This weekend I traveled across the state of Florida and back into time. Our mission was to conquer Fort De Soto. We had an excellent day, fun adventures, and plenty of birds. This historic fort is found near Tampa and is known for its spectacular migration in spring. Fallouts can bring huge numbers of warblers and other Gulf migrants. The park boasts a bird list of over 300. The weather is a huge factor in the birding and though we didn't have the perfect conditions, it was a great way to spend a day in Florida.
These 12-inch M1890-M1 mortars are the last four remaining in North America (the only others in the world are in the Philippines). Fort De Soto was never a site of any major battles and it never fired a round at an enemy. The fort is named for Hernando De Soto who came ashore near Tampa Bay in 1528. The fort was built in the late 1890s and was completed in April, 108 years ago.
For this birding adventure I was privileged to be joined by Kim, the scientist of Southwest Florida. We packed the car with snacks, optics, bird guides, and of course a sense of adventure. This was our first time exploring the park and we didn't quite know what to expect. What we did know was that we needed to find the Mulberry Trees. This grove would hold the magic of the day. This one stand of trees would bring all the color of the day.
We arrived at Fort De Soto sometime after sunrise. Our bird list was already up to 15 from the road travel; the first bird of the day from Kim's parking lot, a Burrowing Owl on the mailbox. With a start like that we knew the day would hold many surprises. The Mulberry Tree above was the first major stop. We quickly picked up a succession of life birds for our list: Orchard Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Worm-Eating Warbler, and Black-Hooded Parakeet. Other highlights from this area included Prothonotary Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, and both Gray and Eastern Kingbirds. From there we headed to the North Beach and found a few shorebirds like Short-Billed Dowitcher and Black-Bellied Plover. After a quick stop at the East Beach Woods we ended our time at Fort De Soto with 53 species. Three or four days earlier there was a small fallout but by the time we arrived most of these birds had moved on. It was a great day with killer looks at all of our birds. For once it wasn't just a tick mark but a long analysis of some of our most colorful birds in North America.
After surveying our list we realized that some of the most common birds were absent like Anhingas and Blue Jays. With this in mind we made a succession of stops to round out our day list. We didn't start the day with intentions of having a Big Day but we were determined to end the day with 60 species. Of course once we hit 60 that number changed to 70 and then to 75. We visited parks like Akerman Park, the Celery Fields, and Lakes Park. And we grabbed 24 more species to add to our list. Birds like Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Black-Necked Stilt, and many Black-Crowned Night Herons rounded out the list.
With the list at 77 species we decided to call it a day. Before we headed home we made one more loop through a beautiful Oak Tree forest for warblers. When I crossed the state I figured that my nemesis bird, the Hooded Warbler, would be mine. Once again this migrant has eluded me but it won't be long coming. I'll keep looking and searching. Eventually I'll find it and then I'll have to target another bird that seems to slip my grasp. But for now I'm hitting the bird train back to my side of the state. I hear that the birds are coming over from Cuba every day. I hope to see you out there too!
Train at Lakes Park, Lee County, Florida
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