From: Rex Rowan <rexrowan@gmail.com>
To: Alachua County birding report
See what you miss when you don’t go on Audubon field trips? Rob Norton got this excellent shot of a Swainson’s Warbler at Steinhatchee Springs WMA on the April 26 Hickory Mound Impoundment trip led by John Hintermister: https://www.flickr.com/photos/73960438@N04/17097720139/
Another case in point: participants in last Sunday’s field trip to Newnans Lake saw two American Avocets fly past the pier at Powers Park. That’s a rare bird in Alachua County.
You’re kicking yourself for not going, aren’t you? Don’t despair, there are still some field trips left: https://alachuaaudubon.org/classes-field-trips/
Thrushes, historically rare here during spring migration, have been coming through in surprising numbers during the past two weeks. Beginning on April 20th and continuing through May 5th (but mainly from the 26th through the 2nd) local birders reported 5 Veeries, 4 Gray-cheeked Thrushes, 3 Swainson’s Thrushes, and 6 Wood Thrushes. I previously linked to Becky Enneis’s photo of a Wood Thrush, and Sam Ewing also got a photo of a Gray-cheeked: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121511542@N02/16673743583/ We had an even stronger thrush migration last year. In 2013 it was smaller but still above average, and in 2012 it was closer to normal: a few Wood Thrushes, one Gray-cheeked, one Swainson’s, no Veeries. In spring 2011, only one Wood Thrush and one Veery were observed.
Speaking of migrants, we’re getting to Connecticut Warbler prime time. Of the county’s ten spring reports, all were between May 6th and May 28th, but six of them were between May 9th and May 13th. And remember, Mike Manetz was looking for a Connecticut Warbler when he found this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/8711298883/ That was a great day: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/8737718788/
Deena Mickelson, Danny Shehee, and Tom Tompkins saw a Brown Pelican over the La Chua Trail on the 30th. Stay away from those three if you don’t want your picture taken: https://www.flickr.com/photos/74215662@N04/17196068340/
I’ve put up another blog post, this one describing a walk on the opening day of Sweetwater Wetlands Park. I was dissatisfied with what I wrote, but the photography, mainly by Danny Shehee (with an assist from Jacksonville’s Kevin Dailey), is excellent, and will give you an idea of what the place looks like if you’ve never been: http://fieldguide.blogs.gainesville.com/239/sweetwater-wetlands-park-open-at-last/
I told the Sun that people were having trouble subscribing to my blog. Trina Anderson had shown me a birding blog that notifies readers by email whenever a new post comes out, so I forwarded that to the editor, and he set up a similar email notification device in the right sidebar of my blog. So if you enter your email address, you’ll get an email whenever I post something new. I don’t think the Sun will sell your email to marketers, but I can’t make any guarantees, so caveat emptor. Or caveat subscriptor in this case.
Going back one paragraph … Attention, eBirders: the new official eBird designation for the sheetflow restoration area is “Sweetwater Wetlands Park.” An eBird hotspot with that name has been established. Please use it – initially with the “Find it on a map” option on the “Where did you bird?” page; afterward it should be under “Choose from your locations.” In that way, all the sightings will be properly gathered into a single database. Old checklists headed “Paynes Prairie Preserve SP–Sheetflow Restoration Wetland” have automatically been changed to the new name.
Also, eBird now has an online store where you can buy eBird hats and tee shirts, though I think it’s still a work in progress: http://shorepromotions.com/ebird_store
Alachua Audubon will hold a Woodpecker Walk for Kids at Northeast Park on May 10th. This is your chance to take a child or grandchild birding, because the Woodpecker Walk is aimed specifically at young people. Meeting time and place here.
Audubon of Florida’s Jacqui Sulek writes, “In honor of International Migratory Bird Day, Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park will be hosting a birding hike on May 9th. There are only 14 spots available for the hike which is in one week. It’s a unique opportunity since we will be driving a van to the boundary of the preserve and then hiking in to a spot near a spring and trying to spot whatever we can while we’re out there. Contact 352-543-5567 to reserve your spot. If there is no answer leave your name and number and someone will return your call to verify your reservation as soon as possible.”