Florida Birding 2000

Tuesday, May 2nd
Up early but not too early this morning. Took the Sanibel Causeway on my way to J N Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. While driving on the causeway I saw some gulls and realized that I had not seen any gulls at all on the trip so far. I couldn't identify these, but thought that they were Laughing Gulls. I did recognize the Brown Pelicans that soared alongside the road.

White Ibis and Roseate Spoonbill at J N Ding Darling NWR

The refuge consists of a 4 mile drive with a few walking trails. The habitat is varied - pools and estuaries, mangrove forests, and other stuff that I am not sure of. It was definitely more varied than Shark Valley. The best time to visit is when the tide is low and early morning when the birds are more active. At the first area where I stopped, there were birds in the water on both sides of the road. White Ibis were the most prevalent bird. Unfortunately, the birds on the side with the sun behind them were the closest. It was hard to make out the details or see the color of many of the birds. Some Roseate Spoonbills were on both sides. I could make out the shape and some color of the close ones. The colors on the other side were magnificent. A few took off and flew over me giving splendid views. The "bad" side had a mud flat with a lot of shorebirds on it. Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlin were mostly in breeding plumage although some still lacked full color. I was able to see the plovers pulling large worms from the sand. I had never actually seen the worms before. There was one Greater Yellowlegs and a good number of Short-billed Dowitchers (identified by asking a park volunteer which they were and being told that Long-billeds don't come to the refuge). Also a few Least Sandpipers.

I enjoyed watching a Reddish Egret doing its hunting dance. Lot of fun to see that. Several Willets were feeding on the other side. Of course, I saw the other herons and egrets. A Red-shouldered Hawk's keer attracted my attention and I easily found it. Not so easy was a Prairie Warbler. I heard the bird calling and the park volunteers said that it was a nesting Prairie Warbler. Despite its constant calling, I could not find it. I had been to the refuge once before, in January 1992 and there were many more birds that time. I guess the time of year has a lot to do with it. A little further along, I was l able to get close to some of the birds

Drove on down the road and saw a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron on some mangrove roots. Unfortunately, someone was taking pictures of it. I tried lining it up, but there was foliage in the way. Finally, the other person left and I moved in to take a great picture. I pushed the button and nothing happened. I had been making adjustments to the camera and changed a setting. By the time I fixed it, the bird disappeared. It was a really beautiful bird and would have made a great picture. Heard the Prairie Warbler again but could not find it despite the assistance of a woman who was also searching for it. We ran into each other several times when we each stopped after hearing the bird, but searched in vain. While looking for the warbler, an Osprey flew overhead carrying a large fish with distinct black and white stripes. That was a nice sighting. Saw a few American White Pelicans preening on an mudflat.

I walked along the Red Mangrove Forest Trail - not much in the way of birds on the trail but the trees and their tall root systems are very interesting. When I came out, the Prairie Warbler searching lady was there listening to, but not seeing, the elusive quarry. She mentioned how tame the Red-bellied Woodpeckers were while pointing to one a few feet from me. It was tame until I raised my camera and then it flew away.

I saw another Osprey on a nesting platform. While watching it, I heard the Prairie Warbler once more. I searched and searched and nothing. Then I saw a small bird moving a distance away. I got closer. I continued to see movement but could not really see the bird. I decided to try pishing and out it came. I was able to get wonderful looks at this brightly colored little jewel for a couple of minutes. When I ran into the woman a little later, she said she had seen one (but not as well as I did).

We met up again near the exit. This time she was looking for a Mangrove Cuckoo which she had been told was in that area. Again we could not locate the target bird. She heard a "wheep" and asked if I knew what it was. I said I thought it was a Great Crested Flycatcher and sure enough it was when I was able to locate it.

Florida 2000