Robin’s Winter Nest in Florida-January Birds!

Hi everyone! Today, I am blogging from sunny Port St. Lucie in Florida! My husband and I purchased a home in Tradition so I can migrate down for the winter. We brought our fur babies,  Cashie and Carrie too! It has been a bit chilly here but still WAY better than being in Massachusetts now. I am enjoying the warmth and spending time with my parents. Every morning, my cats and I have coffee with my birds that are right outside my screened porch! It has been a busy month with family visiting and my dad’s 80^th birthday celebration so, I most of my birdwatching has been in my neighborhood in Vitalia. I shared lots of videos on my sites. You can also check out my eBird lists to see all the birds I have seen so far. My eBird profile link is on my Robin’s Nest page.

First, I want to share my yard birds. I live in bird heaven, and I am grateful to my husband every single day I wake up to see a Great Egret hunting or an Anhinga sunning in my backyard. It is so cool to bird out my window here. I live on the water which attracts SO many different birds! I have seen both Great and Western Cattle Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and Tricolored and Little Blue Herons. White and Glossy Ibis and Wood Storks forage here daily. I was enthralled to see a pair of Roseate Spoonbills the other day! I love watching the Sandhill Cranes that visit often. My daughter calls them dinosaurs! Two of my favorite sounds are the loud calls from my pair of Common Gallinules that live right out my door and the haunting calls made by the Limpkins that stop by. I also enjoy seeing so many warblers up close!

I like to bird through my neighborhood. I pass many lakes on my way to the huge lake near my clubhouse in Vitalia. I lug my camera everywhere, so I won’t miss a shot. The lake has all the birds that I mentioned above and more. There are always large groups of Glossy Ibis and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Common Gallinules, Mottled Ducks and American Coots call this lake home. The trees are filled with different dove species, including White-winged, Common Ground, Mourning and Eurasian Collared-doves. Friendly little Blue-gray Gnatcatchers always greet me there. The preserve across the street from the clubhouse is a bird-magnet, especially as dusk nears. I have seen lots of American Wigeons and Blue-winged Teals there lately.

I discovered a new lake near my community’s front gate that is the perfect walking distance from my house. It has been full of both waterfowl and wading birds. I have shared lots of videos from here on my social media sites. I always see Osprey hunting there, and some occasional hawks. I enjoy seeing the adorable Loggerhead Shrikes perching on signs near the water. I also love watching the Ring-necked Ducks diving in procession! There is a huge influx of Lesser Scaup this year. I see HUNDREDS swimming there daily. There are a few Greater Scaup mixed with the Lessers, and many Coots and Gallinules. A wild Muscovy Duck has been there for over a week now and I saw my first Redheads last week- a lifer! I also birded the Tradition Lake, the only place I needed a car for. It is a very large lake in the center of town. I saw many of the same birds here, including a playful group of Double-crested Cormorants. An Anhinga and Common Gallinule posed for me!

I can still see and hear some of the birds I would see back home now such as Northern Cardinals and Mockingbirds. I hear the occasional House Finch or Blue Jay too. My kids gave me a bird cam for Christmas, and I set a Ring up to point at my other feeders back home.  So, I have the best of both bird worlds! I am seeing all my winter birds from a very long-distance LOL. My friend is taking care of my Carolina Wrens, Tufted Titmice, and Black-capped Chickadees. I am most excited to say that my Eastern Bluebirds came back! They left last spring due to the House Sparrows. Besides my family and friends, my Blues are the ONLY thing I miss up there now. You can see them on my Facebook page with this link!https://www.facebook.com/reel/759168352803472

Currently, I am still chasing a Painted Bunting. I searched all last year and only saw 2 from a distance in Hilton Head, SC and do not a good photo. Some people in Port St. Lucie are posting pictures of them in their YARDS now! Ugh! There is also a preserve in my community that I am dying to check out as I see many birds headed there at dusk to roost. Next, I will be venturing out to some of the local places that I birded last year so stay tuned! I hope I see a bunting, so I can share it with you! That is all for now! I would like to welcome my new followers and say a huge thanks to my existing followers! Be sure to follow my sites to see some cool videos of my birding adventures! Take care and stay warm, Robin.