January 27: Blue Heron Sewage Treatment Plant, Merritt Island, and moving on to Daytona

I started out my morning in a literal fog. I checked out of my motel and drove a few blocks to the Blue Heron Sewage Treatment facility, where birders are welcome! I added four new species there:

1. King Rail
2. Sora
3. Purple Gallinule
4. Swamp Sparrow

Then I stopped at Merritt Island's visitor center one last time before heading on to the Brevard County Community College to give my program about the herons viewed in Cornell's nest cam. It was the last regular program of the festival, at lunchtime when people were packing up, so I can blame that on the poor attendance--about a dozen people showed up in the rather large auditorium. Oh, well--I prefer intimate little gatherings anyway.

Then it was time to wend my way up toward Daytona so I wouldn't waste too many extra miles driving back and forth to New Smyrna Beach, where the pelagic trip would be leaving from. En route I FINALLY saw one Black Skimmer, and when I reached my hotel room, got my first gannet!

1. Northern Gannet
2. Black Skimmer

My year's total is now 173.

January 26: Enchanted Forest Sanctuary field trips

For the past few years, Joe Swingle and I have led a field trip for "beginners" at Brevard County's lovely Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, where Joe is a naturalist. This year we led two. Bill Thompson from Bird Watcher's Digest came along on one to help. Between field trips, I went back to Merritt Island briefly, where I saw the male hummer who's been visiting the feeders at the visitor center.

New birds, bringing my total to 167:

1. Eastern Screech-Owl (I heard it make the whinny call twice. Archimedes has been calling lately, and my missing him is probably why my ears picked it out.)
2. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
3. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
4. Orange-crowned Warbler

January 25: Moore Cultural Center and Merritt Island

Led a field trip to the Moore Cultural Center. People there are interested in making the grounds into a welcoming bit of habitat. After the field trip and a bit of lunch, I went to Merritt Island, to the Visitor Center, along the Wildlife Drive, and to the Scrub-Jay area. Brought my total to 163 with these new species:

1. Eurasian Wigeon
2. American Wigeon
3. Northern Pintail
4. American Avocet
5. Greater Yellowlegs
6. Lesser Yellowlegs

January 24: Viera Wetlands!

I spent the entire morning, from about 8:15 until 2 pm, at the Viera Wetlands and the "Click Ponds" that start near the entrance going the other direction. Had wonderful looks at a river otter and a family of raccoons, as well as plenty of birds. My total is now 157 thanks to these new species:

1. Mottled Duck
2. Blue-winged Teal
3. Green-winged Teal
4. Ring-necked Duck
5. Wild Turkey
6. American Bittern
7. Least Bittern
8. Glossy Ibis
9. Common Gallinule
10. American Coot
11. Limpkin
12. Barred Owl
13. Tree Swallow
14. Barn Swallow
15. Marsh Wren
16. Common Yellowthroat
17. Savannah Sparrow
18. Painted Bunting

January 23: A Scrub-Jay Day

This was a wonderful day! I started out at the Florida Scrub-Jay Trail, then moseyed to Lake Kissimmee State Park, then had to get to my son's place in Davenport where we had dinner, and then I headed on to Titusville. I'm just posting the basic statistics right now, but will add photos and a lot more information about the day and places ASAP. I had 11 new species, bringing my total to 139. New species:

1. Northern Harrier
2. Loggerhead Shrike
3. White-eyed Vireo
4. Blue-headed Vireo
5. Florida Scrub-Jay
6. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
7. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
8. Pine Warbler
9. Eastern Towhee
10. Bachman's Sparrow
11. Red-winged Blackbird

January 21-22: Day at Disney and driving

I wish the management of Disney World had a naturalist at each theme park pointing out the cool wild birds around. I didn't get any year birds at Disney or in the Orlando area (not after yesterday's Hooded Merganser, anyway), and didn't see any new ones along the drive back to Sarasota where I said farewell to Mr. B and headed on to the Florida Scrub-Jay Consortium, where my dear friends Bruce and Cathy Brown are doing admirable work trying to get private landowners to work together to manage property for Florida Scrub-Jays. I got there quite late in the day, and though I spotted one in the distance, decided to wait till I see it better tomorrow before I count it. I'm scrambling to catch up on posts for people who want to know what I've been seeing, but will write a lot more about Bruce and Cathy's work, and why they deserve our support, as soon as I can. New bird (oh, well--had to see them eventually) brought my total to 128:

1. Brown-headed Cowbird

January 20: Longboat Key and on to Orlando

I took a short stroll on a beach on Longboat Key near Sarasota this morning. It was quiet bird-wise and some little kid was chasing shorebirds. I told him and his parents that these birds travelled thousands of miles to rest here, but they said there are thousands of miles of beaches they could move to. Oh, well. THAT was depressing! The beach is beautiful.

Sanderling

Ruddy Turnstone (They use that cool wedged beak to turn over stones!)

Royal Terns with one Sandwich Tern in back.

Willets resting up before the little boy chased them away

Doin' the Sanderling Stretch

Sandwich Tern

The Sanderling kept creeping in and taking tiny bites before the Ruddy Turnstone chased him away. Fish for breakfast!

Black-bellied Plover

 Mr. Borkowski and I headed off to Orlando for my personal "Take Your Fifth Grade Teacher to Disney World Day." He spotted my year Cattle Egrets along our drive, and in back of our hotel in Kissimmee, there were Hooded Mergansers, so oddly enough, I got a year bird in one of the most developed parts of the state. Joey came to the hotel where we ate dinner together. He took this photo of me and Mr. B.

My new birds brought my total to 127:

1. Hooded Merganser
2. Cattle Egret
3. Sandhill Crane
4. Spotted Sandpiper
5. Sandwich Tern