Florida - October 2002                   

DAY 1 Sat 12^th October 2002

London Gatwick to Kissimmee, Florida

Weather: Hot and sunny 33°C

We left Gatwick mid-morning on a Boeing 767-300 with Air 2000 and after a smooth but long flight arrived at Sanford Airport north of Orlando at around 3pm local time. The heat and humidity hit us like a wall as we left the air-conditioned Airport building. Whilst we waited for our hire car we scanned the area for birds but the best we could manage was a small flock of Feral Pigeons. Back in the cooling comfort of our hired Dodge car we headed south for Kissimmee, with Bridgette driving. As ever I was grateful that she was happy to drive for the holiday. I think she felt safer that way; there were far to many distractions for me. As we passed Lake Mary I got my first lifers - two Black Vultures accompanied by two even larger Turkey Vultures. These large raptors were an ever-present feature of the skies, telegraph poles and roadside kills for the entire fortnight wherever we went. We saw so many we got to the point of almost ignoring them. The next birds were less exciting a few Starlings and four American Crows on a gantry near the main I-4. Next came a Snowy Egret feeding in a roadside pool while we were stuck at traffic lights. This was the first of many and I am sure I won't be travelling to Scotland to see a British one now. We saw two Mourning Doves on wires at Crescent Lakes and easily picked them out by their long pointed tails. The first two Boat-tailed Grackles were seen here as well. They were an abundant large glossy crow-like species that were common everywhere. They were always noisy and would always be around whenever you ate. We saw 100 going to roost later in the day. We also started to see Northern Mockingbirds on the wires, five in all, on the drive down. These were also seen everywhere and were very vociferous. We managed to miss our resort by one turning and ended up making a twenty mile round trip detour. However we did see a Red-shouldered Hawk perched up on a telegraph pole. On reaching Star Island Resort, our home for the next two weeks I had already had eight lifers.

As we drove past the small Lake Bennett and over the Bridge of Lions a ninth lifer was perched on the bridge, a superb Little Blue Heron, which gave amazingly close views. By the Reception we got another three lifers. First a pair of Muscovy Ducks that were feeding on the driving range, they are tickable here, a bit like our Category C birds. A pair of Sandhill Cranes were also feeding nearby. These cranes roosted every night at Lake Bennett. Finally a Double-crested Cormorant flew over, yet another lifer.

Once we had checked in Colin and I volunteered to go to the shops (Yeah right!), which just happened to be the other side of Lake Bennett. We got another five Little Blue Herons, three Great Egrets, a couple of Moorhens and fifty Cattle Egrets beginning to roost in the reeds. Best of all was a cracking Belted Kingfisher and an Anhinga, both lifers. There were also lots of Grey Squirrels on site.

USA List to date 19, Life ticks to date 14.

DAY 2 Sun 13^th October 2002

Star Island Resort and Gatorland, Kissimmee, Florida

Weather: Very warm and humid 32°C with heavy rain showers from 5pm

We got up at first light, at around 7am, and headed out to Lake Bennett. In a small pond by the Security lodge, feeding unconcernedly just a few feet away was a Great Blue Heron, another life tick. It took some getting used to that all these birds that were so approachable really were wild. American Crows then began to pass overhead as we reached the Bridge of Lions by Lake Bennett; the count reached 85 before we gave up and concentrated on other birds. Two flights of White Ibis passed overhead, six adults and a juvenile in the first and eight adults and a juvenile in the second. These birds were another tick and were ever present at picnic tables in the theme parks. Next came a much-wanted bird - a Green Heron, clambering around in the branches of a low waterside bush. I was especially pleased to see this one as I had been ill and missed the British bird that had turned up. It was a cracking little bird in fine colour and seen well at close range. Three Red-winged Blackbirds flew in, closely followed by another ten. The males were very handsome with their fiery red wing flashes. Whilst we were checking through the blackbirds on top of the bushes a Gray Catbird popped up amongst them. This one certainly wasn't skulking and we were very pleased to see it. Two Double-crested Cormorants showed better than yesterday's fly-over bird. Two pairs of the ugly Muscovy Ducks were present this morning and a lone Anhinga sat in a bush, where it seemed to be throughout both weeks. Next up was a super Tricolored Heron which became one of my favourite herons over the next two weeks. They were seen daily and were always good to see. A raucous call from the bushes at the far end of the lake alerted us to one of the better-known American birds, a Blue Jay, a beautiful but noisy bird. Then Michael found a pair of Northern Cardinals the male a stunning bright red with a punky crest. Bridgette had a better US list than mine having seen Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal in New York years ago, the only one's she remembered and now at last I'd seen them too.

A Pied-billed Grebe and a few Mallards inhabited the pond between Lake Bennett and Lake Cecile, the larger lake on site. The pair of Sandhill Cranes were feeding on the fairway of the driving range again and a Northern Mockingbird sang loudly. On Lake Cecile we saw a Belted Kingfisher and a pair of Common Grackles. Common Grackles were another ever-present species, which had bags of character and became firm family favourites particularly with Michael. Colin spotted an Alligator in Lake Cecile, which lessened our idea of using the Jet-skis here, because it was quite a big one and close to shore. We also saw a couple of Marsh Rabbits and some more Grey Squirrels, which Michael hand-fed palm nuts.

Next we all went to Wal-Mart to stock up on supplies. My Wal-Mart list was to become much better than my Tesco list as there was a small pond in the car park. Today there was a Snowy Egret here and both vultures overhead and both grackles in the car park.

After lunch we decided to ease into the theme park experience by visiting Gatorland, the name being self-explanatory. Whilst loading the car I found a Carolina Wren in the car park. It was large and noisy and dwarfed our wrens. Gatorland proved difficult to find however and we got lost again but we did see another Belted Kingfisher, 35 Cattle Egrets and several Mourning Doves on the way.

Gatorland was very good with lots of things to see and it also had nature trails with lots of birds. Herons were the most obvious birds on the trails. We saw six Snowy Egrets, 15 Great Egrets, four Great Blue Herons, two Tricolored Herons, a Little Blue Heron and a White Ibis. Nine Wood Storks seen here were a life tick. Other notable birds included a pair of Belted Kingfishers, our first Osprey, a couple of Sand Martins (Bank Swallows) seen with other high-flying unidentifiable hirundines or swifts and six Anhingas. At the end of the day twenty Double-crested Cormorants came in to roost and 200+ American Crows flew over. We also saw several Soft-shelled Turtles.

USA List to date 36, Life ticks to date 25.

DAY 3 Mon 14^th October 2002

Star Island Resort and Epcot, Orlando, Florida

Weather: Hot and sunny 32°C

We did another early wander around the resort first thing and managed to gain another nine life ticks as well as many other notables. At Lake Bennett all the usual herons were present as well as the morning flight from roosts of grackles and crows. A harsh grating call from beside the bridge led us to our first new bird of the day, a male Common Yellowthroat, a superbly attractive warbler and a life tick for us both. Soon after we found the female close-by. We managed to identify the other Florida crow, the Fish Crow, mainly by their call as they flew over. We saw a pair and a single. As we walked towards Lake Cecile a call from the top of a pine tree alerted us to a Loggerhead Shrike, yet another new bird, and not too dissimilar from our own Great Grey Shrike. The Sandhill Cranes were again present and we enjoyed the fly-by of two male Belted Kingfishers. Then a pleasant surprise was a Royal Tern, which flew past between the two lakes. This was not a bird that we expected to get away from the coast. Next we found a Mottled Duck (known locally as Florida Duck) amongst a few Mallards and later we found another four. Whilst standing on the boardwalk by Lake Cecile we could see two woodpeckers working their way through the pines towards us. We identified them as a male and a juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker. This was followed by our first Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher feeding in waterside shrubs. It was an attractive small pale blue bird with a longish tail and a hyperactive manner. Three Gray Catbirds were also notable here.

We left the lake and walked back to the small car park where we watched an overhead kettle of birds on the thermals. There were seven Black Vultures, a Turkey Vulture, three Red-shouldered Hawks and seven Wood Storks and a passage of about thirty Chimney Swifts. A spot of "pishing" worked reasonably well and managed to produce birds from apparently lifeless undergrowth. We brought out another Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, a Carolina Wren, a fourth Gray Catbird, and another male Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Tufted Titmouse, two super White-eyed Vireos and a male Indigo Bunting still showing some vestiges of its blue plumage, the last three species being new birds for us.  

After brunch we set off to Epcot where I managed two more lifers. How cool is that, theme parks with good birding. The first new bird was a female Northern Harrier, which drifted over whilst we were in the queue for Test Track. This species has been split by some authorities already from our Hen Harrier and has the Latin name Circus hudsonius. The second life bird was the first of three American Coots; an uninspiring species, which made me glad that I hadn't travelled to Stodmarsh, when one appeared there a few years ago. The only apparent difference was the small difficult to see red spot on its forehead and white sides to the tail. Other notable birds at Epcot included a Tricolored Heron, two Mottled Ducks, hundreds of grackles of both species going to roost at dusk and the continual presence of many White Ibises at the picnic tables. The other highlight at Epcot was fish and chips at Harry Ramsden's in "England" and the $7.50 (ouch!) that I paid for a welcome pint of Boddingtons in the English pub.

USA List to date 50, Life ticks to date 38.  

DAY 4 Tue 15^th October 2002

Star Island Resort and Animal Kingdom, Orlando, Florida

Weather: Hot and sunny but cloudy with heavy showers late afternoon

An early morning wander around the resort brought all the usual suspects with us becoming quite blasé about things (Oh its only another Little Blue Heron). The only new species for the walk was an Eastern Phoebe, which showed well from bushes beside Lake Cecile. Best other birds were two male Common Yellowthroats, two Belted Kingfishers, a Gray Catbird and two Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. After breakfast a Great Egret, a Tricolored Heron and an American Crow boosted my Wal-Mart list. Even the shopping is interesting here.  

The destination for the day was to be Animal Kingdom, which was most enjoyable. It was packed with wild birds and I managed another tick. The Black Vultures even hung around in trees on the safari as if Disney had typecast them. Perhaps they were on a retainer - all the carrion you can eat. The Gorilla colony was very impressive and most of the enclosures had been made like a natural habitat for its inhabitants. We saw our only Green Tree Frog of the holiday here. The best bird was a stunning Prairie Warbler, which was greatly appreciated and duly ticked. Other notables included our second Eastern Phoebe, four Gray Catbirds, which mewed from bushes by the Dinosaur ride, two Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, four Wood Storks and lots of Mourning Doves.

USA List to date 52, Life ticks to date 40. 

DAY 5 Wed 16^th October 2002

Star Island Resort and Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida

Weather: Hot and sunny with a light breeze 

Today we were off to Discovery Cove where we would be swimming with Bottle-nosed Dolphins. I still got up early and walked around the grounds. Two Red-shouldered Hawks showed well in low pines by Lake Cecile and called constantly. Out on the lake there was a flock of eight Pied-billed Grebes. A Green Heron showed in the reeds well but briefly. A male Common Yellowthroat grated at me when I was on the boardwalk. Also Gray Catbird and Belted Kingfisher again gave good views. I picked up a small woodpecker in the waterside trees in my scope. I eventually was able to identify it as my first Downy Woodpecker. As I looked at it I realized that it was very agitated and a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher and a Red-bellied Woodpecker had joined it and were also very jumpy. Then I noticed a movement in the trees behind them, at first I thought it was a cat, but as it appeared through the leaves I could see that it was a Raccoon. Then another appeared, and another and another, it was a family of four foraging for food. I watched them until they vanished from sight well pleased with having seen a new mammal.

We left for Discovery Cove after breakfast and saw the Sandhill Cranes beside the Bridge of Lions. Another two fed on the verge near Gatorland and three more were just outside of Sea World. I had thought that I might struggle to connect with these cranes but we saw them regularly all over the place. An Osprey was on a pine outside of Gatorland as we passed. Whilst we waited to go in to Discovery Cove six or more Black Vultures were low overhead in a cloudless blue sky.

Discovery Cove was wonderful. We snorkelled with rays and shoals of tropical fish, were entertained by the birds in the aviaries, were fed wonderfully and of course enjoyed our dolphin encounter. A Great Blue Heron patrolled the rocks in one of the pools but didn't stay long. An Inca Tern enjoyed perching on first me and then on Michael's head, whilst a Violet Plantain-eater took to perching on Bridgette when we were in the walk-through aviaries. I gave up snorkelling eventually because my moustache seemed to break the watertight seal on the nosepiece so I ended up breathing a lot of seawater, which isn't pleasant. The beach was a pleasant alternative and a good many degrees warmer.

At 7:15pm just before dusk I was down at the resort swimming pool with Michael when he called to me from the pool "Dad, Nighthawk". I looked around and sure enough a Common Nighthawk was coming around the edge of the tennis courts before flying over the pool and up and away over the tops of the apartments. It was a great call on Michael's part because he knew I had been looking and hoping for this bird each evening. I got great views in my bins and could see the white spots at the wingtips. It seemed slimmer winged and faster flying than our nightjar. It was the only one of the holiday.

USA List to date 54, Life ticks to date 42.

DAY 6 Thu 17^th October 2002

Star Island Resort and Disney Wilderness Preserve, Osceola, Florida

Weather: Hot and sunny with a light breeze

I took an early morning walk alone and managed to gain two new ticks in the tall hedgerow at the back of the apartments. The first was a Brown Thrasher, which was an expected target and the second was a first-winter male or female American Redstart. This was very attractive little bird, which was very active and fanned its tail regularly showing off canary yellow spots. I also saw two more Gray Catbirds, which seemed to be one of the commonest passerines, and two Downy Woodpeckers.

When I returned to the apartment Colin and I were lucky enough to see a Hermit Thrush in trees next to the balcony. It didn't stay for long and we didn't see it or another again. After breakfast I was left with Michael at the apartment whilst everyone went shopping. I sat out on the balcony watching a few White Ibises feeding around the small lake. A movement in the large moss-draped oak tree just in front of where I sat alerted me to the presence of a largish bird. It didn't take me long to realize that it was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I called Michael and we watched as it tackled what must have been Florida's largest caterpillar at about 3" long. It manoeuvred it into position before tossing it up and swallowing it whole. This was probably the bird of the holiday for me. I also saw a Chimney Swift fly over.

Later we drove down to Disney Wilderness Preserve a 12,000 acre sanctuary about 15 miles away created in mitigation for the land Disney took for theme parks. Three Sandhill Cranes were feeding beside the road on the way down Poinciana Boulevard. Another two pairs were at Disney Wilderness Preserve. The car park at the Preserve was busy with birds. This included two stonking Yellow-throated Warblers, which were a life tick, two Prairie Warblers and a couple of Palm Warblers and also a Red-bellied Woodpecker. The warden told us of a Black Racer snake that was hanging around outside the Visitor Centre. We duly ticked it off and had excellent close views. All except Bridgette who didn't care that it was non-poisonous, she didn't even want to be in the same State. The walk around the reserve was very hot. Along the first track Michael, who is becoming an excellent finder of wildlife, found a small grapefruit-sized Gopher Tortoise. Two new reptile species in fifteen minutes. We also saw many large bodied spiders, which built webs two feet across, and often high up in the trees and across paths. We walked down towards Lake Russell and saw a good selection of birds on the way. This included Eastern Phoebes, American Redstarts, Gray Catbird and Pine Warblers, the first of seven, a new bird. When we arrived at the lake we took a well-earned drink and rest in the shade. Colin and I began to examine a kettle of at least a hundred vultures, mainly Black, on the other side of the lake. Amongst them we found two adult Bald Eagles, each of us finding different birds. It was nice to add this special bird to our life lists but we had hoped for better views. On leaving the lake we added a few more species on the return journey the best of them being our first Eastern Bluebird (quite appropriate at a Disney site). We also saw a Downy Woodpecker and a couple of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. We made several stops on the long driveway out of the reserve and walked some sections. This proved profitable because we gained two more lifers. The first was American Kestrel; we saw two, the male being particularly attractive. The second was a small group of four Eastern Meadowlarks resplendent with banana yellow breast and dark V-shaped collars. A pair of Loggerhead Shrikes were also seen.

We weren't quite finished; there was one more tick to come. A group of eight Wild Turkeys fed on the grass verge by the Riding Stables on Poinciana Boulevard. I wonder if they will be quite so bold as Thanksgiving approaches.

USA List to date 66, Life ticks to date 54.

DAY 7 Fri 18^th October 2002

Kennedy Space Center, Brevard, Florida

Weather: Hot and sunny

Today we took an early start and headed off to Kennedy Space Center on the East coast. The journey took an hour and a half and we saw all the usual herons and grackles en route. An Osprey near the International Airport was the most noteworthy species. We had chosen today to visit because the Space Shuttle STS-112 was coming in to land just before midday. We joined a crowd on the "hill" waiting for the Shuttle to come in. The atmosphere was something special and although to see a launch would have been better we were glad to be there. The Shuttle announced its presence with a very loud double-BOOM as it came back through the atmosphere. I managed to pick it up in the bins before taking a record shot of it. It circled around over KSC but the action was over in not much more than a minute or two as it was travelling at several thousand miles an hour. A rousing cheer greeted its safe return and it was quite an emotional moment.

The birds took a back seat today because it was such a packed and interesting day, but even so I still got four new life birds whilst on the tour to the launch pads. Ospreys were the predominant raptor seen with four birds seen from the causeway out to the island. Whilst on the tour out to the launch pads a series of eight consecutive telegraph poles beside the road each held an Osprey. We were able to see a huge Bald Eagle's nest as well but I missed seeing the eagle although it was there. Also on the tour I saw my only Wilson's Snipe of the trip foraging in a muddy ditch but unfortunately I don't think the driver would have stopped the coach for me to get a better look. We stopped out by the launch pads beside a large caravan-sized camera. Whilst here an adult and a juvenile Brown Pelican flew past over the sea, looking vaguely like a couple of Pterodactyls in silhouette. A Peregrine buzzed an adjacent pond putting to flight three Killdeers, which circled in a blind panic. An Eastern Kingbird showed well on a low fence near to where the coach was parked.

When we returned to the main buildings a pair of Laughing Gulls scavenged for scraps outside of the café along with several Boat-tailed Grackles. These were our first gulls of the trip and in the end this turned out to be the only species we saw. A Palm Warbler gave excellent views here too. During the day we saw a few Alligators and a couple of Soft-shelled Turtles. A Top Day all round.

USA List to date 72, Life ticks to date 58. 

DAY 8 Sat 19^th October 2002

Disney Wilderness Preserve, Osceola, Florida

Weather: Very hot and sunny 

Today Colin and I spent most of the day at Disney Wilderness Preserve again. We arrived early and walked in the mile or so to the Visitor Centre before it got too hot, at least that was the theory, but it was all to quickly scorching. A pair of Sandhill Cranes were near the gate and we saw another three later. In fields to the left of the gate we had 17 Wild Turkeys in groups of five, four and eight, and this time we got really good views. A male American Kestrel was in roughly the same place as the last visit. Colin picked up on a lovely metallic green Tree Swallow, which flew towards us near the first pond. We saw four in all, another new species for us. Blue Jays seemed to be ever present throughout the day almost taunting us because we could not find Scrub Jays, which were supposed to be here. Next we observed a large movement of vultures of both species drifting towards us. Amongst them we picked out a Red-shouldered Hawk, which landed in a tree, and then a smaller hawk, which with the aid of field guides we were able to identify as a Cooper’s Hawk. During the morning we are pretty sure we had a Sharp-shinned Hawk but we could not claim it as a definite so that one was lost.

When we reached the car park our patience paid off when a bird which sounded a lot like our wren finally showed and was in fact a House Wren, the first of four. As we walked past the small lake by the Visitor Centre two distant raptors drew nearer and were both adult Bald Eagles but both were very high so we were still waiting for and up close and personal view. On reaching the signpost at the head of the reserve a brightly coloured Eastern Towhee showed all too briefly on the ground below the sign. The temperature was now in the low 30’s and the forest was quite quiet but we still saw a few good birds including a Red-bellied Woodpecker and two Downy Woodpeckers. We had a very close encounter with a male White-tailed Deer as we entered the forest; it walked to within a few yards of us. On reaching a clearing something disturbed the peace and a pair of Sandhill Cranes flew through calling loudly followed by 100 White Ibises. Then immediately above our heads appeared the probable reason for the disturbance an adult and a juvenile Bald Eagle finally giving us the good close views we wanted. Then an Anhinga drifted over causing a moments confusion as it soared at a great height. There was little else moving except for a couple of Pine Warblers.

When we headed back for our 1pm lift home we found a little flurry of action on the woodland edge. In the space of a few minutes in a very small area we had three White-eyed Vireos, a Gray Catbird, a Tufted Titmouse, a Yellow-throated Warbler, a House Wren and a male Northern Cardinal.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing but I did see two more Tree Swallows on the return from Wal-Mart.

USA List to date 76, Life ticks to date 62.

DAY 9 Sun 20^th October 2002

Star Island Resort and Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Florida

Weather: Hot and sunny but humid

I did an early lone wander around the grounds but saw nothing new. The notable birds were a white juvenile Little Blue Heron, which is momentarily confusing looking like a bleached version of the blue adults, a massive count of 80 Cattle Egrets leaving the small reedbed roost at Lake Bennett and a Carolina Wren and a female Common Yellowthroat.

Shortly after breakfast we left for the Magic Kingdom where I got Donald Duck, but he was only a US tick because I'd life ticked him in Paris previously. As we entered Magic Kingdom a Wild Turkey was feeding on the grass verge and it or another was still there when we left that evening. A flock of thirty Double-crested Cormorants flew over as we parked the car. We had a great day and although there were birds all around they didn’t loom large on my consciousness. A Nine-banded Armadillo was also feeding on the verge as we left Magic Kingdom. It was a poor view but at least it was alive unlike lots of road casualties we had seen.

USA List to date 76, Life ticks to date 62.

DAY 10 Mon 21^st October 2002

Lake Woodruff, Volusia, Florida

Weather: Hot and sunny

I did the usual “resort walk” before breakfast. I had a brilliant close encounter with a Nine-banded Armadillo that was feeding along the edge of some deep cover beside Lake Cecile. I had really good views before deciding to get closer with the camera. Its eyesight was poor but those big pig-like ears were obviously sharp and when I climbed the bank to get above it, it heard me and shot off into the cover at a tremendous speed. Today’s bird highlights were 250+ Red-winged Blackbirds and 200+ Boat-tailed Grackles leaving the reedbed roost on Lake Cecile.

Today Bud O’Keefe who I had contacted through BirdingPal took Colin and I out for a days birding. He took us north to Lake Woodruff in Volusia County. As we passed over a bridge over Lake Jessup eight Ospreys occupied the posts along the bridge.

On arriving at Lake Woodruff we saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker, the first of four, on a dead tree on the entrance track. When we entered the reserve on foot the first bird we saw was new to us – it was a Marsh Wren, which showed well but briefly. A little further on Bud showed us the first of many Sun Turtles, which he called Cooters, a large Lubber Grasshopper and the first Monarch butterfly of the trip. After acquainting ourselves with the usual herons we spotted our first American sparrow in sedge at the waters edge. Eventually it gave good views and we were able to identify with the aid of Field guides as a Swamp Sparrow, we saw another later on. Bud was a genial guide who kept us entertained with stories and by pointing out things of interest like Marshmallow plants and American Green Frogs. We saw plenty of birds around the lake including Common Yellowthroats, Black Vultures, Palm Warblers and several Eastern Phoebes. In a row of dead trees I spotted a woodpecker, which Bud identified, it was a Red-headed Woodpecker a new one for both of us.

Bud went for a rest in the car whilst Colin and I walked the Hammock Trail. It looked like perfect snake habitat so we were very wary where we put our feet. We found a few good birds in there though including two new ones, the large Pileated Woodpecker and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Also in there was another Common Yellowthroat, a Carolina Wren, a couple of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a pair of Northern Cardinals and a White-eyed Vireo. A successful visit then with four lifers.

Our next stop was a Pranty site for Burrowing Owl in the town of Sorrento. There was no immediate sign so Bud asked a nice lady rancher who said that there had been no owls there for five years and that they missed them dearly. So we drew a blank here seeing only a Blue Jay, a Red-shouldered Hawk and a Palm Warbler. On the drive home another Pileated Woodpecker flew over the road near Sanford and 100 Cattle Egrets fed in a field nearby. We thanked Bud for an excellent day out and I promised to keep in touch.

USA List to date 81, Life ticks to date 66.

DAY 11 Tue 22^nd October 2002

Fort de Soto Park, Pinellas, Florida

Weather: Fog at first then very hot and sunny with a heavy shower late afternoon

Today Bridgette, Michael and I decided to go to Fort de Soto. This was a great day on the Gulf of Mexico with plenty of new birds and extremely hot weather. The first surprise whilst travelling to the West coast was fog for much of the journey which didn't really clear until we were nearing Tampa. A flock of thirty gulls flying parallel to the car were all Laughing Gulls. As we crossed the bridge we saw three Ospreys, four Double-crested Cormorants and a couple of Brown Pelicans. Driving on through Tierra Verde to St Petersburg we saw a flock of twenty Double-crested Cormorants on a small pond, another Osprey and a couple of Wood Storks. A large pink bird flew towards us and Bridgette called out "Flamingo", I looked and although it was flamingo-pink when it got nearer the unique bill gave it away as a Roseate Spoonbill. It flew in front of the car and landed on a small pond. When we drove home in the afternoon it was still there in typical spoonbill-pose, on one leg with its head under its wing, unfortunately there was no way we could stop on this busy road. This was the only Roseate Spoonbill of the holiday.

When we arrived at Fort de Soto Park we parked up initially by a small pier and walked down onto the beach. The sand was white and the sea blue and the surrounding palms made it look very tropical and the weather now certainly felt tropical too. There were quite a lot of birds on the beach including some familiar faces. There were a couple of Brown Pelicans just offshore, 12 Sandwich Terns amongst 20 Laughing Gulls and two Grey Plovers. Just past the pier I found a Snowy Egret, 15 Sanderlings and three Willets, which were a new bird for me. Back from the beach amongst the palm trees and palmettos I found appropriately a Palm Warbler, a few Northern Mockingbirds and Mourning Doves, a few White Ibises and best of all a Loggerhead Shrike angrily mobbing a beautiful male American Kestrel, which gave my best views yet, and five Chimney Swifts passed low overhead.

We drove on a bit further and parked near a more secluded beach. As we got out of the car I could here the wonderful cacophonous noise of lots of birds. We walked down to the beach and could see a sand island about 100 yards offshore. It was alive with birds mainly terns and gulls, there were approximately 200 Royal Terns, 100 Sandwich Terns, half a dozen Forster's Terns and 100 Laughing Gulls. Twenty or more Brown Pelicans were plunge diving just beyond the island. A Belted Kingfisher put on a good fishing display and an Osprey flew through causing a wave of panic to sweep through the terns and gulls. There were lifers here for me too, five in all. The first was a pair of the instantly recognisable American Oystercatchers, which seemed slightly larger and brighter than our own species. Next was a pair of Marbled Godwits with their extravagantly long two-tone (pink and black) bills. This was followed by half a dozen Semi-palmated Sandpipers, which took a bit of book research to finally nail. Then I found in my scope a Piping Plover, an attractive little bird, which looked very pale. Finally I spot an egret feeding manically along the edge of the sandbar, I could tell by its feverish feeding action and the fact that it didn't stay still that it was a Reddish Egret. I decided to join Bridgette and Michael in the water and found to my surprise that it was really warm. We found a dead Horseshoe Crab at the edge of the beach, a very primitive looking creature that was about to become lunch for the many Laughing Gulls. Also along the edge of the water was a few Turnstones