Pine Flatwoods visit

Florida's Pine Flatwoods, Leica C-Lux 2, 1/14/08

Wow, two weeks into 2008 and I hadn't stopped to officially go birding once! I was going stir crazy. At the recent show in Atlanta a few of us were prepared to chase the rare Smith's Longspur one AM but that fell apart... :(

As I was driving back from my early morning flight from ATL I passed my favorite local patch of pine flatwood habitat, Babcock Webb WMA. It wasn't a matter of should I or shouldn't I.... I absolutely HAD to stop for a breather and a bit of "avian sanity". Plus, I always love creeping through the "piney woods"! It would be a quick swing.... an hour and a half tops! I had plenty to accomplish and couldn't afford the time but I couldn't afford not to either.

Limpkin, digiscoped Babck Webb WMA - Leica APO Televid scope & C-Lux 2 camera

As I payed my $3 entrance fee I eyed a 6' gator lounging in the sun at the edge of the small marl pond here. A couple hundred feet later I'd see my 1st Limpkin of the year. An insanely tame bird feeding in the ditch right at the culvert edge below the road (the shot above was actually at minimum zoom.... I could only fit he head and bill in the frame)!

Babcock Webb habitat shot with RCW roost tree

One of the flatwood's specialty species is the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Researchers mark roost and nest trees of this endangered bird with wide white paint bands. You can see the "banded" tree in the image above. Of course, by mid-morning this is only a reminder that RCW's were likely here at first light!

RCW artificial nest cavity, Babcock Webb WMA 1/14/08

In some cases, artificial cavities are placed into the trees with protective PVC entrances. The first time I saw one of these I laughed stating, "What kind of stupid bird would use something like that!" Naturally, there were birds roosting in the artificial cavity on my next visit.... Ever notice how both Crow and Feet leave that horrible taste in your mouth?!?.... ;p

Eastern Bluebird male, digiscoped Leica APO Televid scope & C-Lux 2 camera 1/14/08

Knowing I didn't have much time, I decided to head straight for one of the areas traditionally productive for the pinewoods specialists. At this time of day the best bet is to get into these areas and find the mixed flocks of feeding birds. You will typically find most of the specialty birds this way. Within minutes I saw a waves of birds, working every level from ground to canopy moving through the pines like a dust storm.

female Eastern Bluebird, Babcock Webb WMA 1/14/08

A regular denizen of these mixed pinewoods flocks are the Eastern Bluebirds. They typically sit on a mid level perch and scan the ground for signs of insects and will swoop down to grab these, returning to their perch. Much like a flycatcher in reverse!

Brown-headed Nuthatch, digiscoped with Leica APO Televid scope & C-Lux 2

Before long I heard what sounded like "Rubber Duckies" in the tree canopy and swung up to see a small band of Brown-headed Nuthatches complaining as they hopped through the tree tops. Eastern Towhees "chewinked" nearby, and the high, thin "seep"s of Bachman's Sparrows were given in protest as they'd burst from cover at my feet. Common Ground Doves zipped by but none of these really joined the flock.

Yellow-rumped Warbler, digiscoped Babcock Webb WMA, FL 1/14/08

In fact the majority of the flock was made up of warblers. This group was probably one hundred birds strong. Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers combined for half of this particular flock. Typical of Eastern populations, the Yellow-rumped Warblers were all of the "Myrtle" subspecies. The other half of the flock was primarily (not surprisingly) Pine Warblers.

One of many adult male Pine Warblers, digiscoped @ Babcock Webb WMA 1/14/08

Pine Warblers ranged from bright yellow males to barely-marked, dull gray immatures and everywhere in between. Of course, for some reason I found all of my images were of bright males in dappled or full sunlight. I'm a sucker for that bright yellow, what can I say.

adult male Pine Warbler, digicoped w/ Leica APO Televid scope & C-Lux 2 camera 1/14/08

The warblers were fun to watch forage. Some hopped on the ground in search of food, others crept down the tree trunks, while some swept through the branches foraging. They were at all levels like a swarm of ants insuring no portion of vegetation was left unsearched. An hour and a half went by all too fast, and I didn't see the most sought after specialty the RCW. No worries though, I had a great time and since I live so close, I can guarantee success of seeing these birds by standing anywhere in this area at first light. Upon leaving the roost they will always socialize and call back and forth giving away their positions before heading off in search of food.

adult Bald Eagle @ urban nest site 1/14/08

As a final bonus I swung past a local Bald Eagle nest that decided to nest right above a busy suburban sidewalk. To my relief, officials had taped off the sidewalks on both sides of the road, and placed no stopping or standing signs on the roadsides here. Still they were well into their nesting before folks did this and the birds proved more than tolerant.

One of the advantages of digiscoping though with a 6,000 mm lens equivalent, I was easily able to stand well back in the open parking lot across the street and still get nice images at a respectful distance. I was here only moments but could tell from the bird's behavior there were young chicks in the nest. Glad to see they are having success in this unlikely nesting area. Even if not ideal for the bird's welfare, these extremely obvious birds are doing a lot to raise interest & awareness throughout the local community. Never a bad thing!

Cloud Forest Bound

Clay-colored Robin digiscoped in Costa Rica, December 2007

The Clay-colored Robin is the Costa Rican national bird. It's an apt choice as they are ubiquitous when in the country! Along with Black Vulture, Great-tailed Grackle, and Cattle Egrets, I know I'll always see a Clay-colored Robin not too long after landing in San Jose (or at least hear its squeaky mewing call). So an adventure begins. I love visiting the tropics but as surely as I am in the US, I'm eager to get away from the city and into some real natural habitats with some more interesting birds. What I want is to get back up to the cloud forest.

Summer Tanager, female near Guacimal, Costa Rica

Being winter there are many dear old friends along the way. Red-eyed Vireos and Baltimore Orioles are en force, along with tanagers and a host of warbler species which migrate past my Florida home annually on their way to Boreal breeding grounds.

Groove-billed Ani poses for a shot

Birds like Groove-billed Anis which barely reach the US are common in farmlands and along the scrubby roadsides as I drive toward Monteverde, along with White-winged & Ruddy Ground Doves, Gray Hawks, and Yellow-faced Grassquits.

Gray-crowned Yellowthroat digiscoped with Leica Televid scope and C-lux 2 12/07

Many of these birds show up from time to time on our side of the Rio Grande River making birders very happy. Gray-crowned Yellowthroats are a rare treat in the US.

Rufous-naped Wren at roadside, Costa Rica, 12/07

As I climb ever higher into the foothills birds like the large Rufous-naped Wren begin to appear, along with stunning White-throated Magpie Jays...

Crimson-fronted Parakeet feeding on tropical fruits 12/07

Fruiting trees like figs and the like attract many Thrushes, and larger birds like Parakeets. This tree hosted larger Crimson-fronted Parakeets and the diminutive Orange-chinned Parakeets!

view from the road to Monteverde

Of course if I truly wanted my head in the clouds I'd have to climb higher still. The Cloud Forest is a damp environment that sits under the blanket of clouds much of the time. It is lush, green and beautiful.

Cloud forest Orchid species digiscoped December 2007

Orchids and ferns abound but lighting is usually less than great. You will want to bring a good rain coat and a very waterproof optic with lots of light gathering! Especially if you want to enjoy views of any of the following....

Gray-necked Wood-Rail digiscoped near Monteverde with Leica APO Televid 77 with zoom eyepiece and Leica C-lux 2 camera...

Black-faced Solitaire digiscoped at Santa Elena Reserve 12-13-07...

Black Guan peers past vines while being digiscoped in a light drizzle!