Elaine Roche led a group of 12 participants through Pepper Creek today.  They had Wood Ducks, Wood Storks, Egrets, Ibis, Gulls, Vireos,Warblers and Goldfinches. The complete list of 32 species can be seen here at this eBird link.

What a beautiful morning.  Warm temps for a November day in Rainbow Springs State Park.  At 8 :00 AM there were people swimming in the 72 degree all year-round water bubbling out of the ground. 
Seventeen came out this morning for the hike.  We had several Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-bellied_Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Black & White Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets,and American Robins.  The entire list can be seen at this eBird link.  The brilliantly colored insect is waiting for our bug expert's id.

Fourteen joined together to make an awesome birding team at the WGP this morning.  Beautiful weather and the "no-see ums" weren't too bad.  Misted with a perfumy spray and sorta kept them at bay.  We started out to the tower and immediately spotted Marsh, Sedge & House Wrens. Bald Eagle, Herons, Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpeckers were about.  Near the ramp, Sora, White-eyed and Blue Headed Vireos, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Palm, Yellow-rumped, Yellow-throated, Black & White Warblers and Common Yellowthroat. Returning to the tower, a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow gave us a look and a bit of a headache until we could see our photos. Back out of the preserve and down to the Gulf for an American Oystercatcher, Willet, Clapper Rail, The full eBird list link is here

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be among our fine feathered friends and others on January 2, 2016. Citrus County Audubon has participated for many years in this fun filled endeavor.  The CBC is held world wide on the dates from Dec 14 to Jan 5 yearly. We have selected our date for Citrus County on January 2, 2016.  This is the optimal date for tides. We will have a pre-count meet on Sunday Dec 20th to distribute packets and car signs.
 Prior to the turn of the century, people engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas "Side Hunt": They would choose sides and go afield with their guns; whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won. But beginning Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman, proposed a new holiday tradition-a "Christmas Bird Census"-that would count birds in the holidays rather than hunt them. So began the Christmas Bird Count.
For more information contact Fred Hileman 440-670-3455 or email PresidentCCAS@comcast.net

Fifteen birders enjoyed this new area in Gainesville.  And what a grand day it was.  Limpkins, Limpkins, Limpkins and more Limpkins.  I thought Circle B had Limpkins, but Sweetwater beats out Circle B.  We didn't have as many species as two weeks ago, but close.  We racked up 50 in a period of about 3 hours.  We just strolled along.  The highlight for most was the Great White Heron. Several got to see life birds today. The complete list of 50 species can be seen at this link. The Great White has lighter colored legs than the Great Egret.  The other photo is a Black-crowned Night Heron Juvenile.

It was a fun and perfect weather  morning for eight Audubonites  who biked the McGregor Smith Boy Scout Reservation.  We got 31 species with the RED-HEADED WOODPECKER(3) being everyone's favorite.  This is
our 4th trip there over the last several years and we kept our RHWO string alive!  We also saw 2 Bald Eagles and the immature one was being escorted by 5 A. Crows.  
​Jim Meyer and EIleen RIccio

Several members from CCAS assisted in the Crystal River Natl Wildlife Sunrise Bird/Boat Tour. Julie Appleget, Trish Auffhammer, Virginia Hall, Jim Meyer, Eileen Riccio and Elaine Roche participated to ID the birds on the several boats that were manned. The group did a superb job of spotting 46 species   An article was in today's (Nov 10) Chronicle Letters to the Editor filled with glowing praise..  Click the  link for the full story.

Inverness Trail is always a pleasant stroll among lovely scenery with an interesting mix of birds. This morning 10 birders took full advantage of this and came up with 36 species.  There were most of the usual birds and also a brief look at a Green Heron, a Swamp Sparrow, and an American Kestral perched in the distance.  The full list is posted on ebird, which is on the front page of our website.  Click the date for Nov 5 where the list can be viewed

Citrus County Audubon was asked to help with a scheduled walk at the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve in Yankeetown  this morning Nov 6, 2015..  Six of us showed up for the event.  The turnout for participants wasn't the best, but did we get birds? Why, yes we did!  We started out toward the tower and got Sedge & House Wrens.  We had Clapper Rails all around us by the tower.  Great Blue, Little Blue, Tricolored Herons and Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets were plentiful. Osprey, Sharp-shinned, & Red-shouldered Hawks, and Bald Eagle .  We went into the canopy toward the ramp and were swarmed with Vireos, including the Bue-headed, Yellow-throated & White-eyed.. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Kinglets, and 6 species of Warbler were in this area. There were 50 species recorded for the 2 1/2 hr walk.  Did I say we got birds? Well, yes, yes we did.The entire list can be see at this ebird list link.
​The Osprey was on a watch for an unsuspecting fish and needed a wing stretch.  The Little Blue (white form) was just being elegant in the pine top.