Dermot Breen's Blog: Florida 7th November 2012

Friday, 23 November 2012

Florida 7th November 2012

I took myself off to Florida for the lat two weeks. First time to the States so plenty of lifers for me along with some good Florida specialities e.g. Florida Scrub Jay, Short-tailed Hawk, Tropical Kingbird, Vermillon & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Wood Storks and Roseate Spoonbills a plenty. Took far too many pictures. I'll add them here in time.
Flew from Dublin into Orlando direct on the Tuesday 6th November. It was dark by the time I cleared baggage collection and sorting out a hire car. Stayed in Titusville for the next three nights.
First site the following morning was Orlando Wetland Park. It closed from mid November until the end of January to accommodate shooting on site so I was lucky to get in just in time. Great introduction to US birding. First new bird of the trip was a Northern Cardinal with a call nearly identical to European Robin. There were hundreds of Yellow-rumped Warblers knocking around the entrance of the site but the huge majority of were either flying over or dug deep into inaccessible vegetation. I managed to pick up one American Redstart however which proved to be the only one of the trip. The wetland park consisted of overgrown pools with earth berms between them. Good numbers of herons, egrets, storks and ibis in particular.
Also visited Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area later in the day. Mostly woodland with a good flock of warblers picked up which consisted mostly of Yellow-rumpeds but also Black-and-white, Yellow-throated, Pine Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Tufted Titmice, Downy Woodpeckers, etc.

Glossy and White Ibis

Great Blue Heron

Tricolored Heron

Wood Stork

Feeding flock containing Glossy Ibis, White Ibis, Snowy Egret, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Little Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron and Boat-tailed Grackle.