So sweet to be out on such a beautiful morning as was this.  Especially with a great group to hang-out with.  Twenty birders lined up eagerly awaiting the starting gate to open.  The gate opened and many hurried to their cars and made a mad dash   ----- to the bathrooms!  Once "bidness"   was tended to it was on to scouting the trees.  The sleepy "Barred Owl",who probably had hunted all night to feed his chicks was our first photo op.  He did not open his eyes once, well maybe just a peek, but otherwise totally ignored us. Lots of feeding in the canopy with N Parulas,​  Great-crested Flycatchers everywhere, Red-eyed, White-eyed, Yellow-throated Vireos, Chickadees, Titmice, Hermit Thrush, Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 6 Warbler species including the Prairie.  Then into the back area where the American Bittern was attempting to hide in plain sight.  We had 45 species.  This eBird link lists them all.  It was then off to River Ratz Cafe for lunch and then back to Lake Townsen where 7 of us walked down to the boat dock seeing Vireos, warblers, and getting to the dock getting good views of the Prothonotary Warbler.  Walking back to the cars and watching a Swallow-tailed kite circling us and bidding us adieu.  Here at this link is the eBird list of the 24 species for this area. A good time was had by all.

Some people just don't let a little shower stop them.  Apparently 10 plus 2 decided that" into each life a little rain must fall."  It didn't turn out as bad as was predicted from the weather station and the radar image.  It just sprinkled for the period that we were there which was a little over two hours.  Thank you Julie for calling me and alerting that some avid birders had shown up.   Julie led the group until I arrived.  We were hoping to see the Barred Owl that I had spotted earlier in the week, but we only heard the call.   We did hear or spotted Red-eyed, White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos.  Northern Parulas were abundant.  It was difficult to see color as most of the smaller birds were high in the canopy.  The list of 28 species seen or heard is at this eBird link.  The photo of the Barred Owl is the one I took earlier in the week from its perch near the Butterfly Garden.

Fourteen of us met at the first lake and got Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Horned & Pied-billed Grebes,Great, Tricolored Egrets.  Next stop larger lake and boat ramp with a greater number of species.  Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Kinglets, House Wrens, Cedar Waxwings, Parulas, Palm, Yellow-rumped, Black & White, three species of Vireo, a "congregation" of White Ibis (200 +) flew over.  The exciting part of the trip was viewing an adult Bald Eagle chasing an Osprey for his fish and being joined by two other Eagles.  The Osprey dropped the fish and the Bald Eagle caught it.  The full list of 51 species can be seen at this eBird link.

Seventeen avid birders joined in the two hour adventure this morning.  We began by birding the entrance and stopping at the lake front to check out the inhabitants.  The entrance gave us Wild Turkey,Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos with other common inhabitants.  The lake had Common Gallinules, Grebes, American Coots, Anhingas, Great Blue, Little Blue Herons, Great Egret, Sandhill Cranes.  Walking the edge gave us photo ops of Sedge Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black & White, Yellow-throated Vireo, Northern Parula, Palm warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglets.  And this was about the time to cut the trek short and dodge the rain that was coming in off the lake. The morning was productive with 45 species which can be seen at this eBird link.

Oh What a beautiful morning!  Twenty-one birders came out to the WMA this morning.  It was sweet to be without heavy clothes.  The temp got up to 77.  We had Green Heron flyover at the entrance with Wood Stork, Eastern Bluebirds, Yellow-rumped, Yellow-throated, Black & White,, Pine, Palm, Northern Parulas all about.  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,  Sedge & Carolina Wren.  We walked out to Mill Creek to the boardwalk and heard two Barred Owls calling.  This is also where I saw my FOS Swallow-tailed Kite.  We actually saw three before we left the area. The outing gave us a total of 43 species of which can be seen at this eBird link.