.December
6-12.December
6-12
Wednesday, December 10: Flint Pen Strand
A relatively quiet morning still netted 36 species of birds. There just weren't very many of any individual species. Twenty-four Palm Warblers, 20 Boat-tailed Grackles, 15 Little Blue Herons, and 11 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were the most often seen species.
One nice sighting was a Least Bittern deep in the reeds a little west of the wood duck nest box. It, a more visible Green Heron, and a nice pair of Common Gallinules were all in the same general vicinity.
The Tricolored Heron at the right was in a little pocket of birds in the southwestern corner of the east lake early in the morning. Also present were
Little Blue Herons, a Pied-billed Grebe, Snowy Egrets, and White Ibis.
The Tricolored Heron seemed to be trying out
a new foraging technique. Instead of spreading its wings and running through the water, it would jump up, take a look, and then pounce down. That didn't seem to be working very well for it, but it was interesting to watch.
The Roseate Spoonbill at the left was foraging in the same general area, but much later in the morning. It stuck to traditional hunting techniques and fared well.
On oddity for the morning was that for the first time since January 29 (I checked), I did not see or hear a Red-shouldered Hawk. The only raptors were one Osprey and one American Kestrel.
Warblers were just the Palm Warblers plus Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and one Black-and-white Warbler. Other small birds were Swamp Sparrows, Eastern Phoebes, a House Wren, and three Common Ground Doves.
Insects were scarce as well. Only five species of butterflies and two species of dragonflies were identified. The Monarch in the photo was the only one of its kind. Six Gulf Fritillaries and five White Peacocks, two Zebra Longwings, and one Tropical Checker were the other butterflies.
The only dragonflies were one Eastern Amberwing and two Scarlet Skimmers.
The only herps were four gators, all in the lakes. It was cool and only warmed up to 75º by the time I left a little before 11 o'clock, so most of the gators were snugly tucked in under the water where it was warmer.
Friday, December 12: Pepper Ranch Preserve
A majority of the pastures had been mowed in the last week and the tractors continued working today. The open fields seemed to really please the Sandhill Cranes. Four pairs were alternating between foraging in the shorter grasses where it was easier to find prey and advertising their presence as the two at the right are doing. A dozen Eastern Meadowlarks were active in the newly mown fields.
Cattle Egrets abandoned the cattle and enveloped the tractors as they churned up lots of insects as they mowed. It was hard to estimate a number because between a morning roost by Lake Trafford with 72 Cattle Egrets to one scene at a tractor in the field with about 110 egrets, it wasn't possible to tell if some of those were the same ones.
Although it was a bit cool to begin the morning, it warmed up nicely under sunny skies, and 45 species of birds were identified.
The Pied-billed Grebe in the photo was swimming in marsh B and could almost be a twin of the one in Flint Pen Strand at the start of the week.
Birds with individual numbers in double digits, in addition to the Cattle Egrets, were Wild Turkeys, Double-crested Cormorants,Turkey Vultures, Red-shouldered Hawks, Eastern Meadowlarks, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Raptors were the dozen Red-shouldered Hawks, one adult Bald Eagle, three Osprey, and a pair of Crested Cascara.
The Crested Caracara were in nest building mode. One picked up a nice stick along the berm of Pepper Road and flew to a Cabbage Palm where it landed and walked into the heart of the palm. When it came out, it didn't have the stick, so I thought that might be its nesting tree.
However, a second Crested Caracara arrived and the two took off and landed at a pile of sticks farther to the north, selected a nice stick, and flew even farther away to a different palm where they both disappeared.
One of those two trees ought to be the site for their nest, but which one is still undetermined. Future observations will hopefully confirm one of the two sites.
Butterflies were scarce with just Monarchs and White Peacocks observed. But I spent enough time hiking through pastures following the Crested Caracaras that I never made it to field M. Herps were just three gators and four Red-bellied Turtles, and the only mammals were a Gray Squirrel and a bevy of very tiny feral hogs. All seven of the little piglets were completely black and actually rather cute.
My yard
Other than the Bobcat passing through very early Wednesday morning, not much animal life was happening other than the nighttime regulars (Southern Flying Squirrels, Cottontail Rabbits, Virginia Opossums, and Raccoons). Daytime mammals were more rabbits plus Gray Squirrels. At least three of the five baby Virginia Opossums were still surviving. All five may be all right, but there's no way of telling them apart. But three of them appeared on the trail camera beside the house at the same time along with a baby Cottontail Rabbit, so those three are confirmed still living. Another baby Opossum was in a different trail camera farther out in the yard, so it could be a fourth one or it could be one of the three just in a different place.
Even feeder activity seemed more subdued. Painted Buntings, Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers still came to the feeders, but there didn't seem to be as many of them. Ditto for Mourning Doves below the feeders.
