Birding the Jacksonville Area Beaches

Many of the birders we met at Little Talbot Island State Park where we saw the celebrity Snowy Owl were also looking for other rarities that were recently spotted in the area. We gathered information and headed to Huguenot Memorial Park just up the road to see if we could find the Snow Buntings that have been reported. The tide was still too high to drive on the beach so we got lots of exercise.

We never found the buntings, but saw lots of ducks. The profile of a Merganser is unmistakable. There were hundreds of Red-breasted Mergansers swimming in a large tidal pool across the dunes from the beach. They were quite far away.

I saw this lone Grebe among the ducks. It must be a Horned Grebe but it sure looks like the Western Grebes I see in Colorado.

There was different activity on the beach - and lots of it!

I like the silhouette of the ship in the background.

On our way out of the park we saw some of the regulars. There were lots of Osprey...

Mockingbirds...

and a Wood Stork keeping guard while a Big Blue Heron fishes down in the ravine. It was still early so we decided to head further north to Ft. Clinch State Park located on a peninsula on the outermost point of Amelia Island to see if we could see the Harlequin Duck that has been seen at the end of the pier.

The pier was long (lots of exercise!) and the water was choppy. There were several Black (or American) Scoters swimming near the pier - a Life Bird for us both.

The Harlequin Duck had been swimming too far out to see without a scope - but swam in just as we arrived to the delight of the birders on the watch. He actually swam along side the pier towards the beach diving in the rough waves next to the rocks for as long as we were there.

Another Red-breasted Merganser.

 The water was clear enough that we could see his feet and he was close enough that many of the birders with enormous lenses had to change them out. My lens was perfect.

All along the jetty we saw dozens of Ruddy Turnstones.

While I was watching the Turnstones a Purple Sandpiper hopped up on the wall! Yet another Life Bird!

The Purple Sandpiper didn't stay in view very long but while he was there the cameras were clicking like crazy (mine included!)

Fort Clinch Beach is a prime nesting area for Black Skimmers and the beach was loaded with them! Bill and I had an amazing birding day in the Jacksonville area - but I just might have to go back and try to get a picture of the Snowy Owl with her eyes open! On our way home we spotted the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher sitting on the wire near the Ocala Regional Sportsplex - but I was too tired to get out the camera and Bill was too tired to stop.

Yellowstone Birds

 There are over 300 species of birds in Yellowstone. I had the official list and expected to spend time looking for them all but with only a couple of days in the park - dedicated birding didn't happen. Most of the time we were in the car driving the figure 8 inside the 3-thousand square mile area. There are lots of stops, lookouts, picnic areas, short walks and photo opportunities but many of the hiking trails away from populated areas were closed because of bear activity.

Western Tanager

This was the first year we didn't have migrating Western Tanagers in our backyard, so I was thrilled to see them in Wyoming.

Western Tanager

Western Tanager

This handsome, hungry guy was posing for me along the side of the road where we had stopped to check out a bear sighting. 

It's common in the park to see a gathering of people where wildlife has been spotted. As we were hiking back to see yet another beautiful mountain stream vista, several tripods and cameras with ridiculous lenses were set up along the walkway. We assumed the friendly English visitors were looking at the far-away hills for wolves, but they had their cameras aimed at a small hole in a large tree stump not a dozen feet from the path where a Williamson's Sapsucker had a nest. Hearing that, I joined the long wait for the birds to make an appearance.

Williamson's Sapsucker (female)

The female was inside the nest. When she left, we knew it wouldn't be long before the male appeared. The female looks very different from the male.

Williamson's Sapsucker (male)

Soon, the colorful male appeared. He landed on the back of the stump and quickly walked around to the side so I could get a great look at his colors - black and white with a bright yellow belly and red chin.

Williamson's Sapsucker

 I wish my picture was clearer but I was focused on the hole in the tree.

Williamson's Sapsucker

 His back is not as interesting. This was a Life Bird for both Bill and me.

Canada Geese

 We saw lots of Canada Geese along Lake Yellowstone.

Barrow's Goldeneye

 Our first day in the Park was extremely windy - so windy that trees blew over closing roads until they could be cleared. The lake was so choppy that many of the ducks were hugging the shoreline. It was very difficult to get decent pictures. We have Common Goldeneye Ducks here in Colorado, but this was my first sighting of a Barrow's Goldeneye.

Cliff Swallow

 I don't think I've ever seen as many Swallows as I saw this trip; Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows and Cliff Swallows. They are impossible to photograph in flight so I was glad to have some pose in their nests.

Cliff Swallow

 These mud nests were lined up on the back-side of one of the clean, well-stocked rest rooms that are abundant throughout the Park.

Violet-green Swallows

Dark-eyed Junco

Green-winged Teal

 All of the many, many ducks were far away so pictures were challenging - especially in the wind. We saw 3 kinds of Teal - Cinnamon, Blue-winged and Green-winged.

Red-breasted Merganser

 And we saw lots and lots of Mergansers with their unique profiles.

Lesser Scaup

 I hope I have these Scaup identifications correct!

Greater Scaup

Red-winged Blackbird

I was surprised to see so much water in the Park - lakes, ponds, streams, rivers - water everywhere. And where there is water, there are Red-winged Blackbirds.

OTOW Unique Birders

On Thursday, the OTOW Unique Birders met at the H & R parking lot at 7:30 AM to carpool to the Withlacoochee Bay Trail where we began scanning for birds around 9:00.

There was a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk waiting in the parking area, welcoming us.

Once we all assembled and started on the 4+ mile drive, he left.

The Cardinals were out in numbers!

One of the first birds we spotted along the trail was this beautiful Brown Thrasher. I also saw what I believe was a Summer Tanager - but did not get a picture good enough to post. Others in our group reported hearing its song, so I'm fairly confident in my identification.

Along the bank of the river, Fiddler Crabs played in the mud. This one was giving us the claw.

We saw several Bald Eagles - but this was the only one close enough for a decent picture.

One of a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers.

The State Bird - Mockingbird.

Several Brown Pelicans flew by for pictures.

And a large flock of White Pelicans flew overhead.

As we rounded the turn to head back, this snake blocked the road.

I heard one birder say it was a Water Snake and another was sure it was a Corn Snake. He sure was a pretty brown!