Birding in Florida is Both Risky and Rewarding!

Hi guys! I am back home in Wilbraham in Massachusetts now, and the cold, gray days of early spring make me miss my happy place in sunny Port St. Lucie! But I am excited to see my backyard birds again here in Western Mass. It was my first winter as a snowbird and have never been away for so long before. I can’t believe I forgot how cute my Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice are! My Eastern Bluebirds and Northern Cardinals are strikingly beautiful against the gray, barren background. I am also enjoying spending time with my Dark-eyed Juncos before they migrate farther north than I just did. Before I focus on my Massachusetts birds again, I want to share my recent birding experiences from Florida with you.

My last month in the sunshine state was full of some dangerous, interesting, adorable, and beautiful creatures! I went to Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach because Painted Buntings were reported there, and we all know I was obsessed with getting a photo of them. I did see a few females, but like most female birds, they lacked the striking colors of the males. I did get to see baby Anhingas and Red-shouldered Hawks for the first time. The Anhingas were white fluff-balls that did not look like their parents at all! I also saw my first Purple Gallinule-so pretty! This place was popular, so the birds were not very shy. I got to see a Green Heron, Purple Martins, and a Red-winged Blackbird up close. The coolest things I saw in the trees at Green Cay were NOT birds. I saw SO many HUGE Green Iguanas, which were not always green!

I went back to Viera Wetlands in Melbourne this year. It had just partially reopened after renovations. Many species were nesting there again this year. Great, Snowy, and Western Cattle Egrets, Great Blue, Little Blue, Green and Tricolored Herons, Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, Roseate Spoonbills, and White Ibis were ALL nesting on the island across from the main path again. There were LOTS of alligators sunning on the banks again here. A Great Blue Heron caught a snake near me, and it was interesting to watch him try to eat it. My favorite sighting here was the mated pair of Great Horned Owls hanging out together in a tree. You can check out the videos of both these experiences on my sites!  

I went to a few places in Port St. Lucie that turned out to be creepier than I expected! The Oxbow Nature Center did not have much for birds, but it had lots of winding trails with no markers and muck that almost sucked me in! At least I saw the Wood Stork Couple below. I went to Wood Stork Trail Park, and it had some sketchy-looking homeless people and gators but no new birds. I did see a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers up close. Look below to see the often-hidden red belly they are named for. Then, I drove through McCarty Ranch Preserve and almost got the Husband’s Infinity stuck in the mud! There were some gators and American Kestrels here. I heard lots of Eastern Meadowlarks but still no photos to share yet.

Oak Hammock Park is creepy because it has a Devil Tree there. This tree has quite the history that I will share on my sites. I saw White-eyed Vireos, Red-shouldered Hawks, and lots of Gopher Tortoises there. I birded both the Savannahs Preserve and the Savannahs Recreation Area. The preserves had the Bald Eagles and Great Horned Owls nesting again but were pretty quiet otherwise. I saw my first Swallow-tailed Kite at the Savannahs Recreation Area, along with a cute Killdeer couple and a strange-colored alligator. My favorite iffy area turned out to be a place called Canal 23-24 on Ebird. It is literally that, a canal. There was a swarm of bees and 3 Swallow-tailed Kites. I got to see one hunting up close. I posted that experience for you to share with me! I also saw a Muscovy Duck and some cute Black-bellied Whistling Ducks near the St. Patrick’s Day celebration near the Event Center.

Sebastian Inlet State Park was a new place for me. It was a beautiful area with lots of piers and bridges and a cove that the shorebirds like. It is also a likely habitat for Painted Buntings, but I struck out again. I DID see Ruddy Turnstones, Black Skimmers, terns and herons as well as a beautiful Northern Parula. I met a guy who recommended Merit Island National Wildlife Refuge so off I went! My friend Dee Dee drove while I birded Black Point Wildlife Drive. The place was full of gators and beautiful birds. I had an amazing encounter with a Boat-tailed Grackle and got to see my first Reddish Egret up close. These beautiful birds look like they dance on the water! I shared both videos on my social feeds. We stopped by Cape Canaveral and saw lots of Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans too.

I saved my best experience for last. Husband’s Uncle Robert knew I was still searching for a male Painted Bunting, so he went looking in Sarasota for me. He saw one in Celery Fields, so off we went! The Celery Fields put up feeders like Green Cay did, and there was a GORGEOUS male Painted Bunting there when we arrived. I almost cried LOL. On top of that, I saw wild Nanday Parakeets and another very rare bird. A Yellow-headed Blackbird must have gotten lost in a recent storm. He was also visiting the feeders. This bird is normally found on the west coast! That’s it for Florida birds for now. I am dealing with creatures here in Western MA too. As I am typing this, the stupid squirrels just destroyed my latest attempt to outwit them….sigh. I want to welcome my recent followers and extend my usual HUGE thanks to my existing followers! Be sure to follow my sites to see the beautiful birds I share. Migration is here so the birds will be sporting their finest colors! Take care and stay tuned, Robin.