The Flying Mullet

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

The baby Bobcats have been entertaining visitors at Green Cay. The above photo was taken this week as 3 of the babies chased each other around near the edge of the wetlands as this one dared climb high in a tree. While everyone was watching and snapping photos of the cute babies the mother provided another highlight. We heard splashing and I turned just in time to see the mother Bobcat pounce on a raft of American Coots. She came up with a clean catch. The bird struggled and she trotted through the water to the forest edge. We turned back to the babies but they were gone. Obviously, they knew dinner was on the way. If you want to see our Bobcats they are easily seen from the deck of the nature center by the restrooms. I think early morning is best but they have been seen throughout the day.

Book Review: Petrels, Albatrosses & Storm-Petrels of North America

2012-02-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Petrels, Albatrosses & Storm-Petrels of North America: A Photographic Guide is the cutting edge book on tubernoses by Steve N.G. Howell. At nearly 500 pages, this book gives an in-depth view of rarely studied pelagic bird species. While flipping through the pages I daydreamed of being on the water and watching birds stream by. This book will transport you into a new world of birds and not only give you photos to drool over but interesting life history information as well.

Many bird field guides are using photos and this one does the same but with a variety of angles and age cycles. When going on a pelagic trip taking a field guide with you is impractical but having a book like Howell’s will allow you to study while on dry land and be prepared on the boat for the next stray rarity. This guide covers all manner of tubernoses seen in North American waters and gives each one a detailed write-up.

Howell’s book will delight everyone from beginners itching to go on their first pelagic trip to veterans seeking new insights on these much desired species. This volume will provide the reader with tables, photos, behavior and insights into reproduction and life style. Howell has delivered the tools with this new book to help any person that has an interest in studying pelagic bird species. Get your sea legs ready, this book will have you dreaming of pelagic trips. With Howell’s information, you will be an expert on the boat!

This review copy was provided by Princeton University Press.

Winner of the Swarovski Optik Leisure Product Tester Competition

2012-01-31T11:09:00.003-05:00

This week Swarovski announced that I had won the product test competition and I get to keep the new CL Companion binoculars!! Thanks to everyone that went on Facebook and voted and for those that visit this blog. I couldn't have won these babies without you.

I am very fortunate to have a great job and a happy birding hobby. The CLs will give me countless new opportunities while birding. I love how they are small but fit perfectly in my hand. They travel lightly and withstand the hardships of rain and humidity. The price for Swarovskis are high but the quality will blow you away. Thank you Swarovski for the new bins. I hope to have a lifetime of adventures with them in hand.

Baby gators

2012-01-25T20:47:00.001-05:00

Our little babies are six months old and still tiny. I still haven't seen them eat yet; they are shy. We fed them separately in covered containers. I think they like the dark.

Testing

2012-01-25T19:43:00.002-05:00

Lost mobile blogging for awhile. Hope this has me back in business.

MEXICO!

2012-01-19T22:50:00.000-05:00

This year I went to Mexico for Christmas. I saw some new birds, enjoyed the beach, explored some Mayan ruins, and swam in a ceynote. Akumal and the Yucatan gave me lots of fun memories. Here's a little peak of one of my lifers of the trip:

Top Ten Lifers of 2010

2012-01-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last year I broke precedent and didn't post my top 10 lifers of the year. So I'm going to give you a quick rundown before I post the top ten of 2011.

Top Ten Lifers of 2010

1. California Condor
Click the link to see photos from my lifer California Condors at Zion National Park. Definitely one of the highlights of the year. I will always remember that hike up to Boy Scout's Lookout at Angel's Landing. It gave me amazing views of this returned majestic bird.

2. Rosy Finch Trifecta: Black Rosyfinch, Gray-crowned Rosyfinch & Brown-capped Rosyfinch
Andy and I went to the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico to get this threesome. It was a pleasant surprise to see them from the warm inside of the visitor center with a cup of coffee in hand. Great up-close views!

3. Greater Roadrunner
This wasn't a warm sighting like the Rosyfinches. Andy and I were out at a WMA in New Mexico with cold winds but we found my lifer roadrunner in a big open prairie area.

4. Golden Eagle
On the way to White Sands, New Mexico we found this huge bird cruising by the roadside. We stopped the car and took in the eagle. It was a nice surprise and a great bird.

5. Common Black Hawk
Geraldine and I went to Sedona, Arizona and took a swim in a nearby creek. The water was both freezing and refreshing. On the way back to the car we spotted two Common Black Hawks mating. It was the perfect bird sighting to end such a beautiful day around Sedona.

6. Phainopepla
Another lifer found with Mr. Lantz in New Mexico. Who knew this was such a birdy state? I loved the Phainopepla. We had multiple looks at this guy wherever we went.

7. Acorn Woodpecker
Geraldine and I visited a great wildlife refuge in California where I found my lifer Acorn Woodpeckers. These guys are just strange looking. I love the caches they make in the trees and their color pattern is just so striking!

8. Whooping Crane
A little Central Florida birding gave me my lifer Whooping Crane with Kimmie. We had a great time birding the surrounding area. We topped the trip off by camping at Kissimmee Prairie State Park.

9. Long-billed Curlew & Whimbrel
Shorebirds like these don't show up often in Florida so it was a fun birding duo to find near the coast of California. What made the day even better was seeing my lifer seals and sea lions sunbathing nearby.

10. Black-chinned & Anna's Hummingbird
The end of the list goes to a hummingbird duo found at a state park in Arizona. These guys were only feet away and gave up crippling looks. I enjoyed my time in Arizona and look forward to more hummingbird action on the next trip.

Well that concludes a re-cap of 2010. Stay tuned for my Top Ten Lifer of 2011!

Best Green Cay Bird of 2011: Virginia Rail

2012-01-06T14:25:00.001-05:00

I've been working at the Green Cay Nature Center for 5 years. This is where I became a birder and each year it delivers a new lifer for me. The best bird of 2011 for me at Green Cay was the Virginia Rail that made itself at home for a few weeks. It took a couple of tries but finally I saw it near the gazebo at the Sora spot on the mile trail. It gave me great looks and really, a rail is a good bird anywhere but an exceptional bird for Green Cay. Not only a first for the park but also for me. It didn't make the top 10 lifers of the year but it did make the Best Bird of Green Cay. I wonder what bird Green Cay will give me in 2012. I can't wait to find out!

Virginia Rail taken by Bill Kominsky at Green Cay.

How to Collar a Florida Panther

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Swarovski Optik: CL Companion Review

2011-12-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

I've been using the Swarovski Optick CL Companions for months now and I must say they are a great pair of binoculars. They're lightweight, small in size, and fit comfortably in the hand. I really like the way that the caps fit on the ends and hold a good seal from dust and debris. I've carried them to Washington D.C. to Michigan to South Carolina and Jekyll Island Georgia. I've used them for birding, butterflying, watching softball, getting close-ups of baby Bobcats and Alligators, and even for digibinning. They've performed well in all types of low-light and extreme conditions. Another great feature that I've tested regularly in South Florida is the lack of fogging on the glass. This has come in handy quite a few times.

With a little over a month left to go, I'm going to take my tester pair and use them to the extreme. I have a trip to Mexico coming up in 3 days and then for New Year's I hit the western part of Florida for some Gulf birdwatching and sightseeing. January 1st also starts my Bird-a-Day efforts. This competition will mark one species for each day until I can't find any new species to add to the list. My goal is March 30, 2012. Anything after that will just be gravy.

If you're looking for a new pair of optics for the new year then I would highly recommend purchasing the Swarovski CLs. They won't disappoint!

Gamecam Florida Panthers

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Florida Panthers are rare but definitely can be found if you spend enough time in the Everglades. I saw my lifer Florida Panther in Everglades National Park. It was such a brief glimpse that I'm eager for another sighting. Maybe now that I have a year pass I'll try to get down there for some more wildlife encounters. Until then I will have to look at these photos with desire. The photos are once again taken in Collier County with a gamecam. I hope one day to get a good look like this gamecam provides.

Gamecam Black Bears

2011-12-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

These photos were taken by a gamecam in the western parts of the Everglades. I have had the pleasure of seeing a Black Bear in Florida once up in Ocala National Park but never one this far south. However I have seen scat markings from what I thought was a Black Bear in Everglades National Park so I know they are around. These photos come from a friend that has access to a few game cameras in Collier County. I hope you enjoy!

Baby Bobcats

2011-12-13T12:13:00.000-05:00

We have our fair share of Bobcats at Green Cay but recently we have had a little mini-explosion. Our resident female has had FOUR babies! It's been a treat to watch the little ones eat and play. Of course with the score of photographers around these photos don't do the little ones justice but I had to share with you the cute little fluff balls.

They Bobcat family was first spotted two weeks ago at the "alligator hole" where one of our female alligators had a huge nest this summer. For the whole day and into the next one, the family entertained our visitors while they kittens feasted on American Coot. The photo above shows one of the babies picking the coot up and dragging it around. The following photo shows you one of the kittens eating.

Next time you're out at Green Cay for a visit don't forget to check all the understory for this great little family. The mother is pretty protective so it's best to keep a distance. I hope that the hordes of people visiting don't scare them away to more inaccesibile areas of the park. Here's one last digibinned shot of a little Bobcat baby tail.

Turkeys!

2011-12-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. I had way too much fun up in South Carolina. We celebrated with a deep fried turkey and all the fixings. Once I was back in Florida all my time has been consumed by celebrating my big birthday week full of festivities. It's been a fun ride but I'm glad things are settling down a little. Of course I have lots of fun adventures to share but I exceeded my phoot limit on blogger so it's taken me a few extra days to get myself figured out. Here's my test post of a few turkeys taken on a gamecam in Everglades National Park.

Shark Valley Biking and Birding

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Shark Valley is an extension of Everglades National Park. For some reason I have never had the pleasure of checking it out but on our little farm stay weekend Emily and I brought our bikes for a nice exploration.

We biked, we birded, we butterflied, we watched the big puffy clouds drift over the blue sky. It was a nice day and we had a lot of fun on the trail. I am ready to go back when the weather is even cooler! The best bird was hearing multiple Marsh Wrens and seeing a huge flock of Tree Swallows. The butterfly diversity was pretty good too with some nice sulphurs and Zebra Longwings. We sat on a bench and watched the butterflies for a good time. The only thing missing was lunch. Next time we'll make better plans and stay longer.

If you have a bike then you should check out Shark Valley. It's such a nice trail and the ride is easy going. I highly recommend this trip if you want to see an up-close view of the Glades.

Paradise Farm Stay

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Right outside Miami in the Redlands is a little mecca of serenity, Paradise Farms Organic. Emily and I had one of the best weekends there recently. I saw my first Jackfruit trees and Starfruit trees. We had at least 8 species of butterfly fluttering about the farm. It was just a relaxing, peaceful respite from the busy work week.

After arriving we strolled about the farm and ate kumquats and flowers. We also looked for birds and insects. A Red-shoudered Hawk was our first bird on the farm and gave us great up-close looks.

We explored old structures and near the greenhouse we had a cooperative Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

By the nursery we also found some active bee hives. We sat on a nearby rock from a distance and spied on them with our binoculars. It was just a nice relaxing day around the farm.

Gabriella, the farm's owner welcomed us with both arms. We had a snack of pesto pasta and fresh fruit after we met her. We also sampled the flowers below and they were very good.

After our farm exploration we went to the Robert Is Here farm stand and had snacks. We also were entertained by a nice guy playing some very fun music. It was just a lot of fun hanging out here and sampling the fares.

We traveled down to Lucky Hammock but things seemed quiet so we walked the Annex for a little while and after we realized the breeze was too much we decided to head back to our farm stay. We spent the evening reading and relaxing.

On the way out we grabbed a couple of starfruit and said our goodbyes. The best part was our weekend adventure was not over, next we headed to Shark Valley. To hear all about that tale you'll have to come back tomorrow.

Everglades Birding/Camping

2011-11-20T17:20:00.001-05:00

November is the month when cool weather finally reaches South Florida. Andy, Rosana, Emily, Charlie, and I packed up and got ready for our first camping trip of the Fall. We were prepared and stoked but maybe we didn't realize that even though the weather is nice, the mosquitoes would be out in full force. Regardless we survived the first night and woke up the next morning to a nice relaxing temperature. We first headed out to Lucky Hammock and the Annex. The wind was blowing a little but not enough for the quiet hammocks. It was strange how little bird activity we found. Emily did see her lifer Eastern Phoebe and we saw a multitude of Kestrels.

Next we headed to Anhinga trail. I couldn't believe how high the water levels were but it resulted in little bird activity or alligators in sight. We did see a few waders but missed on the Purple Gallinule.

A quick walk through the hammock trail only yielded us a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. It was a slow morning but it felt good to be outside and hiking around.

At the Gate 15 mound we had a flock of Blue-winged Teal, a young Bald Eagle, and more waders. It was a beautiful bright blue day but low on birds. By this time we were starving and headed back towards Long Pine Key.

Charlie, our every faithful mutt seemed very content in the car and taking short walks at our breaks. I couldn't believe how well behaved she was while we were gone. I am sure she took a few naps.

After lunch we headed towards Flamingo. At Mrazik Pond we had some excitement with a Redhead and a Gadwall mixed in with the teal and coots.

Once at Flamingo we were exhausted so we took a nap near the marina and watched the thousands of Turkey Vultures stream out across the Florida Bay. It was entertaining and a much needed rest. Near the amphitheater we found a Western Kingbird on one of the camp grills.

Down by the shoreline Emily had her lifer American Avocets. These little dainty birds always delight me. I love that upturned bill and slender features. Mixed in were some Willet and a few peeps.

We ended our day with another night camping. I can't say it was the most pleasant due to all the mosquito/ant bites but for the first camping trip of the season, I thought it was successful. Many thanks to Andy and Rosana who outdid themselves and brought the BEST camping food EVAH. Thanks guys!

Jr. Naturalist Series

2011-11-07T08:32:00.000-05:00

Reservations are open for our winter break Jr. Naturalist Series at Green Cay Nature Center. On Tuesday January 3, 2012 we will offer Jr. Herpetology from 9AM-12PM and Jr. Entomology from 12PM-3PM and on Wednesday January 4, 2012 we will offer Jr. Ornithology from 9AM-12PM and Jr. Wetland Biology from 12PM-3PM. This is always an exciting day of fun-filled activities that connect 9 to 14 year olds with the natural world. We play games, take nature hikes, and explore the animals of the wetlands. If you know someone that's interested in participating they must be 9years old by January 1, 2012. Please call to book your reservation today at 561-966-7000.

Swarovski CL Focus Wheel

2011-10-26T19:00:00.000-04:00

The Companion CL focus wheel has been a topic of debate for me during the past 3 months. Sometimes I find it seems very flimsy and others it seems to work well with no mention. It's really when you have objects that are farther part that I notice that it seems to take a few turns before things come into focus. I like the CLs so much but this is the only little thing that I have found slightly inadequate.

Meanwhile, with the product testing, I am three months in so that means I'm half way between the test period. I must say it will be a sad day when I must box up my Swarovski CLs and send them back. I'm hoping some miracles falls into place and I get to keep them!

Yellow-green Vireo

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

So many rarities have been popping up in South Florida lately. Just this past week we had a Kirtland's Warbler and a White-fronted Goose. I wasn't able to chase either of those but I did get a lifer this month, the Yellow-green Vireo that hung around Matheson Park for a week. I went on the first and second days it was discovered. I missed it the first evening but being there early in the AM paid off. The vireo made appearances three times in four hours, each one brief but substantial enough for identification purposes.

I also had the chance to see a Philadelphia Vireo and many warbler species during this time. But one of the best parts was spending some time birding with new and old friends alike. Birding often becomes a solo effort but it's always more fun with friends.

Winning

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks and I've been neglecting The Flying Mullet more than I like to admit. At least I do have a good excuse, I've been working hard. The Green Cay's annual Migration Celebration is coming up this Saturday. It's an all-day free event for all ages. We will have free presentations, craft booths for the kids, a touch table, free guided walks, and exhibitors outside. If you're looking for a fun way to spend a Saturday then you should consider coming out to the nature center.

Also I've been taking new Leadership classes with the County. At our annual Recreation Services event last week I won a Division award which now sits on my desk. All three nature centers won a Department team award this past month as well. I guess all that hard work is paying off with recognition. I'm just glad that it's October and I still have a job working for a great organization at a lovely nature center. For all those that helped with the voting process this year to keep us funded, I thank you.

Jekyll Reunion

2011-10-22T11:20:00.000-04:00

Jekyll Island may very well be one of my favorite places on Earth. I do have a bias however since I lived there from August 2003 until June 2006. Those were some fun years at the beach. During that time I was able to work with some of the smartest, kindest, and craziest people. Every now and then we get together and have little reunions. A Jekyll Reunion hasn't happened in awhile and I was delighted when Katie mentioned that she was renting a house and that we were invited. So in a small Honda Fit, 4 of us crammed in headed north.

We arrived a day early so the first morning was mostly just us exploring the beach. Emily saw her first Black Skimmer and we had a nice shorebird morning with terns, gulls, and willets. The sand dunes were littered with Palm Warblers and the shrub was full of mockingbirds and migrants.

After picking up our dear friend Lanie J at the airport we had veggie burgers on the beach delivered by a charming fellow.

By nightfall the whole group had arrived. We had fun swimming in the St. Andrews sound, drinking beverages on the rooftop deck, and generally catching up on life.

The next morning was our last and though the trip was short we tried to make the most of it. Andy and I got up early and birded the northern end of the island. We started at the Jekyll campground feeders where we had chickadees, Ruby-throated hummingbirds, Carolina Wrens, and some frisky squirrels.

Next we hit up the old ampitheater slough. The normal Pied-billed Grebes, herons, and migrants were found along the trail and on the water. The forests of Jekyll are so beautiful and each time I have a chance to walk around in them I remember how much I miss the maritime forest. South Florida has something similiar but it's not the same to me.

We ended our day at St. Andrews, swimming with the people seining. It's a murky water and not the prettiest of sights but the swimming was fun nonetheless. Dark marsh mud ebbs out with the tide and you can barely see a foot down. A drastic change from the clear blue waters of Florida. The only part wrong with this trip was that it was just way too short. I really would like to spend a week on Jekyll with no cares in the world. Maybe next time.

Oliver the Owl

2011-10-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

This Saturday come out to Green Cay Nature Center to learn all about owls at 1PM. Oliver will be on display and all sorts of owl artifacts will be available for close inspection. Program lasts for 1 hour and is $3 per person. All ages welcome!

Swaro CL Eye Cup Problem

2011-10-18T20:34:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure what happened but one day I was using the new Companion CLs and when I tried to screw the eye cup back in, it didn't budge. One side was smooth as a whistle but the other was stuck. It felt like grit was stuck in it and after a gentle try to move it, I realized it wasn't going to move. I contacted Swarovski and they have a new pair in route. I am impressed by their prompt reply. I look forward to my new, new CLs to take in the field!

Western Massachusetts

2011-10-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

Sandy Browne has the cutest cottage in the edge of the woods. Emily and I were able to spend the weekend with her in her little cottage. Each morning we woke up to the chill of the air and sound of White-throated Sparrows outside. We had breakfast on the dock of the little pond and watched as the sun-rays streamed through the autumn foliage.

Em took me to Mt. Holyoke College to relive some of her old college days. We had a great time wandering around and exploring the various buildings. Oh, to be young and in college again. I think I would've had a grand time at Mt. Holyoke.

We spent our weekend between the little cottage and Hartford, CT where the wedding was taking place. The wedding was perfect and beautiful and one of the prettiest I've seen but the best part of the weekend was spent in the countryside.

On Sunday, Sandy took me to my first ever corn maze AND it was in the shape of Noah Webster's head. We had loads of fun running around the maze trying to solve word puzzles. I couldn't have asked for a better first corn maze experience. The two gorgeous girls below gave me one a-mazing weekend!

After the maze we drank apple cider, petted the little goats, and checked out the pumpkin selection. We even had the chance to pick out our very own pumpkins to take home. Unfortunately, we couldn't fit them into our luggage so I hope that Sandy has found them a good home.

Thank you Western Massachusetts for giving me a wonderful weekend full of fall colors, fun friends, and a beautiful wedding. I miss you already.

Maine (the forgotten post)

2011-10-11T12:24:00.000-04:00

Wow, I found this post today and for some reason it was never uploaded. I like the photos so much that I thought I would share it. It's a glimpse of the conditions at the boat dock before Rupp and I headed out on our Puffin expedition a few years back in May. This was a COLD afternoon and we probably had every stitch of clothing on that we packed. I'm planning to go back to Maine next year for a wedding. I hope that even better adventures are had and maybe, I'll see Puffins again.

Pine Snake Feeding

2011-09-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Snakes must be on the coolest animals out there. How something with no limbs can be such a stealthy killer is mind blowing. Our Pine Snake at work is a beast of a snake and it makes short work of eating 2 X-breeder mice each week. I love watching the snake show, even if I can't say I love touching the dead mice as I thaw them out for the offering each week. If you have never witnessed a snake eating then drop me a line and I'll see if I can arrange it for you at the nature center.

Book Review: Trees of Panama and Costa Rica

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

Trees of Panama and Costa Rica by Richard Condit, Rolando Perez, and Nefertaris Daguerre is a beautiful tree field guide. I love the bright plates that look like the real leaf is in your hand.

The Peterson for botanists in the tropics, the Trees of Panama and Costa Rica is a delightful guide full of some of the best color plates I’ve ever seen. Maybe not as detailed as Sibley’s Guide to Trees but in some ways, with those stunning photo plates, I found this guide more appealing. The use of up-close bubbles to provide attention to detail is nice on the leaves and berries. The range maps are well thought out and are included on the same page as the plates, which I love. The text is small be detailed. The only confusing part for those not so scientifically trained is the use of latin names but I find this helpful to avoid confusion among species. In the tropics, with so many types of trees, it would be hard to classify the book in any other way.

If you're planning a trip to Panama or Costa Rica (or any other Central American country for that matter) this may be the perfect guide for you if you wonder what trees you are walking under. It's a little on the heavy side to take in the field, with almost 500 pages, but as a reference when taking photos of trees or mulling over a few small samples, this book should come in handy. I am looking forward to giving this book a try when I visit Panama this year on my Canopy Tower trip.

This review copy was provided by Princeton University Press.

Oliver the Owl

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I posted a photo of our new education Kestrel but if you're visiting Green Cay you shouldn't definitely ask at the front desk if Oliver is out on our perch. He usually sits behind the desk and delights visitors daily. We've had Oliver for a couple of years now and he's such a cute guy. We use him with our nightwalks, our school programs, weekend programs, and outreaches. He's easy to handle and has quite the personality.

Oliver was hit by a car and has an amputated wing. He can never fly again and he was rehabbed at Busch Wildlife Center. Now he lives at Green Cay and educates the public about birds, nocturnal animals, and human threats on wildlife. Mostly he's a grumpy little guy but I do find him endearing. It's a pleasure to work with such a beautiful animal.

Education Kestrel

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Our new American Kestrel is doing well at Green Cay. We are still in the process of getting his outside enclosure ready but so far he's eating well and working okay on the glove. He's been a gem so far and we've already used him around the nature center when we have guests. Friday he had his first chance to entertain a school group. We had 30 homeschoolers in for a Birds class and he stole the show. I'm really glad that we have him for our programs. If you're interested in helping us with the naming contest then leave a message on the Green Cay Facebook page.

Job Offers and Good News

2011-09-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

October 1st marks Palm Beach County's new fiscal year 2012. The three County nature center were on the chopping block this year and there was a real possibility that not only would we close but all the staff would be laid off. I spent the summer with my pink slip in hand and hoping that things would turn in our favor. Finally, the Commissioners voted to keep our jobs and a big sigh of relief was felt. Fortunately, the next week I was offered a job interview with Oleta River State Park. I have decided to turn down the opportunity since it would be a decrease in pay and a downsize in job but honestly, it was very relieving to see that even if I had lost my job, there was a possibility of new things on the horizon.

Thank you all, for writing your local politicians, for making calls, for supporting Green Cay during these tough times, and for always believing. You have made my last few months much more bearable. I could not have done it without people like you, my volunteers, and my co-workers.

Because of all our supporters I can continue to offer great programs, get kids outdoors, and help people make connections in their everyday life to the outside world. I am honored to keep working for the Green Cay Nature Center.

North America Migration Count

2011-09-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Green Cay count was loads of fun this year and we had 55 species for the day with 504 individuals. Thanks to Holly, Andy, Emily, and Linda we were able to find 9 warbler species, 2 vireos, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and a few FOS species like Green-winged Teal and Sora. We had a few big misses such as White-winged Dove, Cattle Egret, and Black Vulture. With more time we may have been able to pick up 5 or more species and break 60 but it was a great count and one of our best.

Here's the break-down for those that are interested:
[_4___]____Double-crested Cormorant
[_24__]____Anhinga
[_1___]____Great Blue Heron
[_7___]____Great Egret
[_1___]____Snowy Egret
[_4___]____Little Blue Heron
[_10__]____Tricolored Heron
[_5___]____Green Heron
[_3___]____Black-crowned Night-Heron
[_26__]____White Ibis
[_3___]____Glossy Ibis
[_1___]____Roseate Spoonbill
[_1___]____Wood Stork
[_7___]____Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
[_1___]____Green-winged Teal
[_21__]____Mottled Duck
[_21__]____Blue-winged Teal
[_1___]____Turkey Vulture
[_1___]____Osprey
[_1___]____Cooper's Hawk
[_3___]____Red-shouldered Hawk
[_1___]____Sora
[_1___]____Purple Gallinule
[_130_]____Common Moorhen
[_1___]____Limpkin
[_2___]____Killdeer
[_15__]____Rock Pigeon
[_4___]____Mourning Dove
[_4___]____Chimney Swift
[_1___]____Ruby-throated Hummingbird
[_1___]____Belted Kingfisher
[_5___]____Red-bellied Woodpecker
[_22__]____Blue Jay
[_43__]____Fish Crow
[_12__]____Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
[_6___]____Northern Mockingbird
[_1___]____Brown Thrasher
[_1___]____Loggerhead Shrike
[_12__]____European Starling
[_1___]____White-eyed Vireo
[_1___]____Red-eyed Vireo
[_2___]____Northern Parula
[_1___]____Cape May Warbler
[_2___]____Black-throated Blue Warbler
[_3___]____Yellow-throated Warbler
[_3___]____Prairie Warbler
[_2___]____American Redstart
[_2___]____Ovenbird
[_1___]____Northern Waterthrush
[_1___]____Common Yellowthroat
[_10__]____Northern Cardinal
[_39__]____Red-winged Blackbird
[_23__]____Boat-tailed Grackle
[_2___]____Common Grackle
*Egyptian Goose

Thanks again count crew, you guys made this one a lot of fun!

Photo by Emily Lark, this was her first official NAMC and she was in charge of counting all the Anhingas.

Airboats at Night and Virginia Key

2011-09-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

For my brother's birthday I bought us a nighttime airboat ride in the Everglades. It was a fun experience and our guide was really great. I am a bit critical when it comes to nature guides (since I am one myself) but this guy went way beyond my expectations and I even learned a thing or two. Plus he was very accommodating with people on the boat.

We saw some nice gators on the ride, also cormorants and a Great Blue Heron. The best part was when our guide turned the boat off and all the lights in the middle of the Glades. As we sat there we could see distant fires burning (as forest fires spread across parts of the Everglades) and hear the cacophony of frogs. It was very peaceful being out there, even with a boat full of people.

Actually the best part may have been going real fast on the airboat! I did enjoy that as well and it was nice that my brother could join me for this little adventure.

My brother lives in South Carolina and doesn't have the chance to visit often so I always try to find new things for us to do. On the following Sunday we woke up in Miami and headed out to Bill Baggs State Park. After swimming and chilling on the beach we sought some refuge from the sun and heat by hitting up Jimbo's. If you haven't been to Jimbo's then you haven't seen some real Florida. It's a hodge podge of squatter camp, manatee viewing deck, cheap beer, bocce, artwork, photoshoots, run down vehicles and shacks, and all around great place to grab a few drinks. Andy, Rosana, and Emily joined us for the day and we had some nice down time altogether.

From the dock you can see the Miami skyline, a huge contrast to the abandoned school bus and shacks scattered about the property.

It was the perfect way to end my mini weekend trip with my brother. I hope he had as much fun as I did. Certainly I'm looking forward to the next sibling reunion.

Kayaking with John at John MacArthur State Park

2011-09-22T10:31:00.000-04:00

It's funny how when we get older that old sibling rivalries tend to die and instead you end up being good friends. I like to think that my brother John Charles and I are friends, even if we have different political views. I won't fault him completely for that, agree to disagree kind of thing. So it was with great pleasure that he had the chance to come visit me this summer. It's been too long since he's made the trip and I have lived in 3 different houses since his last time here. I tried to line up a really fun weekend and we started by a little kayaking at John MacArthur State Park.

The weather seemed daunting but it held off from raining and gave us a beautiful day with blue skies and puffy white clouds. We kayaked around the mangroves out into the intercoastal. As we passed under a bridge we cooled in the darkness and then as we paddled towards some small islands we saw a huge school of fish running and jumping out of the water. It was a nice sight and John headed straight for the fish. They dove right under his kayak.

We found our own private beach and took a dip in the murky waters. We watched boats pass by and dolphins swim in the distance. In one direction we had mangroves and nature and in the other direction we had the skyline near West Palm Beach. It was a mixing of worlds.

Tomorrow I'll have a post up about the second half of his visit. What do you think we did at night in the Everglades? Come back to find out!

Ginnie Springs Camping II

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

After my trip to Ginnie Springs, I was eager to go back for another float down the river. When Emily was back from Colorado we decided to make a weekend trip and show a mountain girl how to camp in summertime Florida. We selected the weekend that Hurricane Irene was supposed to make landfall on our coast but instead she steam plowed up the eastern seaboard and skipped Florida. This was perfect for our weekend plans so we set out on a Friday and arrived to a mostly empyt campground.

This was a drastically different experience than my last camping trip to Ginnie Springs. The campground was quiet and peaceful. We even found a campsite right by the Santa Fe with NO ONE in eyesight. It was amazing!

Scores of animal life was around us this time around. We saw a raccoon, a Gray Fox, Emily's lifer Prothonotary Warbler, and many other birds. Each morning a Carolina Wren would fly around our campsite singing joined by Tufted Titmouse and a White-eyed Vireo. Also by the fallen trees we found mushrooms and centipedes. My favorite non-bird sighting of the weekend was a striking Luna Moth by the bathrooms.

As always, it was a lovely camping trip with Ms. Lark. We spent our days lazily floating downstream and swimming in the springs. The perfect weekend getaway. I am in love a little with the springs of Florida. If you haven't been, they are nice any time of year. Refreshing to swim in during the summer and if you come to Florida in the winter they are the perfect refuge for Manatees. You can't go wrong either way.

Snapping Turtle

2011-09-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

Meet our Common Snapping Turtle at Green Cay. This guy lives in our laboratory and we use him for education programs. Actually he was a very kind and gentle turtle until last year and then once we started feeding him pinkie mice, he became a much more aggressive turtle. Now we are just waiting to take him to the big tank so that the general public can see him on a daily basis. I'll feel much better about keeping him inside once he has moved to the other tank. If only he would play nice with the other turtles!

Canada Warbler at Green Cay

2011-09-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

Migration has been pretty good at Green Cay this year. Last week Linda Fell (photo taken by her above) found a Canada Warbler. I was lucky enough to go out the next day and relocate it. Also seen were American Redstarts, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warblers, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, and Worm-eating Warbler. A couple of Red-eyed Vireos and some Blue-gray Gnatcatchers made for a very interesting day at the "Chickee Hut" island.

Earlier in the week I had birded Matheson Hammock in South Miami and had a very cooperative Swainson's Warbler, Northen Parula, Worm-eating Warblers, and Blue-gray Gnatatchers, all found on the service road. This area has given Miami birders a Thick-billed Vireo, Kentucky Warbler, and Cerulean Warbler in the past month. I wish I had seen that Cerulean! You better believe I'll be out there trying this week.

Saturday is the North American Migration Count and birders around the country will be out counting in mass. I'm hoping for something good on this year's count. I'll be birding the normal Green Cay/Water Utilities areas. This will be my 5th year leading this count area and I continue to be surprised. Migration is coming through, don't miss it!

Michigan Camping

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Our mini-Jekyll reunion took place near Ludington, Michigan this summer. Katie, Melanie, Heather and I all met up near the lake for some camping and catching up. We consumed some beverages, mostly beer. We went to a few bars: The Mitten Bar being my favorite but The Rail treated us well too. And we explored Ludington State Park. The big lake was cold but invigorating and I enjoyed swimming with some of my favorite ladies in the big icey pool. We also had some lounging times at another small lake but probably the best part of the trip was just hanging out at the campfire. I loved our campsite and the weather was perfect for being outdoors. I can't wait until the next reunion with these fine folks!

Best bird of the campsite: Least Flycatcher

Best beer of the campsite: New Holland Mad Hatter

Ginnie Springs Camping

2011-09-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Ginnie Springs Campground may be one of the most fun in Florida but also the loudest. We arrived for our camping trip around midnight and by the sound of it, the party had just started. We found a campsite in the Beaver Landing area and set up our tents. After the humidity soaked us through we walked down to the springs for a little night dip. Ginnie Springs is also the only spring that I know of that actually keeps a lights on at night for swimming. This is one of those private, anything goes kind of places.

For the next two days we enjoyed swimming, floating down the river, and hanging by the campsite. The mosquitoes weren't too bad and the heat of the day was spent in the cool 70 degree waters to cool us down. If you're looking for a camping destination in summer while in Florida, I believe the only place that is bearable are the springs.

Even with the large crowds were found bits of natural encounters. Damselflies of all kinds would ride the rafts with us down river. And the snorkeling is easy in these clear waters. We saw bass, catfish, and sunfish of all kinds. We also woke up each morning to a cacophany of bird calls from the Fish Crows roosting above our campsite.

I highly recommend a trip to Ginnie Springs, even if its just a day trip. Floating down the Santa Fe River is so relaxing and then swimming in one of the parks six springs is also a nice way to unwind from a hard work week. I will definitely be returning to this little piece of Florida heaven. Maybe next time I'll try on a less busy weekend.

Swarvoski Product Tester

2011-09-13T07:00:00.002-04:00

So far the new Companion CLs have been giving me great results. I've taken them to Michigan camping, the Florida Springs camping, the beach on numerous trips, the hammocks, the local parks, Lake Okeechobee, and out to the agricultural fields. Each time they have been easy to use, light to carry, and given me nice looks at not only the bird life but also the interesting features of the landscape. Yesterday I used them on the beach to watch a hang-glider come sailing down the shoreline. Then I passed them to my friend to see her lifer Sandwich Tern. These little bins are perfect for traveling.

John MacArthur State Park

2011-09-12T07:58:00.002-04:00

Went for a swim at the beach this weekend. Dozens of Sandwich Terms soared by and a few Brown Pelicans. The highlight was watching newly arrived Sanderlings chasing each other near the surf. Emily and I are getting good use of my new Florida State Parks pass!

New Education Kestrel!

2011-09-06T15:30:00.000-04:00

Green Cay Nature Center is proud to have our newly arrived education American Kestrel. I went to pick him up today from another nature center. Over the weekend was the Kestrel Count mentioned but I didn't see any kestrels flying around Washington D.C. But I was really happy to come back to work today and be able to pick up our new education bird. If you want to see our new addition he will be used in upcoming programs. Currently, we are running a naming contest for him at the front desk of the nature center and on Facebook. If you would like to enter then drop a name idea over at the Green Cay Facebook page.

The Great Kestrel Count 2011

2011-09-01T09:53:00.001-04:00

Robert Mortensen at the Birding Is Fun! blog has put together an idea to honor the American Kestral. I invite you to participate in this year's event. Here are the specifics:

When: Labor Day Weekend! Friday, Sept 2nd - Monday, Sept 5th

Where: Wherever you live or are birding that weekend

Why: To celebrate the American Kestrel, which is the ABA Bird of the Year, to introduce someone to birding, and to have fun!

How:
1. Take your kids, a family member, a neighbor or a friend on a drive, a walk, or a bike ride to look specifically for Kestrels for at least an hour during the long weekend.

2. Submit an eBird report of all the birds you see and count (all birds, but especially the Kestrels).

Please send Robert pictures, stories, and video clips of your celebration of The Great Kestrel Count 2011 and he will post them at http://www.birdingisfun.com/ to share with the world. His contact info can be found on his website.

Follow and Share you experience on Twitter by using the hash-tag #KestrelCount

I'll be in Washington D.C. for Labor Day weekend and while I know I won't have much time for birding you better believe I'll have my eyes open for a stray kestral on my adventure!

Swaro CLs: Beach Birding

2011-08-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

Decided to take a picnic at the beach in Lake Worth yesterday and found some dark skies. But the low light didn't stop my birding. Within minutes I had 1 Black Tern and 7 Gull-billed Tern in sight. After the terns I spied a few Rock Pigeons hanging around the pier and 1 lone Brown Pelican.

I brought my tester Swaro CLs for the birding and found over 20 Ruddy Turnstones in breeding plumage down the beach. Mixed in the flock were 2 Sanderling. It's been a few months since I've seen this beach birds near the shore.

I've been continuing to modify and make the test product pair of Swarovski CLs like my own. A few things that had to change were a switch from the neck strap provided to a more traditional birding rig. I don't actually wear it the proper way, if there is a proper way. I usually sling it across my body like a heavy bag and off I go. I like the stretchy material of the "birding bra."

The other adjustment that I HAD to make was doing something about those top eye-cups. I don't mind the two flap down caps but that top cap was driving me nuts. I felt like it was always impeding my view or irritating me by rubbing against my skin. So I have rigged a very inexpensive solution. I may be the only birder using a $900 pair of binoculars that have the top eye-cups attached with a rubber-band but guess what? It gives me a lot more flexibility and I love that the cups dangle out of my way. I thought about doing some tie straps type of thing but I like how the cups dangle low with the rubber-band. I guess I'll give this a try for a few more all day birding trips but so far (the past couple of weeks) I've been happy with the solution!

Book Review: Birds of the West Indies

2011-08-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

Birds of the West Indies by Norman Arlott is a concise 240 page book that is considered an illustrated checklist by Princeton University Press. What I found is that this little volume is more than a checklist but almost as grand as a full fledged field guide. The text was superb and provided many insights on the species and the plates are certainly colorful. I especially like that the whole West Indies is covered. As a travelor of the Carribean, this will be the perfect tome to keep in a bird bag as one island hops.

With every great book there are a few setbacks and I could only find two with this one. A personal pet peeve of mine is when the range maps are not found within the text and plates. I know that this is an illustrated checklist and not a real field guide so this can be forgiven. The other setback doesn't affect me personally but I will admit that the text is VERY small. This volume packs a lot of punch and to include all the juicy tidbits the author decided to keep the font size little and the information big. I am a fan of this and it's hardly fair to call it a setback but for some it may be an issue.

If you're planning a trip to the West Indies I would highly recommend adding this book to your library. I think it would be the perfect addition in the field and small enough to fit in any travel bag. I wish I had it on my last trip to Puerto Rico but I'm sure that I'll be back to the West Indies soon enough and this little guide will be going along with me for the ride.

Princeton University Press has a whole line of Illustrated Checklists that cover diverse regions of the world if you're interested.

This review copy was provided by Princeton University Press. All photos taken from the PUP website.

Mother Gator Protects Her Young

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

This was taken by a visitor to my nature center last week. You can watch the mother gator helping babies hatch out of the nest at the beginning then see the drama that unfolds as a Green Heron tries to make a hathling gator a snack.

Don't miss the little baby turtle hatching in the middle of the video. A Red-bellied Slider laid her eggs in the alligator nest and they hatched on the same day!

Hundreds of Spoonbills and Waders

2011-08-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

This post somehow became lost in all my recent travels. It's the second half of my birding day in late July. To read about the first part of the day scroll down to the Swaro CL Test Drive post or click the link.

After Kim and I were done with our morning of fun we headed for the Everglades Agricultural Area near Belle Glade. From Lake Okeechobee to the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge and South towards Miami their are agricultural fields that mostly plant sugar cane and rice. In August they flood many of these fields after harvesting the plants and this creates the perfect conditions for migrating shorebirds.

For our first main stop of the day we headed down Gator Blvd outside of Belle Glade and found a nice field full of waders. I know we were on the hunt for shorebirds but this was worth stopping for, check out the photos below to get a glimpse of the action!

The fields were full of Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Black-necked Stilts, and many small peeps.

My count was 124 for Roseate Spoonbills (a personal best) and over 250 Wood Storks. Yes, quite literally the fields were pink and white. I have never seen such a huge flock of waders. Usually I reserve my shorebirding in Western Palm Beach for mid to late August but this late July experience proved worthy of the drive.

The fields were littered birds and a few shorebirds were mixed in as well such as Short-billed Dowitcher, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Semipalmated Sandpiper.

We checked out the fields further along Gator Blvd and found some Black Terns and Least Terns flying. In the field was a few White Pelicans and Glossy Ibis as well. It was a nice day of birding and one I won't forget anytime soon!

We stopped near this dilapidated building on CR880 to look for swallows. We found a Red-tailed Hawk instead.

Alligator Babies!

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

I counted 28 baby gators in all but I'll be out later today to see if I spy a few more. This video shows you the bank of the alligator hole hours after the babies all hatched.

Mother Alligator Excavates the Nest

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

As the sound of little baby alligator grunts came from the nest the mother climbed into the pile and starting digging out the young hatchlings. Eggs littered the pond and the sizable nest started to crumble.

Baby Alligators Hatch at Green Cay

2011-08-24T08:05:00.000-04:00

Tuesday morning brought us the birth of over 28 baby alligators at Green Cay. We've been watching the young mother all summer keep diligent watch over her nest. I guessed that the nest would hatch on August 15th but the date slowly crept by and the visitors of Green Cay starting keeping nest watch. Each morning people would walk by to inspect the nest and wait for the arrival of the new babies. Now we don't have to wait any longer because it looks like all the newborns have found their way to the water.

With each baby alligator grunt the mother gator would climb up into the nest and scoop out handfuls of dirt and debris. Little gators climbed out beneath the surface. The process must have started in the night because dozens of baby alligators were already lining the bank of the water.

The babies seem to be more in the water today but staying close to mom. A Green Heron already came in for an inspection but was met with the mother leaping out of the water 4 times to shoo the heron away. I am looking forward to watch the events unfold as the mother is strained to keep all her young alive. Mother alligators stay with their young up to 2 years to protect the babies from predators such as birds, raccoons, and other larger alligators. Tomorrow I'll have a video or two of the alligator hatching process!

Michigan Back to Florida

2011-08-23T08:34:00.001-04:00

We had an excellent camping trip near Lake Michigan. And it's been a non-stop party since I got back to Florida but tomorrow I'll have a great post up about the alligators that are hatching at Green Cay today.

Michigan

2011-08-19T16:05:00.001-04:00

Sunset near our campground

Skywatch Friday: Green Cay

2011-08-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

Blue skies over the Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach, FL.

Swaro CL Test Drive

2011-08-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

With my new Swarovski CLs in hand I decided that an all day field test was in order. Since it's shorebird season I figured a good place to start was in Western Palm Beach County, FL. This area is known for shorebirds starting in August but shorebirds are easy to spot any time of day so for my first CL test drive I thought going to a new park would be the best way to start the day.

Kimmie met me at 6AM and we headed west to Dupuis Wildlife Management Area. Along the way we saw some typical Florida landscapes like fields of cows and stands of pines. Most people think of South Florida as a highly developed area that encroaches on the Everglades but if you're in the central part of the state above the Everglades you will find lots of agricultural land that has a very Central Florida feel.

Once in the park we started our bird list. For the most part the place was pretty quiet but we did have nice looks of Downy Woodpeckers and Red-shouldered Hawks. The CLs were performing well in the early day light. I had nice crisp views in the low light areas. One minor annoyance for me with the binoculars were all the lense covers. So I removed the top covers altogether. This allowed much faster use as we were in and out of the car.

The Ocean to Land section of the Florida Trail runs right through Dupuis WMA. The orange blazes were easy to spot as it crossed the road.

The best of the morning was an Eastern Towhee. Now I know what you must think, a towhee is a common yard bird but in South Florida, this isn't true. To see things like towhees and Carolina Wrens you must head out into the more quiet areas of wildlife management areas.

One of the best parts of the park was an area of prescribed burn. I loved the contrast of browns and greens near the road. This practice had recently been implemented and parts of the park had that nice smoky taste in the air. I scoped the pines but saw little more than some Common Ground-doves.

The driving road dead-ended at a small pond. With my new CLs I had great looks at a mating frenzy of dragonflies. The shorelines were swarming with these winged animals and it was a nice sight to find at this bird less area. The CLs did well focusing close as the dragonfiles darted around me.

Once we left Dupuis WMA we decided to head south to the agricultural fields. Along the way we took a small detour to Lake Okeechobee. Now in my experience, the lake is a hard thing to see first hand. I've driven to a few "lake" parks but mostly you see a canal that runs the border of the lake. But there is a small bridge north of Pahokee, FL that gives you an eagle eye view of the biggest lake in Florida.

We took a drive up on the dyke and found ourselves looking at a small island. This is the best Lake Okeechobee look I've ever had. And thanks to my bins I was able to spot a large alligator cruising the bank. The shot below was done by digibinning the gator through my CLs. Not bad for long distance snapshot. I was aided by resting my bins on the ledge of the car window. With minimal hand shake it was a nice photo (not great, but identifiable).

With our lake views behind us we drove south through Pahokee. For those that haven't seen the small rural areas of Palm Beach County you are in for a stark contrast to the rich affluent areas near the beach. This area is dotted with Palm Trees very much like the wealthy Worth Avenue in Palm Beach but instead of designer shops you will find old abandoned school buses and small little bait and grocery shops.

Kimmie and I stopped at a questionable gas station diner and ordered a plate of alligator nuggets, fried catfish, and fries. I could hear the arteries clogging but the food wasn't bad. The atmosphere was a bit too run-down to fully enjoy the meal but it was entertaining to say the least.

With meals consumed we headed to the shorebird areas near Belle Glade, Florida. You will have to come back next week to get the full installment of birds seen. For now I'll leave you with a photo of a typical field in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). This shot shows you the border of sod field and sugarcane field. These are the primary crops that you can find in Western Palm Beach.

Lifer Moose

2011-08-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

I hinted at my second lifer mammal of the Colorado trip in my last trip post: It's brown, it's big, and it has a bell. The answer is my first MOOSE. This is one of those iconic animals that I've been eagerly wanting to see. Grand Lake, CO didn't disappoint. We saw our first moose of the trip from the porch of the cabin at sunset. The large bull sauntered across the yard of our neighbor across the river. It had a nice pair of small antlers. The next day we saw our second moose of the trip (captured in the video below). It's a young male with two little stubs for antlers.

As for the bell, well this is a topic of debate. The male will often soak it in urine so it must have something to do with territories or mating. The bell is the flap of skin that hangs down beneath the moose's neck.

Miami Blue Butterfly: Is It Too Late?

2011-08-09T13:43:00.000-04:00

It looks like the federal government is going to put an emergency action plan together for the rare Miami Blue butterfly. Read the article here on the Palm Beach Post blog to get the full scoop.

I'm glad that some much needed protection is finally coming through for this species but I wonder if we waited too long. From what I know the population is very sparse and restricted to select islands in the Florida Keys. I hope that this measure isn't coming too late.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel Family

2011-08-09T07:00:00.010-04:00

Back to Colorado for some more tales of the West. One of the highlights of my recent trip was staying at the cabin in Grand Lake, FL. Tara, Kate, Emily, and I spent our time watching hummingbirds on the front porch, taking in the scenery, and spending some quality time cooking dinners and having drinks. It was a perfect vacation.

My time was even more enhanced by another little family that shared our space. On our first day at the cabin I saw this mother Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel. Being unfamiliar with things like this I mistakenly called her a chipmunk. I digibinned a shot of her and noticed that she was nursing young.

The next day she was out in the open again but this time she had her three young babies with her. They were about half her size and readily came to her when she came around. We watched them play together, eat seeds, and seek adventure down the driveway.

This little ground squirrel family brought many happy moments to my trip and I think of them fondly when thoughts of Colorado pop into my head. I am glad I had the chance to watch some family behavior and share a few moments with them.

The panoramic below is the view that this ground squirrel family has each sunset. I've never wanted to live that low on the food chain but I must say, it seems like they have a nice life. Tomorrow I hope you come back to see my second lifer mammal of the trip. Here's a hint: it's big, it's brown, and it has a bell. Guess in the comments if you know what it is.

*Oddly enough, this was not my first run in with a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel but it was my first time experiencing a whole family. Watching a family interact is much more memorable than seeing a few beg for handouts on a busy trail.

Lifer Wilson's Phalarope

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

On August 3rd I headed out to the sod fields of Palm Beach County in search of a target bird. I had seen reports of Wilson's Phalarope earlier in the day on the bird boards and I figured this was my best chance to find it before a potential storm hit over the weekend. I left directly after work for CR 880 near Belle Glade, FL.

At the first flooded fields I found huge flocks of yellowlegs. Mixed into the group were Least Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, and a huge group of Black Terns. The photo above was taken by local birder, Trey Mitchell, on the same day but hours earlier.

I searched the flooded field over and over, stopping my car at intervals along the way and trying to stay out of traffic. I finally gave up and decided to search some other areas. I rounded the corner and there was a second flooded field. Wouldn't you know it, the phalaropes were there all along! I had been searching the wrong field. The three Wilson's Phalarope were busy feeding and gave me great looks as they spun around in search of food.

This was a great Lifer and a County bird to boot! The view was made better with my new Swaro CL binoculars. The heat shimmer caused optimal viewing of the phalaropes to be limited but the great optics gave me my best view. It was a great way to end the day, success in hand. If you're interested in shorebird migration, the Everglades Agricultural Area in Palm Beach County, Florida is definitely where it's at right now. Every time I go out there I find something new and exciting.

Lifer Marmot!

2011-08-05T07:00:00.002-04:00

Another great lifer for the trip was found in Rocky Mountain National Park, a Marmot! Up until this moment the closest I had been to a Marmot was when I once tried on a rain jacket with its namesake. To say the least, I was far away from the actual. This furry rodent like animal is closely related to squirrels and I must admit, much larger than I imagined. This one tried to hide near the visitor center on Trail Ridge Road. The winds were blasting off the mountain slopes and I couldn't help but feel like the poor guy was freezing. But look at that huge, thick coat. These animals are made for high elevations and I was happy that I had such a great look at my first one.

We left the Marmot gazing out over the Rocky Mountains. I took a panoramic shot of the Marmot's view. I must say, the scenery was breathtaking! I am happy to add this to my mammal list and I hope I have many more looks at this huge ground squirrel.

Birding Colorado

2011-08-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

On my first day in Boulder, Emily and I went to the Humane Society dog park to scope out some resident summer breeding species. The trail here hugs the Boulder Creek and is very lush in summer. We found a flock of Cedar Waxwings and a Yellow Warbler but we didn't make it down the trail very far. The Boulder Creek was cresting the ridges and it flooded our path. We reluctantly turned around and headed back towards downtown with 10 species on the morning.

We found the same thing at the Boulder City Library. The river was full and we watched brave paddlers run the rapids under the city bridges. We did find a nice Barn Swallow feeding 3 young by the library footbridge. As we walked down the path we found a small Boy Scout pond that had a few Mallards and a Great Blue Heron.

The best birds of mornings were a pair of Northern Flicker tending to their recent fledgling. We watched the parents forage on the ground near the pond. The young one always stayed close to their side and accepted each morsel of food with vigor. We left the birding after a few rain showers came down and headed home to pack for our trip to Grand Lake. My last birds of the day were some Chimney Swifts flying over the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (we saw a outrageous rendition of The Comedy of Errors).

On the way across Rocky Mountain National Forest and to Grand Lake we did take a few pit stops for birds. The first stop was to the Fawnbrook Inn. Located outside of Estes, this inn has several hummingbird feeders. I merely jumped out of the car and found my lifer Broad-tailed Hummingbird on the nearest feeder. Tree Swallows filled the air behind us and I was beginning to feel much better about the trips birding prospects.

After the Fawnbrook Inn we headed into the national park and decided to stop at a picnic area to eat our packed sandwiches. As we were sitting at the table and I was drowning my lunch with a lifer beer, Maui Brewing Coconut Porter, I also saw another new bird! My lifer Williamson's Sapsucker exploded from the trees and headed right towards us and up over our heads. I scrambled to get my binoculars for another look but the bird was out of sight. No mistaking it though and I happily added another bird to the trip.

CL Digibinning Louisiana Waterthrush

2011-08-03T07:00:00.003-04:00

This early Fall migrant showed up at Green Cay last week. It's always a pleasure to see a Louisiana Waterthrush and this one I was able to video with the new CL Swarovski binoculars. I thought they performed pretty well. For those not familiar, digibinning or digiscoping is when you put a camera up to the lens of a binocular or scope and take a photo or video. It's a great way to document events and provides a nice up-close view if you don't happen to have an expensive camera. I'm still working out the new binoculars so I'm sure my technique will improve as the CLs and I become better acquainted. With the small size of the binoculars it was very easy to hold them in one hand and hold the digital camera in the other. This was a vast improvement from my clunky old bins that were a little awkward to hold with one hand.

Palm Beach Nature Centers in Jeopardy

2011-08-02T12:57:00.000-04:00

Great video from the local media about the threat of closures for all 3 Palm Beach County Nature Centers.

First Impressions Mean Everything

2011-08-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a few intimate looks at my product test pair of the new Swarovski CL Companion 10x30 binoculars. As you can see they are incredibly small but trust me, they fit well in the hand. My first impression of them out of the box was they had a nice weight. I'm always scared that small optics will be too light and thus suffer from hand shake but these were perfect. The compact size lends itself to easy travel opportunities. The view was clear but I did notice some darkness around the lenses so I look forward to trying them in the field.

The greatest impression of the binoculars thus far has to be how well they handled from going outside to inside. It was 89F today and with 60% humidity so I expected much more fogging of the lenses but they were clear within seconds. I was birding immediately out the door of the cold A/C of my nature center. I think that these little Swarovskis and I are becoming quick friends.

Spider in the Office

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Swarovski CL Video

2011-07-29T07:00:00.004-04:00

Watch this short video to give you a better idea of what the new CLs are all about.

New Swarovski CL Companion Binoculars

2011-07-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

Presenting the new CL Companion Binoculars.

This year has been a good one for me as far as competitions go. Back in the spring I won a Canopy Tower package tour for one. I am looking forward to my 2012 birding adventures in Panama. Recently, I entered to become a product tester for the new CL Companion 10x30 binoculars from Swarovski. I was selected as one of the 20 reviewers and I have the CLs on loan until January.

Maybe I should give you a little back story. Some of you that read my blog regularly know this but for those that don’t, I am a 30 year old naturalist that manages a nature center in South Florida. My background consists of teaching marine science for the University of Georgia’s Jekyll Island 4-H Center for 3 years and researching diamondback terrapins. My first love as a naturalist was reptiles and I still enjoy finding snakes in the wild or rescuing turtles from the road but my interests have turned all things bird since I moved to Florida 5 years ago. While at Green Cay Nature Center I have been given the opportunity to go birding in my professional time and even be sent to workshops and festivals. When not at work, I spend most of my energy traveling, hiking local trails, and of course enjoying the clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Now I’m branching out into the world of book reviews and product testing and I must say it has it perks. The new CLs are a high quality piece of glass and I’ve been lugging around a huge pair of old Bushnells for far too long so the new addition is welcome with open arms. My plan is to write a review each week of how the CLs are performing in the field. I want to give good feedback on the binoculars and maybe, if I’m (still) lucky be selected to keep my pair as a bonus.

I hope you will join me for the journey as I try out these new bins. Fall migration has already started (saw shorebirds over the weekend and a Louisiana Waterthrush at the wetlands yesterday) and I have a few trips planned that will give me ample opportunity to see what all the Swaro hype is about.

The quick lowdown (taken from the Swarovski website)
OPTICS
- High reproduction quality and transmission for bright, high-contrast images
- SWAROBRIGHT, SWARODUR, and SWAROTOP coatings
- 9.8 ft (3 m) shortest focusing distance
- Slender construction due to high-precision roof prism system with phase-corrected coating (P-coating)

MECHANISM
- Non-slip, easy-to-handle focusing wheel
- Individually adjustable twist-in eyecups made from allergy-tested material
- Dirt and dustproof
- Submersion tightness: 13 ft/4 m water depth due to interior focusing
- Nitrogen filling prevents internal fogging
- Shock absorbing, non-slip full rubber armoring

DESIGN
- Ergonomically designed for comfort and ease of use
- Slender bridge construction and thumb depressions on the underside of the binoculars for steady, balanced viewing comfort

Magnification 10x
Objective lens Ø (mm) 30
Exit pupil Ø (mm) 3
Exit pupil distance (mm) 14
Field of view at m/1000 m / ft/1000 yds 100/300
Field of view (degrees) 5.7
Field of view with eye glasses (degrees) 5.6
Subjective field of view, apparent (degrees) 55
Shortest focusing distance (m/ft) 3 / 9.8
Dioptric compensation (dpt) ± 4
Interpupillary distance (mm/in) 56-74 / 2.2-2.9
Length approx. (mm/in) [with eyecups twisted in] 119 / 4.70
Width approx. (mm/in) 114 / 4.50
Height approx. (mm/in) 58 / 2.30
Weight approx. (g/oz) 515 / 18.2
Colours green, black, sand-brown

Goodbye Puerto Rico

2011-07-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

This concludes the series of Puerto Rico posts. I want to thank EmilyLark for inspiring me to go on this trip and being an excellent travel partner. Also, I want to thank the people in Puerto Rico. Everyone we met across the island was very kind and generous. Special thanks to our hosts at Casa de Amistad for giving us a car to explore Vieques, our Couchsurfing hosts while in San Juan, and of course for all the fine accommodations at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge. I hope to return to Puerto Rico one day and continue my adventures there.

Puerto Rico Bird Tally

2011-07-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Above are a couple of photos taken by Emily while we were birding with Ana in Puerto Rico. Our complete bird tally is below in order of seen on the trip (repeats for common species will be found on the lists). Each day has my species total. Life birds are in bold.

17April2011

Great Egret, White-winged Dove, Greater Antillean Grackle, Bannaquit, Gray Kingbird, House Sparrow, Zenaida Dove, Rock Pigeon, Shiny Cowbird, Pin-tailed Wydah, Black-faced Grassquit, Carribean Martin, White-crowned Pigeon, Killdear, Northern Mockingbird, Red-legged Thrasher, Troupial, Common Ground-dove, Puerto Rican Tody, Northern Parula, Adeleide's Warbler, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Mangrove Cuckoo, Black-whiskered Vireo, Antillean Mango, Puerto Rican Vireo, Smooth-billed Ani, Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Spindalis, Puerto Rican Oriole, Puerto Rican Woodpecker, Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Brown Pelican, Ruddy Turnstone, Roseate Tern, Bridled Tern, Cattle Egret, White-tailed Tropicbird, Snowy Egret, Black-necked Stilt, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Tricolored Heron, Common Moorhen, Great Blue Heron, Cave Swallow, Pearly-eyed Thrasher

18April2011

Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Banaquit, Rock Pigeon, Black-faced Grassquit, Red-tailed Hawk, Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto-rican Screech-owl, Shiny Cowbird

19April2011

Scaly-naped Pigeon, Puerto Rican Oriole, Banaquit, Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Emerald, Gray Kingbird, Puerto Rican Tanager

20April2011

Green Mango, Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Oriole, Banaquit, SNPI, Gray Kingbird, Shiny Cowbird, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Laughing Gull, Greater Antillean Grackle, Great Egret, House Sparrow

21April2011

Rock Pigeon, Brown Pelican, Greater Antillean Gracke, Semipalmated Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Roseate Tern, Banaquit, Magnificent Frigatebird, Great Blue Heron, Antillean Nighthawk, Black-faced Grassquit, Gray Kingbird, Nutmeg Manniken, Carribean Elania

For a non-birding trip I had a few lifers each day and many repeat looks at some of the endemic species. A total of 26 lifers, and yes I am counting those exotics that are breeding there. It was a perfect trip and I would go back in a heartbeat, especially to Casa Cubuy Ecolodge. I would love to swim in the waterfalls again and see endemic Puerto Rican specialities while doing it!

Puerto Rican Parrot

2011-07-25T07:00:00.002-04:00

The endangered Puerto Rican Parrot, eluded me in the rainforest but honestly, I didn't search very hard. I went on this vacation for a little relaxation and fun, so birding was just the icing on the cake. I must admit, many of my hours were spent looking at birds or for them but the main agenda was to have fun swimming, hiking, and taking in the new sights with EmilyLark.

I did however learn a few things about the Puerto Rican Parrot while on my tropical vacation. Amazona vittata is the only parrot species to still be found on the island and it's endemic to Puerto Rico. In 2006 the population was estimated at 40 individuals. The widespread loss of the species was mostly due to habitat destruction and other human associated issues. A captive breeding program has helped replenish the small stocks. The poster above that I found in San Juan discusses the successes of the program so far.

This U.S. endangered species and IUCN critically endangered species seems to be in a battle for its survival. While I know that the Luquillo Avairy and Iguaca Aviary are doing all it can to re-establish the population, it's still a fact that only a small number remain in the wild. One day I hope to return to Puerto Rico and find my lifer parrot thriving but until then, I do hope that this species is given another chance to survive in our human-altered world.

Dungeon Art

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Down in the depths of El Morro were the dungeons. The dark, damp walls were etched with prisoners names but more impressive was the art left behind. In this cell, a long narrow stretch of a prison, a captive drew ships on the walls. They were intricate and beautiful. I marveled how time seemed to stand still in the confines of this dark fort. I am sure the dungeons hold many tales that we will never know.

Puerto Rico is full of life and history and beautiful landscapes. If you have never been I urge you to go and see for yourself.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

2011-07-22T07:00:00.002-04:00

San Juan to me was clean streets and colorful buildings,

flags of our country and of the island,

and vistas that made me think I was in the perfect tropical location.

Even the forts and towers were a mixing of worlds

with some parts built hundreds of years ago and others added during new wars and conflicts.

The people of Puerto Rico were so welcoming and happy. The old and young could be found flying kites in the crosswinds. I wanted to join them.

And around every corner of San Juan I was dazzled by the architecture, the people, and even in this urban setting, the birds like the Gray Kingbird below that blends perfectly in with the slate gray walls of the castle.

Puerto Rican Food and Beverage Tour

2011-07-21T07:00:00.003-04:00

Many vacations center around the destinations: the beach, the rainforest, the birding spots, but one of my favorite parts of traveling to a new place is trying the new foods and drinks. We sampled all that Puerto Rico had to offer and we came away with a lot of winners and only a handful of items that we didn't like very much. I'll outline a few of the highlights below:

The beer in Puerto Rico was always cold and delicous. Now I can't say that it was some special microbrew or anything exotic but it always did the trick and satisfied a thirsty traveler. In our hotel we had little micro cans of Coors, the national drink of the Puerto Rican olympic partner but mostly we drank Medalla while we were out. Medalla is a good beer if you're looking for something simple and cold, this is like the light lagers of most Caribbean islands.

The food was hearty and delicious. I was always happy with the rice and meats but the beans were where the magic was at. Those slow cooked beans that seemed like they had simmered for days were the best part of each meal.

The Mayo Ketchup condiment was found at every table. Strangely I do not like mayo or ketchup but when combined it was like heaven on every meal. I don't know what happened to me and once I found out that this delicious condiment was a combination of two things I disliked I was mortified. Plus, who wants to admit that they put this on every meal. Emily and I ate this condiment readily until one day we were at the grocery store and learned the truth about the pinkish sauce. Oh Mayo Ketchup, it was nice knowing you but we can't be friends anymore, even if you do add garlic and make things taste better.

One of the biggest highlights of the trip was the drink you see below, yes that's a Painkiller and while on Vieques Emily and I consumed our fill of them. Do you see that brown grated material on top, that's nutmeg and let me tell you, it's soooo delicious. I could drink these every day of my life.

Yuca chips and beer, I think this was our lunch one day on the beach. It was better than you can imagine. I've had chips like this before but never were they so crunchy and salty and perfect with an ice cold one. Just seeing the photo below reminds me of blue ocean waves lapping on the shoreline and the taste of salt in my mouth.

When everything is going peachy you feel like you can try anything and it will be perfect but the Coco Rico was far from perfect, it was down right terrible and after 3 sips I sadly threw it away. I know, a perfect waste of money but you couldn't pay me to drink this super sweet concoction. Luckily, this was one of the few misses of the trip.

On our last day in San Juan I may have taken a few years off of my life by consuming the super-meaty tripleta sandwich. It was divine and horrible all at once. With each bite I thought my arteries were clogging but oh, I loved the triple meat sandwich with crunchy little shoestring chips ON the sandwich. Yes, it was an extravagance but worth every morsel.

Book Review: The Atlas of Birds

2011-07-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

The Atlas of Birds: Diversity, Behavior, and Conservation by Mike Unwin is a spectacular array of bird knowledge packed into one punch of a book. The pages are both beautiful and breathtaking. This is the perfect reference guide for the beginner birder or the armchair naturalist. The maps and statistics grab your attention at every page turn and they are supplemented with stunning photos of birds from all over the world

What I loved were the quirky facts and stats like on page 90, a nice illustration of how many birds Shakespeare has used in his writing, or the beautiful pie graph on page 68, showing what birds eat. I thought that the little details on highlighted species were well written and informative but I wanted more. I thought this was a perfect beginner's guide but I wasn't satisfied with just the one quarter page on each family group. Maybe I'm just such a fan that I wanted this to be a more comprehensive reference. I think for the size of the book though, Mike Unwin did well without overwhelming the reader. Plus, I loved the flexible cover for packing in my carry-on at the airport!

If you're a naturalist, a bird-lover, or a student of fun facts then you should check out this atlas. It will captivate your attention and keep you turning the pages. Mike Unwin did an outstanding job and you better believe I will be checking out this reference time and time again. If for nothing else, the Bird Table at the back will keep every bird lister salivating on future countries to visit.

This review copy was provided by Princeton University Press. All photos taken from the PUP website.

The Horses of Vieques

2011-07-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

While at Sun Bay in Vieques we were delighted to have a horse trot along the shoreline. Behind her a young colt was following behind. At some point the adult walked ahead and left the colt. I'm not sure what the colt was doing but once it realized it was left it ran by in a dash. I could only catch a glimpse at the young horse struggled to keep up with its parent.

The horses are descendents of earlier European settlers and roam the island freely. We saw them on the sides of the road, on the beach, and even eating on the small mountain slopes. I'm sure these feral horses do have a negative environmental impact but I will say it's interesting to see them while traveling around the island. Even though I am not a big fan of exotic species taking over, I am sure these horses have been around for many generations and somehow they have fit into the landscape. Plus, the locals do use them for transportation. Emily and I saw at least 2 or 3 guys riding horses that looked like they must have been wild at some point.

The small island off of Puerto Rico is a nice place if you're looking for quiet beaches and little commercialization. The island doesn't have any red lights and only a few traffic laws that we could tell. I will admit that the roads are a bit bumpy and many of them are unpaved so an adventuresome spirit is needed when driving around. Maybe one of these days I'll even tell you about how we almost took our vehicle off the side of a little cliff.

Vieques Panorama

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

Sun Bay Beach, Vieques

On the first full day on Vieques Emily and I hailed a cab, by a sassy lady driver, and headed to the opposite side of the island. Once in Esperanza we walked to Sun Bay Beach where we enjoyed a day swimming and basking in the perfect hot weather. Click on the photo above to get a better view of the beach!

El Yunque At A Glance

2011-07-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

I can't tell you enough how beautiful and peaceful El Yunque National Forest was in Puerto Rico. The best part about this portion of the trip was how we spent our days. Each day consisted of lounging in the pools, scrambling over rocks, eating delicious Puerto Rican dinners in an outdoor restaurant with the sounds of the night around us, and having serene morning of coffee and rainforest sights. I have to also mention that our hosts at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge were very friendly and the family style breakfasts gave us a nice chance to meet all the lovely people that were sharing our space. Even though the place was booked, we rarely encountered anyone on the trails or in the waterfall pools. If a family was nearby, we just walked to the next pool that was hidden behind the boulders. Truly, this was my favorite part of Puerto Rico and I can't wait to go back.

Birding El Yunque and Beyond

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Our next stop in our Puerto Rican journey took us to El Yunque, the rainforest. On the way we stopped at the Farjardo Inn to catch a glimpse of a hummingbird or two. We were lucky to catch a very messy Antillean Crested Hummingbird in the parking lot. After our hummer we drove up, up, and up into the cloud forests of El Yunque where we found our accomodations at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge to be just the thing for two road weary travelers.

El Yunque is a beautiful oasis in Puerto Rico. We were lucky to be staying on the northern side of the island and away from the masses of people at the National Park entrance. Instead we found quiet and solitude. We spent our days swimming in beautiful pools near the waterfalls of two rivers Rio Sabana and Rio Cubuy.

We also found a few birds along the way. While eating at the local Casa Cubuy resturant we heard the Puerto Rican Screech-owl. The next day we watched Scaly-naped Pigeons fly around the mountains as we ate our breakfast. Below is a very rough photo of my lifer Puerto Rican Emerald that Emily and I found near the waterfalls. Can you find it? It's just a dark shape in the green foilage but it was a nice hummer and it gave it great looks.

Another Puerto Rican specialty, the Puerto Rican Tody came within feet of us each day as we descended the switchback trails that led to the waterfalls below our ecolodge. In the photo below you can see the bright green back of this cute endemic bird. This little lollipop of a bird has a bright red throat and a white belly.

Outside of our door each morning we were serenaded by Bannaquits. This one was trying to find a mate. We even had the chance to watch some nest building while we were there. Needless to say, I could've stayed at Casa Cubuy forever.

Our time at El Yunque came to a close and we skipped a plane to Vieques. Here we picked up two more lifers for my trip: Carribean Elania and Nutmeg Manniken. More posts are coming about Vieques. This was our beach portion of the trip and you better believe I will have a few posts about the tropcial blue-green waters.

From Vieques we stopped once more at the main entrance of El Yunque but the crowds of people and cars lined up was not the cloud forest that we had remembered so we only stayed a short time. We did have more looks at the Pearly-eyed Thrasher (seen above).

On our last day in Puerto Rico we toured the two national parks inside the city, Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal. At El Morro we found a very cooperative Caribbean Martin. I had seen this bird on the power lines my first full day birding but it was nice to get looks at it without a freeway of cars zooming by.

San Juan was a beautiful walking city and despite the heat it was lovely spending the day taking in the sights and sounds. Plus those Martins cruising outside El Morro didn't hurt either. I'll have more photos of San Juan if you're interested in the historical side of things.

Next week I'll post a full list of all the birds we found in Puerto Rico!

Birding Puerto Rico

2011-07-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

On our first morning in Puerto Rico, Emily and I rolled out of bed early and met with Ana, our birdingpals guide. If you haven’t used birdingpals I highly recommend it. It connects local birders with visiting birders and allows you to have a chance to not only meet new people but also have an insider’s knowledge of the land. With Ana’s help we were able to locate 18 new life birds for me and also see an additional 27 birds on the half day of birding.

Zenaida Dove

Upon arriving at our meeting location I had my lifer Zenaida Dove in the parking lot. Ana decided to take us to a local cemetery to find a few exotic species such as Pin-tailed Wydah. We found a nice male with a fairly long tail. The full tail length would be achieved during breeding season so we were a little early for that. While driving around the cemetery loop we had crippling looks at my first Caribbean Mango. The hummer perched on a road tractor for us to get nice looks. This stop also produced Black-faced Grassquit and White-crowned Pigeon.

Next we headed to Cambalache State Forest. This is a premiere birding destination in Puerto Rico and the furthest west that Emily and I would venture on this trip. Right outside the park we stopped off the road to see a nice Troupial. This is a Venezuelan species whose origin is unknown but most likely it arrived via the pet trade. Regardless, it does breed in Puerto Rico and like the Pin-tailed Wydah, is countable according to my local birder.

Once on the trails at Cambalache the lifers just starting rolling in with Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Antillean Mango, Adeleide’s Warbler, and Puerto Rican Vireo. While finally catching a glimpse of the vireo (we had heard them all morning) we found a very cooperative Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo. While watching that bright red eye a Mangrove Cuckoo perched just behind the Lizard Cuckoo. Two cuckoos in my binoculars at once was almost too much! I was having a great time in Puerto Rico and the day wasn’t done.

We found a nice Puerto Rican Spindalis and Puerto Rican Flycatcher nearby but the highlight was the Puerto Rican Woodpecker. We watched the endemic woodpecker climb the nearby light pole and duck into its hole. It was a treat and such a nice looking bird to end out stop at Cambalache.

Puerto Rican Woodpecker

From here we drove home but not before my lifer Pearly-eyed Thrasher crossed the road on the way out of town. When we were almost back to the freeway I mentioned my desire to see Bridled Terns and off we went to the coast. But if you read yesterday’s post you already know how that turned out.

Life Birds in Puerto Rico

2011-07-12T07:27:00.022-04:00

That's the face of a happy birder. I was just ending a day with countless lifers in Puerto Rico when Ana, my birdingpals guide, said she knew a spot for Bridled Tern. She made a couple of phone calls and we were told it was a little early but we tried anyways and boy, was I glad! Not only did I see 3 pairs of Bridled Tern on their nest site but I also reveled in the occasion with my lifer White-tailed Tropicbird sighting. It was the beginning of a great vacation and by the end of day one I had 18 new birds on my lifelist, many of them Puerto Rican endemics.

Tomorrow I'll fill you in on the other bird finds!

Coquí

2011-07-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

We had heard of the Coquí before traveling to Puerto Rico but we never imagined they would become such a major part of the landscape. The first night on the island we stayed with some lovely Couchsurfing hosts. They gave us a killer room with floor high windows on two sides. With the wind coming off the coast, we fell asleep to the sound of Coquí that night. This would be a comforting lullaby as we traveled the island.

Coquí is the common name for many endemic species of Puerto Rican frogs. I believe the species we found while staying at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge was the Eneida's Coquí (Eleutherodactylus eneidae), seen in Emily's hands. It's endangered and only found in mountains between 1000 and 3000 feet. The little guy that Emily is holding was found outside our room so we gently moved it out of the path of people. We also found one in our shower that we tried to remove but after an unsuccessful capture we decided the little frog could live with us.

I would love to have a few Coquí around to fall asleep to here in South Florida.

Puerto Rico!

2011-07-08T14:40:00.000-04:00

Horse on Sun Bay Beach, Vieques

For Spring Break this year Emily and I went to Puerto Rico but after a snafu with the computer/camera I lost over half the photos. It's been a long time but before the memories fade I'll have full posts up for next week with all our adventures.

Picabo

2011-07-07T00:36:00.003-04:00

My little Boo is back in Florida to visit me! She's 16 years young and fiesty as ever.

Alligator Nest

2011-07-04T13:26:00.001-04:00

At the "alligator hole" between the mile and half mile boardwalk we have an alligator nest. An alligator has nested at Green Cay before but we never saw the nest, just a dozen young a few months later. Now we have the privilege of seeing the whole process from nest construction to hopefully hatching. There's a possible second nest with another female at Green Cay but it hasn't been totally confirmed. If the other female does have a nest it must be high up on the bank and in the palms. If you haven't been to our boardwalk lately just take the divider between the two trails and you can't miss the nest. In about 2 months we should have babies!

Snake in a Cup

2011-07-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Snakes are on the move at Green Cay. Just this week I've seen a 4 foot Corn Snake and a 3 foot Black Racer, both near the parking lot. Apparently, snakes are active nearby as well since we've taken in two young snakes in the past week. The first one to come to us was this young Corn Snake. It was very calm and we happily released it on the small island on the half mile trail. I hope it finds plenty to eat out there.

Bird Stretch

2011-07-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

Just in case you thought my blogging was going to go the way of the butterflies full time I interupt to showcase one of my favorite birds at Green Cay, the Roseate Spoonbill. The birding slows down to a dismal pace in summer months but at least these pink birds bring some joy to the wetland. I especially like this pose taken by my friend Bill Kominsky at Green Cay last week. He's always at the right place at the right time!

Two Leps (Almost) Forgotten

2011-06-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those days were I purged the files from my computer. Going through hundreds of photos and weeding out the unneccessary. There's no need to keep a 100 photos of Great Blue Herons or even a 100 sunsets shots. Of course while cleaning there are always little surprises. These few butterfly captures I took back on the Miami CBC in 2010. There's nothing fancy about the photography. I don't own one of those kind of cameras and frankly, I was birding so the photos were more as a record keeping of what was happening on that day. So on the Viriginia Key segment of the 2010 CBC I have at least two butterfly records. The first one here is the Tropical Checkered-Skipper, Pyrgus albescens. This species is seen throughout Florida and across the coastal plain of the Gulf States. I've seen these skippers at all times of the year and this one was found by the roadside.

The other lep that I found on the 2010 CBC was a Mangrove Buckeye, Junonia genoveva. This butterfly lives in Southern Florida across the shoreline areas. I've seen it before in Broward County at Anne Kolb Park. It's a distinct little fellow and similiar to the others in the buckeye family.

Many thanks to the Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. I enjoy checking out my local leps and this guide allows me easy identification. I highly recommend it if you're in the market for an ID book.

Phone photo: Atalas

2011-06-28T08:38:00.002-04:00

Most of the Atala butterfly larvae are in chrysalis now. This photo was taken in the parking lot at Green Cay.

South Florida Sightings

2011-06-24T08:30:00.000-04:00

The water levels at Green Cay are on the rise with more reclaimed water pumped in this week. I must admit I was a bit disappointed about how quickly they released the water in but it was a nice change for part of the wetland cell to be deeper. The lower levels have created some interesting feeding opportunities including a flock of 20 Roseate Spoonbills over the weekend. This week just a few were seen each day but sometimes they were quite close to the boardwalk.

On Tuesday I did a bird count with Andy and we had 39 species within one mile. The highlights were a juvenile Snail Kite, 2 newly fledged Brown Thrashers, 2 spoonbills, and 3 American Coot that must be over-summering with us. We had all the waders but dipped on Least Bittern (though it was seen later in the day). So far, Green Cay has proved to be pretty productive this summer.

Tuesday afternoon also proved to be giving. I went swimming with Emily at Delray Beach and we were luckily provided with my FOS Gull-billed Tern. The beach also had a nice pair of Yellow-crowned Night Herons playing in the runnel.

Purple Gallinules and Green Cay updates

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

We have Purple Gallinule babies at Green Cay! I saw two chicks yesterday being fed by the parents and they are at least a week or two old. As I was watching one of the adults babysitting the other adult started building a new nest. I guess they waste no time on the second clutch!

The water levels are very low at the wetlands these days but as you know Florida is in a drought. We have treated wastewater being pumped in each day or we would be bone dry. Of course now that Palm Beach County is on water restrictions more golf courses and housing developments are buying the treated wastewater for irrigation which leaves us with dry shores. But you won't find me complaining, the birds are having a grand time feeding in the shallow areas and nesting on the dry shore. We even had our first White-rumped Sandpipers show up last week!

For those following the news you probably understand that we may face harsh budget cuts this year. It shouldn't come to any surprise that I am applying for a new job. If you have any leads, throw them my way! I have 8 years experience with environmental education, 4 years experience as a volunteer coordinator, and management experience as well working as a nature center manager and education coordinator. Also, I'm willing to move almost anywhere! You can reach me via the comments if you know any likely income sources.

Red-winged Blackbird Nest

2011-06-14T07:00:00.002-04:00

In honor of the new book Avian Architecture I bring you some nest shots of our local Red-winged Blackbirds. As you can see they keep a rather deep cup formation and it does provide plenty of shade on a hot South Florida day. This little family is growing right along and the parents are very diligent in providing plenty of food.

Atala Butterflies Emerge

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Before our inside Atalas starting hatching the larvae outside started all emerging a week earlier. It was a heyday in the parking lot coonties for Atalas. I loved watching this once rare species thrive at Green Cay.

Each new adult emerged and then dried its wings before fluttering about. Atalas stay relatively close to the host plant and were easily seen in the noon day sun. We found scores of butterflies hiding in the shade as well.

If you want to start liking butterflies, this is a good one to fall in love with. The striking orange abdomen is offset with dark wings and blue glittery spots. I promise you, it was hard to walk away from the emergence event and go back to work.

Lucky for me, I knew that since the outside butterflies were emerging that our inside ones should start as well. They were exactly a week behind schedule but I'm sure that's due to the cold AC temperatures we keep.

If you want to see some Atalas then Green Cay may be your best spot. I've heard this year's crop seems to be slim due to our weather patterns over the winter months. Now I need to just go out there and find some Atala eggs and the cycle will be complete!

Atala Butterflies

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you get a phone call at the nature center that makes your day and thanks to Carrie I was really happy when she called and said she had a whole mess of Atala Butterfly larvae to give the nature center.

Atala Butterflies, Eumaeu atala, are a colorful hairstreak that is limited in the United States to just Southeastern Florida. Once not long ago their population was almost entirely wiped out due to habitat destruction of the host plant, coonties were sweeped clean when developers came in. Now not only are coonties being replanted across the area but so the butterflies continue to thrive.

The larvae are bright orange with yellow spots and for a caterpillar I found them a little on the gooey side. They eat coontie leaves that are young shoots when they first hatch and as they grown they favor more developed leaves.

We decided to release 4 dozen Atala Butterfly larvae on our parking lot coonties and 5 or 6 larvae we brought into the nature center to ranch. They just started hatching this week so you will have to come back to see the results!

Book Review: Avian Architecture

2011-06-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

First let me say that this is the perfect time of year for a book to come out on bird nests. Everywhere around me I'm seeing birds build nests and birds hatching. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has wondered how exactly a hummingbird constructs a nest. And let me tell you Avian Architecture: How Birds Design, Engineer & Build by Peter Goodfellow is the perfect book to give you a crash course on some basic bird biology/behavior in a fun format.

The photos are amazing but it's those step-by-step nest building sketches that are my favorite. I really love how Goodfellow divides the chapters by nest type and the case studies are really interesting and cover a good selection of birds from all over the world. You better believe I'll be using the "Blueprints" pages in my next Jr. Ornithology class this summer!

But don't let me convince you, take a look at these plates and I am sure you'll be signing up for your own copy soon!

This week at the Princeton University Press blog they have info on how you can win your very own copy of this book.

This review copy was provided by Princeton University Press.

Spoonbills!

2011-06-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Roseate Spoonbills are back at Green Cay! I had three flyover me in the parking lot the other morning and they have been seen on numerous bird counts the past few weeks. If you haven't seen our resident pink bird then you should head out to the wetlands today. Though the summer heat has also arrived we have had nice bird action lately. The Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are here in good number, numerous species are sprouting out hatchlings, and the Black-necked Stilts are putting on their best nesting show.

Summer is such a slow time of year for birding in South Florida but it pays off to slow down and enjoy our year-around residents.

Red-bellied Woodpecker Babe

2011-06-07T13:09:00.002-04:00

The Red-bellied Woodpeckers at Green Cay have finally had a successful nesting season. Last year they were plagued by the starlings time and time again. I was really happy to see the first young of the year poking its head out of the cavity this week.

To see our new addition just stop at the bench near the alligator hole and look back towards the building. The woodpeckers nested in the closest snag.

Jekyll Island 2011

2011-06-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

Well friends, another great trip to Jekyll Island was taken this past weekend and I must say that place never ceases to amaze me. You would think after living there for 3 years I would have seen it all but it's not possible. We started the first night off by seeing two sets of sea turtle crawl tracks and then we ran up on two guys shark fishing. We watched them catch and release two lemon sharks before we called it a night.

The next day we spent a large portion chilling on the North End, also known as the Boneyard Beach. After bocce and sun we headed to St. Andrews sound for some rope swing fun and a little wading in the intercoastal. It was a nice day and we topped it off with dinner at Bubba Garcia's, the best food on St. Simon's Island. After calamari and shrimp tacos we had some shuffleboard round at Brogen's before calling it a late night.

On Sunday we slept in and then took in the beach at the 4-H Center. It is still my favorite beach on the island. We saw a pod of 20 dolphins swim back and forth as we wiled the day away playing more bocce and just relaxing. It was sad to say goodbye but like an old friend I know I'll see her again. Jekyll, you are so good to me and I miss you more than you know.

NAMC May 2011

2011-06-06T12:15:00.001-04:00

This year's North America Migration Count (NAMC) caught me by surprise and my team had to adjust last minute so we could even participate this year. Instead of hitting the trails in the morning hours we didn't start counting until 3PM. Despite the late start we still had a nice count with 43 species and a total of 464 individuals. Within the first half mile we had a very cooperative Least Bittern. The photo aboves shows you our perspective (basically straight down on it). Walking on an elevated boardwalk does have it priveleges.

It was a good day for waders with almost all the usual suspects seen like the Great Blue Heron seen above.

Emily joined the count this year in addition to my two normal partners, Andy and Holly. She was just along for the ride but she has some eagle eyes and not only relocated the Least Bittern but she also spotted the Purple Gallinule below.

I just love those long toes on the gallinules. Striking birds. As we made our count circle we found the breezy conditions to keep the count fairly cool. May has been a hot month and one of the issues of counting in the early afternoon is that birds tend to stay hidden but some overcast weather and a breeze proved to our fortune.

On the long stretch of the mile boardwalk we found a Roseate Spoonbill, Green Cay's FOS Chimney Swifts, and some fledgling Purple Martins that gave us a quite a stir.

We managed to count the parking lot and across the street at the Water Utilities pond but didn't pick up much except for a few yard birds. A heavy rain loomed and we ended the count but happy that we broke 40 considering the weather, the time of day, and the lack of migrants.

Thanks Andy and Holly for making this count so much fun!

Total species list:

Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Least Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mottled Duck, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Purple Gallinule, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Limpkin, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Boat-tailed Grackle, and Common Grackle.

Cannibalism Weeds Out Baby Alligators

2011-06-02T09:37:00.004-04:00

Baby Alligator at Green Cay.

Cannibalism Weeds Out Baby Alligators
Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer, 5/29/11

A new study finds that between 6 percent and 7 percent of young alligators fall victim to the cruel fate of cannibalism. On the other hand, a little gator-on-gator cannibalism may help keep their populations stable.

"Even the seemingly low rate of juvenile mortality attributed to cannibalism reported here may be an important factor in population regulation," researchers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote in June in the journal Herpatologica.

The researchers analyzed data from years of alligator tagging and tracking programs at Orange Lake, a shallow, marshy body of water near Gainesville, Fla. Between 1981 and 1987, 267 stomachs from adult alligators that had been killed hunters were examined for tags in an effort to find out how many tagged alligators were being cannibalized by other gators.

Thirty-three of the stomachs contained tags, for a total of 56 tags in all. One particularly hungry gator had eaten at least 14 other alligators. The other gators carried a tag or two in their stomachs.The records associated with the tags revealed that 91 percent of the cannibalism victims were under 3 years old, which is juvenile by alligator standards.

The next step was to figure out how this small cannibalism sample would translate to the entire population of Orange Lake gators. To do that, researchers needed to figure out how long tags tend to stick around in a gator's stomach without being excreted. So they fed 10 alligators five tags each (to simulate natural digestion, the tags were attached to alligator feet removed from dead hatchlings).Over the next 588 days, the 10 gators got periodic X-rays to check for tags in their stomachs. As it turned out, the tags stuck around: At the end of the experiment, 76 percent of the tags, or 38 total, were still in the gators' guts.

Taking into account the size of Orange Lake's gator population and the likelihood of finding evidence of cannibalism, in the form of tags, in a guilty gator's stomach, the researchers estimate that about 6 percent to 7 percent of juvenile gators become dinner.

That rate could vary in other lakes and swamps, the researchers wrote, because the prevalence of cannibalism depends on the abundance of other food options. Understanding how often alligators chomp on each other is important, they added, because wildlife officials have to understand population dynamics in order to set goals for both gator protection and gator hunting.

Daggerwing Student Art

2011-05-31T07:24:00.005-04:00

Daggerwing Nature Center has the most lovely little gallery. I am always happy to sneak a peek at some of the local artists or see some of the area school's work. The exhibit that is on display now is a series of drawings done by a class of homeschoolers. The homeschool group signed up for an art workshop at the nature center and then the best works were selected for the gallery. I took photos of my top three for you to see:

I would love for Green Cay to also offer an opportunity like this for local artists and students. Now I better figure out the logistics!

Gopher Tortoise at ONC

2011-05-27T17:55:00.002-04:00

I scurried this guy off the road today at Okeeheelee Nature Center.