​On Friday March 22, twenty five arrived to a beautiful morning for birding. We headed straight out to the Temple Mound at the Crystal River and climbed to the top to enjoy the wonderful view and to spot several birds. Afterward we explored both the open field and wooded area of Mullet Hole and the Crystal Cove Trail which led us again to the Crystal River.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the beautiful scenery with coves, ponds and trails through the woods that this area has to offer.   Kathy Lemmer
Bald eagle                               Osprey                                                 Brown Pelican
Anhinga                                   Yellow-crowned Night Heron             Great Egret                
Red-bellied Woodpecker        Red-winged Blackbird                         Red-shouldered Hawk
Pileated Woodpecker             Common Grackle                                Mockingbird   
Cardinal                                  Ground Dove                                       Gray Catbird              
Eastern Bluebird                     Palm Warbler                                     Northern Parula         
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher           Bufflehead                                          Chickadee                  
Titmouse                                 Hermit thrush                                     TV/BV

Twenty folks joined our CCAS Trip at Potts Preserve for a rewarding and

adventurous bird walk.  The group tallied 34 species, including two special
appearances-a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites soaring low over the trees and
several Yellow-throated Vireos along the 2 1/2 mile trek.

Also, five species of warblers were seen, including the Yellow-throated and
the Black and White and the Woodpecker "Grand Slam" was achieved, with
the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker heard at the boat ramp.  

The bonus adventure for some was the crossing of the slightly challenging
boardwalk across a very wet cypress slough!  

                    Another fun Audubon Trip, Jim & Eileen
​

​Nine chilly birders began our annual car caravan through Half Moon Preserve.
Fortunately the morning warmed up a bit, remaining brisk and sunny- perfect
for lots of bird activity.  We drove the main road stopping occasionally along
the way.  At McKinney Rd we began our walk through beautiful oak hammock 
to the boardwalk.  Mills Creek meanders below- a very pretty sight with purple 
Iris in bloom, a Belted Kingfisher flying across, and the hoot of a Barred Owl
in the distance.  Oh, and a Wild Turkey briefly seen along the way !  The 34
species seen are posted on ebird.   Eileen Riccio

​3/1/2019

While fourteen hard working bird folks trudged a couple of miles up, down and around in the sun, three others enjoyed a mini big sit on the hill and in the shade.  They were Mike Smith, Mavis Grebenc, and Christie Anderberg.  Their "efforts" yielded a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a male American Redstart, and two female orioles!  The trudgers accounted for another forty two species including:
Six woodpecker species including upwards of ten Red-heads.  No Red-cockadeds or Hairies.
Six warbler species, including Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-throated, and Black and White.
Two Wood Ducks
A Blue-headed Vireo
A tom turkey that flew right past us
We tried hard to detect Bobwhite Quail that we know to be present, but we were unsuccessful.  Ken Spilios even braved the heather a couple of times trying to flush them.
A very enjoyable outing was had by all, especially the sitters.   Rey Wells