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Recap - Ft DeSoto

4/26/2017

Tom & I arrived Sunday around 10:30 and went directly to the Mulberry Tree at Bay Pier. First sighting was male & female Rose-breasted Grosbeak munching Mulberries.Walking back to the fountain, there were 3 Indigo Buntings on the ground. Just around the first corner a Magnificent Frigate Bird and Short-tailed Hawk. was overhead. Next up, a Nashville Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler. These were before the fountain. We birded this area till lunch and headed for North Beach to lunch. Busy tables! There were very few spaces available. The out to the beach for Oystercatchers, Skimmers, Mergansers, etc. Next to the end of North Beach and out for this Black-bellied Plover. We had 50 species in about 3 hours. The eBird link can be seen here.

Monday Morning back at the Mulberry Tree. I have to say for those of you who could not make it; you missed a Fallout Day. Scarlet Tanagers, Summer Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, Red-breasted & Blue Grosbeaks rained from the sky! Painted Buntings, Ovenbird, Tree & Barn Swallows, Marbled Godwits, Dowitchers, Least, Royal, & Forster's Terns, and many other shore birds were there for the viewing. This turned out to be another 50 plus day. The eBird link for species can be seen here. The total species for both days was 70.

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Annual Picnic-Bird Walk Ft Cooper

4/20/2017

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The Annual Picnic was attended by approximately 30 members. Food was in abundant supply and then there were the desserts.
Top Photos by Thomas Gulley

Black-throated Blue,Cape May, Black & White, Northern Parula Warblers, Brown Thrasher, trio of Vireos, Marsh Wrens, and Ovenbird were some of the species. A Wood Duck as truly in the woods, We were on one of the trails when a male flew over our heads and landed in a tree. Perhaps he had a nest nearby. We recorded 42 species. The eBird link to the species noted can be seen here.

Photo by Fred Hileman

Elections were held with two new officers elected. Bob Messersmith, President and Joyce Lewis, Secretary. Still time for craziness. Some kids just never grow up.

Photo by Thomas Gulley

Fred Hileman

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Recap - Cedar Key

4/18/2017

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Photo Courtesy of Thomas Gulley

We had 72Another beautiful day in the birding world. 15 came to Cedar Key today for an outing and lunch of course. But we got just what we deserved. BIRDS! BIRDS! and more BIRDS! American & Brown Pelicans, Herons, Egrets, Ibis, Spoonbills,Swallow-tailed kites, Clapper rail, Oystercatchers, Avocet, Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Terns including Common Tern, Swallows, Purple Martins, Gray & Eastern Kingbird, Ovenbird, Cape May Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Blackpoll, Orchard Oriole and more. We had 72 species for the trip. Here is the eBird link to the species for the day.

Photo by Fred Hileman

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Recap-Inglis Island

4/15/2017

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WOW!! What a beautiful morning and day. Cool with the winds coming off Lake Rousseau, but after crossing the dam to the other side; very nice. We had birds!!! Brown Pelicans, Bald Eagle, Anhingas, Cormorants, Great Blue Herons,Great, Snowy & Cattle Egrets, Ospreys, Sandhill Cranes, Tree & Barn Swallows at the parking lot. Crossing the dam Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-eyed & Yellow-throated Vireos, Bobwhites, trio of Woodpeckers, Common Yellowthroat, Parulas, Pine, Palm, Yellow-throated and Prairie Warblers! Did I say we had birds? Why yes, yes I did. Loggerhead Shrike, Royal Terns, and Tricolored Heron at the lock, The island did not disappoint. We had a total of 51 species for the trip. The eBird link to the species seen is here.

Photos Courtesy of Linda David Top Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Bottom Boat-tailed Grackle

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Recap-Ahhochee Hill Bird Walk

4/13/2017

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Eight Bird enthusiasts joined in on the Ahhochee Hill Bird walk and we managed to tally 33 species. The nice surprise was the half-dozen RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS that gave us good looks! Other good birds were YELLOW WARBLER, SWALLOW-TAILED KITES, OSPREY(unusual for wooded area), RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, and SUMMER TANAGER. Another really neat spotting was a female E. BLUEBIRD with a large grasshopper that she downed as we watched.

The trail was well maintained and Christie provided us a very helpful map. Lake Lisa was down to a small pond but a LITTLE BLUE HERON was enjoying it.

Another fun morning in Nature, Jim & Eileen

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Recap - Baby Bird Shower

4/9/2017

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Michele Kline, again, wowed her audience at our Second Annual "Baby Bird Shower" held at Chinsegut Nature Center. Michele is president of H.O.P.E. Wildlife Rehabilitation. She presented Skye Peregrine Falcon, Shelby Red-shouldered Hawk and Spencer Barred Owl to a very attentive audience who had come to learn of the characteristics and habitats of Michele's 3 ambassadors.
Photo by Bob Moseley

Many items were donated for the White Elephant sale along with many excellent silent auction items were up for bid. A striking quilt and sham made and donated by Jan Doudna, 2 superb cutting boards made and donated by Jim Lewis, and several baskets loaded with many useful items were among those in the auction. Many of the audience brought bleach, towels, paper towels, soaps, etc. that Michele needs for the care of her charges. There were games for children, baked goods, a food vendor and several bird walks conducted by Linda Vandeveen .

The Red-headed Woodpecker and Summer Tanager by Rey Wells were two of the 22 species that I recorded just in and around the building. The list that I have can be seen at this eBird link.
Thank all of the volunteers who made this fund raiser a smashing success.
Looking forward to the 2018 3rd Annual Baby Bird Shower!!!!

The bottom 4 photos are by Rey Wells

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Rainbow River Tour

4/6/2017

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Members of Sierra Club Suwanee - St Johns Group organized a Rainbow River Tour for 13 residents and assistants of the Harbor House of Ocala. The cruise was designed to provide an outing for individuals who are no longer able to go out as often as they once did.The water taxi was provided by Capt Brit Cottrell. I represented Citrus County Audubon as narrator. The cruise lasted for 90 minutes and enabled us to see and ID 21 species. Bald Eagle, Swallow-tailed Kite, Herons,. Limpkin and many Wood Ducks with chicks thrilled the passengers. The list can be seen at this eBird link.
Photographer Bruce Ackerman covered the event and the article was posted in The Ocala Star Banner and can be viewed at this link.

Fred Hileman
President
Citrus County Audubon

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Recap - Ft DeSoto

Annual Picnic-Bird Walk Ft Cooper

Recap - Cedar Key

Recap-Inglis Island

Recap-Ahhochee Hill Bird Walk

Recap - Baby Bird Shower

Rainbow River Tour

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Recap - Ft DeSoto

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Recap - Baby Bird Shower

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