Dermot Breen's Blog: american kestrel

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

Arizona 31st January 2015

We spent a few hours again around Lake Havasu in the morning. We tried along the Planet Ranch Road first where we had our first views of Crissal Thrashers. This had been a regular spot for Nutting's Flycatcher but they haven't been seen here for a while now unfortunately. We had another quick look around the Bill Williams Rivers area. We were lucky to see one young Black-chinned Hummingbirds at the feeders in amongst the numerous Costa's and Anna's Hummingbirds. This was to be our only Black-chin of the trip.

From here we continued West as we going to be heading across the State border into California later in the day. We had some good birds along the roadside of Mohave Road such as Prairie Falcon, a distant Ferruginous Hawk and Sandhill Cranes. We also had a brief stop in a small park at Ehrenberg where we had a pair of fly-over Ladder-backed Woordpecker, a tame Say's Phoebe and Black-tailed Gnatcatchers. Overnighted in Palm Springs, California.

Cattle Egrets, Mohave Road, Arizona.

Greater Scaup and Redhead, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Redhead, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Sandhill Cranes, Mohave Road, Arizona.

American Kestrel, Mohave Road, Arizona.

Prairie Falcon, Mohave Road, Arizona.

Ring-billed Gull, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Anna's and Black-chinned Hummingbird, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Costa's, Anna's and Black-chinned Hummingbird, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Male Costa's Hummingbird, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Female Anna's (?) Hummingbird on the nest right beside the main entrance to the visitor centre at Bill Williams River NWR, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Ehrenberg, Arizona.

Say's Phoebe, Ehrenberg, Arizona.

Twats in a speedboat, Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Group shot on Planet Ranch Road.

Planet Ranch Road

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Florida 8th November 2012

Spend the whole day at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. This 140,000 acres refuge is located just off Titusville on the East/Atlantic coastline and lies right beside the NASA John F. Kennedy Space Centre.
I tried the Oak and Hammock Trail first thing in the morning but it proved to be very quiet with just a Hermit Thrush and a family party of wild Hogs being the only things of note. Dropped into the visitor centre where I had Pileated Woodpecker, a pair of Painted Buntings at the feeders and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker behind the centre. Next was the Peacocks Pocket Road and impoundments around the Gator Road, great selection of wildfowl all viewable at close quarters right beside the road - American Bittern, Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets, "Great White" Heron, American White Pelicans, Redheads, American Avocets, etc..
After this I tried the Black Point Drive which I had heard alot about in researching the trip. It's $5 to go on this self-guided drive and it's apparently the best area of the refuge for wildlife. I'd save your $5 if I were you, it was a major disappointment. I saw a max of 200 duck and maybe 100 waders on the whole 7 mile long drive, pretty useless in fairness. The free Gator ponds and Peacocks Pocket road were better by several magnitudes.
Easily picked up at least two Florida Scrub Jays on the Scrub Trail later with one particular bird sitting up on the top of scrub on the lookout while the rest of the family feed unseen in the undergrowth.
Biolab Road was deadly quiet while the lagoons out to Playalinda Beach proved to be also very quiet. Not a huge amount of the beach itself. Did have a huge flock of scoter way off in the distance but they never came in close enough. Two scoters did do a close fly-by but these turned out to be Surf Scoters.
Most of the shots below are from the Peacocks Pocket and Gator Road.