Inlet No, Brown Booby - Jetty Park No 2\4 From: Andy Thatcher <andy.thatcher AT ATT.BLACKBERRY.NET> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 01:38:25 +0000 As emailed earlier I managed to pick up both the rare ducks in the area however as the title says I tried to find the Purple Sandpiper and Brown Booby but no luck. Plenty of bird activity at both venues. In fact outside of breeding colonies in the UK do not think I have seen as many Gannets in one area as I did at Jetty Park today. Cheers Andy East Orlando Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Green Heron, Eagle Crest Park, St. Pete From: Jeff Hooks <jeff.hooks AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 17:31:17 -0500 in afternoon light the Green Heron's dark shadow makes the water clear -- Jeff Hooks St. Petersburg, FL http://jeffhooks.blogspot.com AT birdhaiku To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Egg on my face From: Rick and Barb Lucas <lucasbirders AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 15:44:06 -0500 After getting several responses to my RFI (see below) regarding birding in Panama City, I realized my error. I did not mention which Panama City. We will be in Panama City, FL and am looking for some birding spots in that area. My appologies and thanks to those who responded earlier. Call me senile, Rick Lucas Sebastian, FL ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick and Barb Lucas To: BRDBRAIN AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 7:51 AM Subject: RFI All, My wife and myself will be in the Panama City area next week visiting relatives. We have never been there and was wondering if anyone on this list has any birding places to recommend. We have Pranty's guide to help, but local knowledge is sometimes better. Thanks in advance, Rick and Barb Lucas Sebastian, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: American Bittern, Celery Fields, Sarasota 2/4 From: Jeffery Fisher <jrzman1 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:06:03 +0000 haven't been very busy at work so i have had time to check the celery fields on my lunch break. today, among the usuals I had an American Bittern flush from the last patch of reeds alond ther north side of the mowed path. (closest to the construction barracades) It flew overhead southward and landed in the reeds near the gazebo. This is where i saw one a few months back so I'm thinking it's the same guy. Jeff Fisher, Bradenton _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469226/direct/01/ To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Black-throated Green PEAR PARK, LEESBURG FL From: Alice Horst <ahorst AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 14:58:07 -0500 Pear Park this morning: In pond on right behind a house before entering the park: Male Redhead duck with 3 ducks with bright yellow bills. I assumed they were females, but I do not see any ID books confirming yellow billed female Redheads, so, can't ID them the 3 yellow-billed ducks. We parked at the Butterfly Garden and walked past it to the stream and pathway. Walked left on path, down some wooden steps, crossed over a bridge over the stream into a heavily treed area. We saw: Hermit Thrush, Carolina wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Titmice, Black/White Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and others. At the same spot I saw a Black-throated Green Warbler. He was brillianty marked and was with a Blk/Wht Warbler. He flew off, but I had my bird-pod with me and played his song. He returned and stayed around for some time, although I don't think I got pictures because he was flitting and eating and very busy. I was supprised to see him here so early, or maybe even at all. I can't omit the numerous Meadowlarks and Bluebirds and 2 Harriers at PEAR Park. Alice Horst, The Villages, Fl. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Masked Duck, Viera .. Yes, Harlequin Duck, Sebastian Inlet .. Yes 2\4 From: Andy Thatcher <andy.thatcher AT ATT.BLACKBERRY.NET> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 17:22:28 +0000 Happy to report both ducks doing well. The track around Viera is still closed however the Masked Duck was most co-operative in Cell 4. The Harlequin is currently on the south side of the Inlet, about 15 ft in front of me. Cheers Andy Thatcher East Orlando Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Jetty Park (2/3/10) - Brown Booby (also, quick Broad-Winged Hawk note!!) From: John Thomton <jthomton AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 22:36:06 -0600 Hey everyone, After a great lunch in Cocoa, Sam Burkhardt and I continued on to Jetty Park for a brief 20 minute sea/beach/jettywatching session before we had to head back to Orlando. It was pretty birdy and I wish we could have stayed longer: BROWN BOOBY (1, immature bird landed right next to us on the Jetty just as we were thinking about leaving. It sat for about 2-3 minutes and then took off again) Northen Gannet (lots of all plumages, very close and flying up and down the cruise ship canal - spectacular close-ups today!) Brown Pelican Double-Crested Cormorant Snowy Egret Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Pomarine Jaeger (1 seen well by Sam, so-so by me) Laughing Gull Bonaparte's Gull Ring-Billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-Backed Gull (1 or 2) Gull-Billed Tern (1 seen by Sam) Royal Tern Forster's Tern Black Skimmer Boat-Tailed Grackle Jetty Park is located at Port Canaveral, Brevard County. There is a $10 day use fee for non-Brevard County vehicles ($5 with Brevard tags). ALSO, last Friday (1/29) before I had to be at my booth at Space Coast, I did a little target birding. I ran up and got the Tundra Swans in St. John's County, and I ran down for the Harlequin at Sebastian Inlet (got her too!). On my way down A1A towards Sebastian Inlet, I saw the adult Broad-Winged Hawk reported by John Pushock a few days before. It's right where he saw it, on a wire above a bait and tackle store, just a couple of miles before the inlet. The bird was not there 20 minutes later on the return trip back up A1A. I was very happy about three state birds in one day! Good birding, John Thomton Winter Park, Orange Co. _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469230/direct/01/ To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Viera Wetlands (2/3/10) - Masked Duck YES From: John Thomton <jthomton AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 22:17:26 -0600 Hey everyone, I headed out to Viera Wetlands today with visiting Chicago birder Sam Burkhardt. The berm roads were closed due to yesterday's rains, so it was actually the first time I've hiked all the way around! Our primary target was the Masked Duck, but we were up for anything. Despite the wind and chilly (for Florida!) temps, we had a great walk: Mottled Duck Blue-Winged Teal Ring-Necked Duck Lesser Scaup (Click Ponds) Hooded Merganser MASKED DUCK (seen in Cell 4 from a distance - identifiable in binos but best in a scope - with 2 coots for about 5 minutes. When we moved to try to get closer, we couldn't re-find it. Other birders seemed to have trouble finding it today) Ruddy Duck (Click Ponds) Pied-Billed Grebe Double-Crested Cormorant Anhinga American Bittern Least Bittern (1) Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-Crowned Night-Heron White Ibis Glossy Ibis Wood Stork Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle (2) Northern Harrier Red-Shouldered Hawk Crested Caracara (at least 2) Sora (1 - in the same bino view as the Least Bittern!) Common Moorhen American Coot Limpkin (7-8?) Sandhill Crane Killdeer Lesser Yellowlegs Yellowlegs sp. Long-Billed Dowitcher Wilson's Snipe Ring-Billed Gull Herring Gull (near the pond on the north side of the road before the Click Ponds as you approach Viera Wetlands on Wickham) Caspian Tern Forster's Tern Mourning Dove Common Ground-Dove Belted Kingfisher Eastern Phoebe Loggerhead Shrike White-Eyed Vireo Fish Crow Purple Martin (1) Tree Swallow Marsh Wren (1) American Robin European Starling Yellow-Rumped Warbler Palm Warbler Common Yellowthroat Savannah Sparrow Red-Winged Blackbird Boat-Tailed Grackle Viera Wetlands is off of Wickham Road near Melbourne in southern Brevard County. Good birding, John Thomton Winter Park, Orange Co. _________________________________________________________________ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469229/direct/01/ To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: St. Marks NWR and Viera Wetlands Neotropic Cormorants From: Bruce Anderson <Scizortail AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 22:52:44 EST Hi, BiRDBRAINers. We are getting the State reports together for publishing in the Florida Field Naturalist and North American Birds, as well as for the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee records. If you personally saw the Viera Neotropic Cormorant after 2 December 2009, please send your report directly to me with the date. If you personally saw the St. Marks Neotropic Cormorant after 15 November 2009, please send your report directly to me with the date. Many thanks for your help. Bruce Bruce H. Anderson member, Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee regional editor, FOS Field Observations Committee regional coeditor, Florida region, "North American Birds" scizortail AT aol.com Florida Ornithological Society http://fosbirds.org To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: American Robins in NE St. Pete From: donatdonlo <donatdonlo AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 21:34:02 -0500 In addition to the Robin Roost we've been recording and reporting on for years, there appears to be another Roost Ring within the Weedon Island Preserve or adjoining Bartow Power Plant ( Progress Energy property ). While I conservatively estimated 125,000 AMRO heading into the Roost Site at the east end of 74th Ave. NE, we also watched over 175,000 Robins flying toward a roost site somewhere within the Weedon Island Preserve area. Last year St. Pete Audubon member Dave Kandz and associates discovered a Robin Roost north of Ulmerton Road and East of 28th St. that at it's peak held over 1 million AMRO around the mid February timeframe. I'm interested to know what some experts might think is the reason we receive so many Robins each year. Is it because they fly down our peninsula and are then faced with a long flight over water? Or is it because the lack of eradication of invasive exotic species by our local city and county governments allows species like Brazilian Pepper and Camphor to flourish providing an unlimited bounty for the "snowbirds"? Thanks! Don Margeson St. Petersburg To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Viera Wetlands and Merritt Island NWR From: Eve Parks <hrparks AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 20:48:18 -0500 A whole day birding started off with a bald eagle swooping down in front of my car to drag a road-kill opussum onto the verge [FL hwy 46 east of Sanford]. I spent 2 hours this morning in the cold walking around Viera Wetlands - saw numerous birds but missed the masked duck. VIERA WETLANDS 10-12 am American Coots Moor Hens Blue-wing Teals Mottled Ducks Ring-necked Ducks Hooded Mergansers Northern Shovelers Pied-bill Grebes Snowy Egrets Great Egrets Woodstorks Great Blue Herons Sand Hill Cranes Tricolore Herons White Ibis Glossy Ibis Ospreys Ring-billed Gulls Tree Swallows Red-shouldered Hawk Yellow-rump warblers Palm Warblers Eastern Phoebees Robins Limpkin Forster's Terns Belted Kingfishers Anhingas Double-crested Cormorants MERRITT ISLAND-Causeway to the Refuge 2-3 pm Brown Pelicans [Where were the white pelicans today?] Brownheaded Cowbirds Rock Pigeons 6 Ruddy Turnstones 1 Sanderling Ring-billed Gulls 1 Immature Herring Gull 1 Bonaparte's Gull Ring-necked Ducks Forster's Terns Cattle Egrets Belted Kingfishers Fish Crows MERRITT ISLAND - Black Point Drive 3-6 pm Red-tailed Hawk Turkey Vultures Black Vultures Little Blue Herons Tricolor Herons Great Blue Herons Great Egrets Snowy Egrets White Ibis Glossy Ibis Woodstorks Anhingas Pied-bill Grebes American Coots - huge flocks with some B-W Teals and Shovelers Pintail Ducks - large flock with B-W Teals, Shovelers, American Wigeons 1 Black Skimmer - never lighted, always in motion Moor Hens Pair of Bald Eagles on the nest Tree Swallows Roseate Spoonbills - very vividly colored - would make great photos Numerous small shorebirds too far away on the flats to identify with binocs I thought the weather would be too cold for alligators, but I saw many at Viera and on BPDrive. Could not identify the Eurasian Widgeon posted earlier this week at BPDrive. :-( To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Alligator Point Sparrows and Southwood Geese From: "Sean P. McCool" <swamphen AT HEIRBORN.NET> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 20:01:53 -0500 Early this afternoon at Alligator Point I found an interesting group of sparrows in an overgrown lot at the intersection of Alligator Drive and Clemen Street, containing four Vesper Sparrows and a single Lark Sparrow. Earlier at Bald Point it was the Day of the Dunlin, however a lone Piping Plover was notable. At dusk this evening the blue-morph Snow Goose and two Greater White-fronted Geese were still present with the 100 Canada Geese in the fields on the east side of Biltmore Drive in the Southwood development in southeast Tallahassee. - Sean P. McCool Wakulla County, Florida, USA To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Greater White-fronted Geese--yes, Southwood, Tallahassee Feb.2 From: jw callis <soturin AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 17:36:31 -0500 drove down Biltmore ave. today about 3:30 pm saw 500 cows. That pond has a big dead tree at one end usually snowy egrets and cattle egrets there. But I did happen upon a male and female Blue-wing Teal at the pond on Blairstone by the golf course on the way out of Southwood. jwcallislll tallahassee,fl To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Townsend's warbler From: Ted Center <tdcenter AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 16:46:34 -0500 The Townsend's warbler that was in our yard Sunday showed up again today at about 4:30. He's coming to the bubbler in our front yard. Directions are in previous posts and on the Florida Rare Bird Alert. Ted & Barb Center Fort Lauderdale, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Key West From: Karen Chiasson <kchiasson74 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 12:59:33 -0800 Not much happening on this front.  It's been really slow, but new birds to add to my list since arriving in the area include:   Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron Common Myna Cedar Waxwing Brown-Headed Cowbird Great-Crested Flycatcher   Karen Chiasson Silverhill, AL   To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Pelagic trip List. Out of Ponce de Leon Inlet. Volusia Co. From: Michael Brothers <mbrothers AT CO.VOLUSIA.FL.US> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:54:49 -0500 On Monday, Feb. 1, 2010, a boat load of intrepid adventurers sailed out of Ponce de Leon Inlet in search a winter pelagic birds. The seas had calmed considerably from the day before and we did manage to get out to about 25 miles offshore. The highlights of the trip included two North Atlantic Right Whales, the rarest of the great whales. Here is the preliminary information on one of the whales from Tom Pitchford at FWC: One of them is likely Catalog #3681, a juvenile whale of unknown gender born in 2006. This whale has been seen in Cape Cod Bay and the Bay of Fundy in non-winter and Georgia and Florida in winters. #3681's mom is #1281, a whale known since 1981. You can check out this whale via the catalog curated by the New England Aquarium at: http://rwcatalog.neaq.org/ It is important to try to identify the whale accompanying #3681 off Ponce Inlet so please let me know if any other photos surface. Thanks for your help and interest. --Tom Thomas D. Pitchford Wildlife Biologist Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Right Whale Project If anyone else has more photos, you can forward them to me so that they can try to identify the other whale. We were able to find a good selection of jaegers, with several Pomarine Jaegers and Parasitic Jaegers. We kept meeting small flocks of Red Phalaropes, with an estimated total of about 250 sightings. However, it is difficult to determine if these were all different flocks. We encountered only one shearwater, a Manx Shearwater. I have attached the accompanying photos with details on the diagnostic features that differentiate this species from an Audubon's Shearwater. Thanks to Bob Wallace for the use of the photos. Here is the species list. I separated the birds seen offshore from the birds that we saw in the river portions of the trip: Pelagic Trip Out of Ponce de Leon Inlet, Volusia County February 1, 2010 Aboard the Pastime Princess Offshore Species Common Loon Manx Shearwater -- 1 Northern Gannet Brown Pelican Red Phalarope -- 250 Pomarine Jaeger -- 6 Parasitic Jaeger – 6 Herring Gull Laughing Gull Bonaparte’s Gull Ring-billed Gull Royal Tern Forster’s Tern Inshore Species Northern Gannet American White Pelican Brown Pelican Double Crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron White Ibis Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Cooper’s hawk Red-shouldered hawk Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Greater Yellowlegs Willet Spotted Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Purple Sandpiper Dunlin Laughing Gull Bonaparte’s Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull Royal Tern Sandwich Tern Forster’s Tern Black Skimmer Rock Pigeon Eurasian Collared Dove Mourning Dove Belted Kingfisher Blue Jay Fish Crow Tree Swallow American Robin Yellow-rumped Warbler Boat-tailed Grackle Additional Species Northern Right Whale Spotted Dolphin Bottled-nose Dolphin Loggerhead Turtle It was a great trip especially considering the conditions. If anyone has any additional species that I missed please let me know. Michael Michael Brothers Marine Science Center Ponce Inlet To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Wandering La Sagra's (2/3) From: Robin Diaz <rd4birds AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:13:39 -0500 All, John Puschock reports that the La Sagra's wandered away from its usual area this afternoon. John wandered also and located the bird about 1:15 PM. It was west of the dirt Nature Trail, along the paved bike path and ~100 yards north of the "bathroom" road. At 3 PM John continues to watch the bird preen and catch an anole. See below for Google Earth map. http://www.tropicalaudubon.org/tasboard/messages/33132.html Robin Diaz Key Biscayne, FL To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Eagle Crest Park, St. Pete From: Jeff Hooks <jeff.hooks AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 14:04:43 -0500 twenty-three species by the lake near the college February third Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Praire Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Cooper's Hawk Green Heron Tri-colored Heron Little Blue Heron Snowy Egret Great Egret Cattle Egret Pied-billed Grebe Anhinga Double-crested Cormorant Mallard Species Common Moorhen Ring-necked Duck Eurasian Collard Dove Ring-billed Gull Turkey Vulture Northern Mockingbird Jeff Hooks St. Petersburg, FL http://jeffhooks.blogspot.com AT birdhaiku To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: photographing rarities and endangered species From: Renne Leatto <renne AT IKARUMBAH.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 13:50:35 -0500 Jeff said: "At any rate, since I am a birder who loves taking photos, " This points to the problem, IMO, that most of the offenders are NOT primarily birders. I base that opinion on the fact that I tend to talk to people I see "out there" and often find that they 1) Don't even know the species of the bird(s) they're trying to photograph, 2) Don't know that the birds are rarities, unless some birder present told them, 3) Don't know about Federal protections, laws, or penalties, 4) Don't have a clue how their behavior might disturb or hurt the birds, 5) Don't subscribe to BRDBRAIN or any other birding list. So sure, you can rail against "the photographers," but they won't hear you if you do it here. You'll only alienate the birders who are ALSO photographers, people who care about the birds as much as you do. Instead, submit an article about this issue to a photography magazine. That's probably your best chance to reach the worst offenders. Renee Leato Windermere, Orange County To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: New Sandhill Crane egg today From: Maria Valentine <mvalentine9 AT TAMPABAY.RR.COM> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 13:07:12 -0500 Clear Lake Sandhill mama laid egg at 11:29 this morning. Photos show her laying posture and parents just before starting incubation. Maria Valentine New Port Richey To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDU Report any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________