Winter 2016 - Great Florida Birding Trail

Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
Here come
the migrants!
And finally, the 2nd Great
Florida Birding and
Wildlife Trail Chipola
Spring is an exciting
Feather Fest is fast
time of year! Neotropical
approaching. Join us
songbirds are pouring into
between April 15 and 18
Florida from their southerly
for great birding in the
wintering grounds either
beautiful Panhandle,
to nest or to refuel on their
home to the world’s largest
northbound migration.
population of Red-cockaded
Birders will be flocking to
Woodpeckers. The Chipola
our coastal sites and urban
Feather Fest will provide
oases to witness spectacular
you with the opportunity to
arrivals of tired and hungry
see this iconic species plus
migrants. Wood-warblers,
many other sought after
tanagers, grosbeaks,
birds such as Bachman’s
cuckoos, thrushes, buntings,
Sparrow, Cliff Swallow,
swallows, vireos and
Swallow-tailed Kite,
Kentucky Warbler by Andrew C, Wikimedia Commons
flycatchers will be on show.
Mississippi Kite, Swainson’s
Raptors soar overhead and
Turkey who has visited several
Warbler, Kentucky Warbler,
shorebirds gather in large flocks
trail sites around the state this
Least Bittern, Snowy Plover,
on our beaches and mudflats.
winter. We have an article about
Yellow-breasted Chat, Purple
Birds aren’t the only critters
Winter Hummingbirds and
Gallinule and Chuck-will’s-widow.
on display in spring; butterflies
Birding Guru provides tips on
Visit the festival website for
become more abundant as the
how to do a Big Year. Our new
information.
weather warms up, dragonflies
website went live recently and we
#birdsloveFL
emerge and mammals are on the
are getting lots of great feedback
move.
from you. The new site is a work
in progress. Please send us your
–Great Florida Birding
In this issue of Kite Tales we
suggestions
for
improving
the
site.
and Wildlife Trail staff
follow in the footprints of Tom the
Visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/floridabirdingtrail
FloridaBirdingTrail.com
Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
Where’s Tom?
Tom is our ground truthing
mascot. He helps us evaluate
each of the trail sites we visit
around the state. This new Kite
Tales features highlights of Tom’s
visits. We hope he will inspire
you to take a trip and follow in
his footprints. In January, Tom
enjoyed his first Space Coast
Birding and Wildlife Festival. It
was Whitney’s first Space Coast
and Andy’s 10th! Tom went with
Whitney and Andy and their
field trip participants to Blue
Heron Wetlands, Lake Woodruff
NWR and Lyonia Environmental
Preserve. On the way to Space
Coast he took a walk at Camp
Milton Historic Preserve and
Faver Dykes State Park and on
the way home to Tallahassee he
checked out Tomoka State Park.
Camp Milton Historic Park
What a gem! This small park is
located west of Jacksonville about
15 minutes’ drive off Interstate 10.
After parking we followed the
Nature Trail to a beautifully
constructed boardwalk through
wet mixed forest. We came across
a mixed songbird flock of Orangecrowned, Black-and-white and
Pine Warblers. Two Northern
Flickers called and American
Robins flew overhead. We tallied
24 species during our hour long
visit.
Faver Dykes State Park
This park had gotten rave
reviews so we were excited to
pay a visit. At the recreation
area we enjoyed Brown-headed
Nuthatches and got very close
looks at a beautiful Yellowthroated Warbler. This familyfriendly park is just a short drive
Tom at Tomoka State Park by Andy Wraithmell, FWC.
from Interstate 75 and a great
place to bird for an hour or two.
We tallied 21 species during our
afternoon visit.
Blue Heron Water
Reclamation Facility
This site has long been a venue
for Space Coast Festival field
trips. It did not disappoint! An
American Bittern gave great
scope views to all of our field
trip participants but this was
overshadowed by the absolutely
amazing Crested Caracara
flyby! You could see the gleam in
its eye as it zoomed past us on
the dike! Despite the wind and
cold temperatures we tallied 34
species.
Lake Woodruff National
Wildlife Refuge
This beautiful birding trail site
never disappoints, it truly is a
must-visit site for birders and
MyFWC.com
wildlife viewers travelling to or
through Volusia County. As the
full moon dropped towards the
horizon we heard King Rails
and Sora calling. As the sun rose
flocks of Sandhill Cranes left
their roost, their bugling calls
echoing all around. Yet another
American Bittern showed off as
did a young Bald Eagle. We were
also treated to great views of a
pair of River Otters who seemed
oblivious to our presence. We
tallied 57 species during our
three hour hike.
Lyonia Environmental
Preserve
This beautifully managed oasis
of scrub is famous for Florida
Scrub-Jays and they are not
that difficult to find. In fact, the
Scrub-Jays will usually come
and say hello! We ate our lunch
on the grass by the amphitheater
and one cheeky Scrub-Jay flew
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Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
over looking for a handout.
Unfortunately for him we don’t
feed Scrub-Jays as this can lead
to problems particularly for jays
that live in urban areas near roads.
Tomoka State Park
During the festival we had heard
that a Red-throated Loon had
been found at this wonderful
park in Volusia County. Sure
enough there was one! What was
exciting for us was that there
were three other Red-throated
Loons too…FOUR! Quite a rare
occurrence in Volusia County. A
huge cloud of scaup were evident
over the Halifax River, no doubt a
cruising Bald Eagle or Peregrine
Falcon provoked this spectacle.
Red-breasted Mergansers,
Horned Grebes and American
White Pelicans were also present.
Florida Scrub-Jay by Andy Wraithmell, FWC.
American Bittern by Andy Wraithmell, FWC.
FloridaBirdingTrail.com
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Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
Birding Guru
Birding guru Andy Wraithmell
has been birding for over 30
years. Birding Guru features one
of the hardest wood-warblers to
add to your Florida life list, the
beautiful Cerulean Warbler and,
tips on how to do a big year in
Florida.
Cerulean Warbler
This beautiful sky-blue warbler
is a rare visitor to Florida in
April, August and September.
It is a difficult bird to add to
your Florida list. In spring,
they often show up at coastal
sites but, exactly where is often
unpredictable. The two best
sites to have a chance of finding
one are St. George Island State
Park, and Fort De Soto Park.
However, you stand a much
better chance of seeing one in
the fall particularly during the
last week of August and the
first two weeks of September.
During this three-week window
they are recorded annually at
Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park in
Tallahassee between trails C and
E, which are accessible from Gate
B on Miller Landing Road. Look
for them high up in the canopy.
This makes it difficult to spot one
but with patience and strong neck
muscles it can be done.
How to do a Big Year –
Introduction
What on earth is a Big Year
you may ask? Basically, it’s
an attempt to see as many
different species of birds as you
can between January 1st and
December 31st within a selfdesignated geographic location
(backyard, county, state, country
etc.). Sounds easy huh? How
Cerulean Warbler by Mdf, Wikimedia Commons
many different species of birds
do you think you could see in a
calendar year? Andy Bankert
holds the Florida state big year
record; in 2007 he saw 367 species!
Why not challenge yourself to
see as many different species
in Florida during 2016? If you
see more than 50 species you
can apply for our NEW Big Year
certificate depicting a pair of
Blackburnian Warblers. The art
for this beautiful certificate was
created by Rafael Galvez. Once
you reach 50 species keep on
adding new birds to your 2016
list. Apply during the first week
of January 2017 and we will send
you your Big Year certificate with
your name and your 2016 total
FloridaBirdingTrail.com
printed on it.
We will of course be providing
information and tips in the next
three Kite Tales and on our
Facebook page to help you get as
many species as possible during
your Florida Big Year journey.
Habitat, habitat, habitat!
Many of Florida’s native species
are easy to find. I am sure many
of you have seen a Northern
Cardinal and, I am sure you
have probably seen them in
a whole bunch of different
habitats. Northern Cardinals
are generalists when it comes
to picking a habitat, which is
why you will find them in your
backyard, at the local park, in a
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Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
coastal hammock, in wetlands,
scrub, pine forest….the list goes
on. However, some birds are
really picky about which habitats
they frequent. For example the
Florida Scrub-Jay can only be
found in scrub habitats and
Mangrove Cuckoos are only found
in mangroves.
Let’s take a look at two of
Florida’s major habitats (Pine
Forest and Hardwood Hammocks)
and list some of the most-likely
species you can find in each of
them.
Pine Forest
Natural pine forests, as opposed
to pine tree farms, are often
found with sand hills. These
are dry habitats, dominated
by species such as longleaf and
slash pines (in south Florida).
Depending on the elevation
and soil types they occur in
association with saw palmetto,
wiregrass and scrubby oak
species. This habitat is becoming
rarer in Florida as development
increases. Fire is an important
factor in pineland communities,
and land managers use prescribed
fire to help maintain it.
Year-round Residents
Common Ground-Dove, Great
Horned Owl, Red-headed
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker,
Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern
Bluebird, Pine Warbler, Yellowthroated Warbler, Eastern
Towhee, Bachman’s Sparrow,
Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Sapsucker, House Wren, Sedge
Wren, Chipping Sparrow, Palm
Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Regional specialties
Hairy Woodpecker (resident –
locally rare throughout state),
Golden-crowned Kinglet (winter –
Panhandle), Pine Siskin (winter –
Panhandle), Yellow-breasted Chat
(summer – Panhandle), Henslow’s
Sparrow (winter – Panhandle).
Recommended Pine Forest
trail sites and when to visit
Panhandle Section:
Chuck-will’s-widow, Swallowtailed Kite, Broad-winged Hawk,
Great Crested Flycatcher. Northern
Parula, Summer Tanager.
Blackwater River State Forest
(spring and summer), Apalachee
Wildlife Management Area
(winter and spring), Apalachicola
National Forest (spring and
summer), Ocklockonee River
State Park (spring and summer).
Winter residents
West Section: Twin Rivers
Summer breeding residents
American Kestrel, Yellow-bellied
State Forest (winter and spring),
Osceola National Forest (spring
and summer), Withlacoochee
State Forest (spring and
summer), Chassahowitzka
Wildlife Management Area
(winter and spring).
East Section: Jennings State
Forest (spring), Faver-Dykes
State Park (winter, spring and
summer), Three Lakes Wildlife
Management Area (spring and
summer).
South Section: Babcock Webb
Wildlife Management Area
(spring and summer),
Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest
and Wildlife Management Area
(spring and summer), Royal Palm
Beach Pines Natural Area (winter
and spring), Everglades National
Park (Long Pine Key Campground
Area) (winter and spring).
American Kestrel
FloridaBirdingTrail.com
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Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
Hardwood Hammocks
In Florida, hardwood forests
are commonly referred to as
hammocks. The types of trees
found in hammocks varies from
north to south. North Florida
has the most diverse hardwood
forests in the continental
U.S., featuring beeches and
magnolias. Particularly rare
plant communities can be
found on the slope forests in
this region. Cabbage palm-live
oak hammocks are common in
central and south central Florida.
Further south, they become less
diverse until, in the extreme
south, the forests contain
primarily tropical tree species
such as poisonwood and gumbolimbo. Hammocks can be dry or
wet, and can take over pinelands
that are not managed using fire.
Year-round Residents
Gray Catbird by Andy Wraithmell, FWC.
Winter residents
Panhandle), Broad-winged Hawk
(spring/summer - Panhandle),
White-breasted Nuthatch
(resident – Leon & Jefferson
County), Short-tailed Hawk
(resident – Central and South
Florida). In sub-tropical South
Florida, as many as 20 species of
wood-warbler can be found
wintering in our hardwood
hammocks.
Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird,
Blue-headed Vireo, Orangecrowned Warbler, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet.
Recommended Hardwood
Hammock trail sites and
when to visit
Wild Turkey, Eastern ScreechOwl, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher, Brown Thrasher.
Summer breeding residents
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-eyed
Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo,
Northern Parula, Summer
Tanager.
Spring and fall migration
Neotropical migrants can be
found in this habitat; woodwarblers, tanagers, buntings,
grosbeaks, vireos, cuckoos,
thrushes, orioles and more.
Regional specialties
Mississippi Kite (spring/summer –
Panhandle Section: Fort
Pickens (spring & fall), Florida
Caverns State Park (winter),
Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park (allyear), St. George Island State
Park (spring and fall).
West Section: Suwannee River
Prairie Preserve (all-year),
Aucilla Wildlife Management
Area (spring and summer).
East Section: Fort Clinch State
Park (winter, spring and fall),
Rainbow Springs State Park
(winter and fall), Mead Gardens
(winter and fall), Circle B Bar
Reserve (winter and fall).
South Section: Myakka River
State Park (winter), Delray Oaks
Natural Area (winter, spring and
fall), A.D. Barnes Park (winter,
spring and fall), Everglades
National Park (winter).
In the summer issue of Birding
Guru: How to Do a Big Year,
we will explore mudflats and
tropical hardwood hammocks in
Florida.
State Park (all-year), Fort De Soto
Park (spring and fall), Paynes
FloridaBirdingTrail.com
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Where’s
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Chuck-will’s-widow, © Joe Fuhrman/VIREO
Find him at...
The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail’s
Chipola Feather Fest
April 15-18, 2016 n Marianna, Florida
Come join us for a 4-day celebration of birds and wildlife in the beautiful Florida Panhandle,
home to the world’s largest population of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. The Chipola Feather Fest
will provide you with the opportunity to see this iconic species plus many other sought-after
birds such as Bachman’s Sparrow,
Cliff Swallow, Swallow-tailed Kite,
Mississippi Kite, Swainson’s Warbler,
Kentucky Warbler, Least Bittern,
Snowy Plover, Yellow-breasted Chat,
Purple Gallinule and Chuck-will’s-widow.
myfwc.com/chipolafeatherfest
MyFWC.com
Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
Florida’s winter
hummingbirds
By Mark Kiser (2008); updated by
Andy Wraithmell (2015)
Sparkling jewels of the bird
world, hummingbirds grace
our woodlands and yards with
their brilliant colors and aerial
feats of prowess. It’s no wonder
that so many people, even those
who don’t consider themselves
birdwatchers, take pleasure in
watching hummingbirds. This
is not just a summer activity,
though -- a growing number
of Floridians are enjoying
this activity all year long. In
fact, it’s even more exciting in
winter. Eleven hummingbird
species have been recorded in
the Sunshine State, most of
which are winter visitors from
western North America. Eagleeyed homeowners and scientists
continue to discover new
information, and to find more
individuals, every year.
Hummingbirds are famous
for their astoundingly high
metabolisms and voracious
appetites. No matter what
season, hummers need to obtain
large quantities of high-energy
food, most of which is nectar from
flowers. Typically, they feed every
15 minutes or so from dawn until
dusk to sustain their fast-paced
lifestyles, and an individual
may visit hundreds of flowers
daily. They also need a source
of protein to supplement their
sugary diet, which they obtain
from insects and spiders. Even in
winter, hummers are quite adept
at catching prey such as flies,
mosquitoes and gnats in mid-air
or plucking spiders right from
their webs.
The familiar
Ruby-throated
Hummingbird is
one of our most
common winter
hummers and is
also the only one
that breeds in
Florida. It nests
north of Lake
Okeechobee
(though
sometimes
farther south)
and can be found
anywhere in
the state during
spring and
Black-chinned Hummingbird in flight by Andy Wraithmell, FWC.
fall migration.
Although most
Much of what we know about
“Ruby-Throats” depart the United
the winter movements of
States around September for
hummingbirds comes from bird
the warm climate of Central
banding. Each winter, more
America, many overwinter in
homeowners are welcoming
South Florida, and a few remain
licensed banders to their yards
in northern Florida and coastal
to capture “their” hummers. Tiny
areas of the southeast.
numbered bands are carefully
The Black-chinned Hummingbird attached to the hummingbirds’
and the Rufous Hummingbird are legs before releasing them.
the most frequently encountered
Thanks to these efforts, we know
western hummers in Florida. The individual hummingbirds are
“Black-Chin’s” breeding range
returning to the same yards in
extends from British Columbia
subsequent winters. For example,
to Central Texas. Males have a
a female Rufous Hummingbird
dark purple throat, but females
was observed at the same location
and immature birds are similar
in Okaloosa County for five years
in appearance to the ruby-throat. running; a Rufous Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbirds are
banded in Tallahassee was
champion long-distance travelers
recaptured several months later,
which migrate from as far away
in Alaska!
as Alaska. They are fairly easy
As the number of overwintering
to tell from other hummingbirds
reports increases, so has
(except Allen’s) due to their fiery
interest in attracting them in
reddish-orange and brownish
winter. So what do you need in
plumage. Exceptionally coldorder to host your own winter
hardy, the Rufous Hummingbird
hummingbirds? You can continue
has been found in nearly every
to supply artificial nectar in
state and province in eastern
hummingbird feeders as you
North America in winter.
would in summer. A common
MyFWC.com
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Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
misconception is, “Won’t I stop
them from migrating if I keep
my feeders up past Labor Day?”
The answer is no. Like other
birds, they migrate according to
photoperiod (length of the day).
Simply leave at least one feeder
up and keep spares on hand when
the weather turns cold (the sugar
solution will freeze around 27
degrees F). To prevent freezing,
some enthusiasts plug in a shop
light with an outdoor bulb next
to the feeder, or wrap an electric
heat tape around the feeder.
Remember to change the sugar
solution at least once a week
(twice a week in summer) to keep
it from spoiling, which can harm
the birds.
Providing showy nectar plants
is the simplest way to keep
hummingbirds coming back any
time of year, and to beautify
your yard at the same time.
Many native plants, such as
trumpet creeper (Campsis
radicans), coral honeysuckle
(Lonicera sempervirens), coral
bean (Erythrina herbacea) and
red buckeye
(Aesculus pavia)
attract hummers
in warmer
months. But what
about winter?
Depending on
where you live,
you can provide
some native
flowering plants
that will furnish
food in the cold
season. The bestThe first and only state record of Costa’s Hummingbird, by
known of these is
Fred Dietrich.
firebush (Hamelia
also be used in the landscape,
patens), which
but avoid invasive species. The
naturally occurs in peninsular
Mexican shrimp plant (Justicia
Florida (from Marion County
brandegeana) and pineapple
southward). It’s an excellent
sage (Salvia elegans) are popular
hummingbird plant that blooms
ornamental plants which bloom
in all four seasons. For South
virtually year-round. One
Florida, necklace pod (Sophora
Tallahassee couple reports that
tomentosa) and Geiger tree
winter hummers feed on multiple
(Cordia sebestena) are also good
Salvia species and pentas (Pentas
choices. Coral honeysuckle can
bloom all year long, even in North sp.) in their yard during winter,
and if frost is imminent, they
Florida, though spring through
simply cover the flowers with a
fall is more typical.
sheet for protection.
Some nonnative plants can
Chipola Feather Fest Keynote – Hummingbirds by
Fred Bassett – Friday April 15th
Hummingbirds recorded
in Florida
Fred Bassett is a certified master bird bander who has worked with birds for
over twenty years. He travels each summer to study hummingbirds in western
states and has done research in Alaska and Canada. Fred has banded more
than 35,000 hummingbirds from Miami, Florida to Haines, Alaska.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Broad-billed Hummingbird*
White-eared Hummingbird*
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Bahama Woodstar*
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird*
Costa’s Hummingbird*
Calliope Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird*
Allen’s Hummingbird*
From 1998 to 2008, Fred Bassett banded 1,598 wintering hummingbirds of
ten species in two states. His ground-breaking research was documented in
“Wintering hummingbirds in Alabama and Florida,” a scientific paper published
in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Field Ornithology, a peer-reviewed
publication.
On December 28, 2011 in Foley, AL Fred caught a female Rufous Hummingbird
that was banded July 19, 2011 near Dunster, BC, Canada. The distance
between banding and recapture was 2,250 miles!!!!
Come and join Fred at the Historic Russ House in Marianna, Florida for more
fascinating insights into these beautiful birds. This will be an evening to remember!
For more information visit the festival website.
MyFWC.com
*recorded fewer than 10 times
in Florida
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Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
Experience the Trail
Thanks to all the photographers who contributed their wonderful pictures!
Osprey at Wakodahatchee Wetlands by Marilynne Strazzeri
Long-billed Curlew at Fort De Soto by Norman Swift
Sleeping bobcat at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive by Danny Sauvageau
Have a picture to contribute to this quarterly feature? Send a high resolution jpeg (1MB or larger)
to Wildlifeviewing@MyFWC.com by October 15th, 2014 for inclusion in our winter issue, and
include where you took the picture and a short caption. Native Florida wildlife only please! We
can feature up to six images per issue; all unused images will be kept on file for future issues.
FloridaBirdingTrail.com
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Kite Tales: The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail Newsletter Winter 2016 Volume 8 Issue 1
Wings Over Florida
Congratulations to the following
Wings Over Florida Participants
who were awarded certificates
between November 2015 and
January 2016!
Bird Listing Program
Northern Cardinal level
(50 to 149 species)
Connor Harper
Travis McKie-Voerste
Betty Ann Kolar
Ethan Dropkin
Dr. James Murphy DC
Georgette Royer
Michael Kaye
Florida Scrub-Jay level
(150 to 249 species)
Nick Crease
Sigurd Olsen
Matt Hogan
Lynette Spence
Christine Baal
Contact Us:
Anne Glick,
Section Leader
Anne.Glick@MyFWC.com
(850) 922-0664
Whitney Gray,
Trail Coordinator
Whitney.Gray@MyFWC.com
(850) 488-9478
Andy Wraithmell,
Wildlife Viewing
Program Specialist
Andy.Wraithmell@MyFWC.com
(850) 488-9453
Michael Overstreet,
Publications
Michael.Overstreet@MyFWC.com
(850) 488-8755
Black Skimmer level
2015 Big Year Level
(200+ species)
(250 to 299 species)
Debbie Olavarria (283)
Debbie Olavarria
Sherri Brown (238)
Dena Beecher
Jeffery Platt (210)
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Help us keep Kite Tales
aloft.
Please consider sending a taxdeductible donation to the Wildlife
Foundation of Florida on behalf of
the Great Florida Birding & Wildlife
Trail.
Please make checks (in U.S. funds
only) to the Wildlife Foundation of
Florida, with “GFBWT/Kite Tales”
written in the memo section of your
check. Please send to:
Wildlife Foundation of Florida
Attention: GFBWT
P.O. Box 6181
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6181
Brown-headed Nuthatch by Andy Wraithmell, FWC.
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